Recently six Sabalala Nolwazi Youth Club members joined a group of young people who made up the Youth Participation Project at the CINDI Network Conference held in Pietermaritzburg. The conference was part of the Network's 10th Anniversary celebration and was attended by hundreds of people from all over the world. 

Learners were invited to write essays about “The struggles of youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS”.  The writers of the best essays  attended a series of workshops organized by CINDI. At these workshops the learners were taught about HIV and AIDS, how to work together, as well as presentations skills.
Their presentation was “Go tell the world that…” Their message challenged the government's effort at trying to prevent the spread of HIV.

Philile Ngidi, Natal Museum's Education Officer, along with 3 educators from rural schools, was invited by the Museum to the conference. Philile made contact with Australian delegates, Georgia Efford and Dr. Julie Stone.

The Australians later visited our Museum and are contemplating starting a joint project with us teaching young people  to knit African dolls.

Attending this conference was a very exhilarating and enriching experience for everyone involved.

The Fourth Annual Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Science Symposium was held in Cape Town on the 5th and 6th of April. The symposium explored the role of GBIF and other new technologies in conservation and monitoring of biodiversity change world-wide.

GBIF provides biodiversity information which enables decisions to be made within the fields of conservation science, by allowing free access to a wide range of biodiversity data, through collaborations with more than 75 countries and other international organizations.

These data are vital since they allow for the management of various natural ecosystems and their resources. The Natal Museum's wealth of biological specimens, particularly within the groups of earthworms, arthropods, molluscs, amphibians and reptiles, was represented in the form of posters and pamphlets.