Children's book, Ogres of Greed, on sale in support of the Kariega Foundation

South African author, Gerard Victor, has pledged a portion of proceeds from the sale of his book - Ogres of Greed - to the Kariega Foundation Save the Rhino fund to help Kariega Game Reserve with rhino protection and conservation.

Gerard Victor wrote Ogres of Greed in the mid-2000s, completing it in 2008. As a book about poaching, greed and African wildlife Victor felt it pertinent to publish this year (2013) as rhinos face their biggest challenges so far - being so much closer to extinction. A portion of the proceeds have been pledged to the Kariega Foundation Save the Rhino fund to help protect rhino on Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.

Ogres of Greed is an African Mythological story that promotes team work, detests actions driven by greed and encourages sensitivity and awareness. It gives kind, caring, almost human-like characteristics to the animals, who all work together in defeating a greedy Poacher and his trackers.

As a qualified senior primary teacher and international author of six books, Victor has always looked for ways of teaching life skills to children. It is through this book that he hopes to teach children and adults alike about team work to achieve a goal, caring for others for no benefit of their own, and keeping one another safe.

Plot and extracts from the book

Farkwa, Intaka & Dudi (an orphan Rhino Calf) become the best of companions, and find a way to conquer the poacher, in his pursuit of the 'Elephant Graveyard'.

Dudi is only an orphan because of a poacher who shot Dudi’s mother for her horn. With the assistance of Ingonyama, the lion who is King of the Veld, the trio manage to drum up a lot of support to rid their paradise of the evil, greedy actions of these humans.

“The tip of the bony index finger whitened with the continued pressure on the lifeless metal of the blue grey trigger. The lightning quick jolt made the owner of this finger blink in shock, delight or slight pain as the butt of the rifle slammed into his shoulder. A deathly silence clung to the Veld in a steely grip, the animals cowering silent and petrified, not making any movement, protecting themselves from this danger that had invaded their home.”

“Intaka took a deep breath and explained what he had seen in the bushy Veld. He had seen the little rhino calf racing from his dead mother as the rifle crack broke the peace of the bush. He also told what he thought was about to happen in this beautiful unspoiled kingdom that was the Kings.”

More about the book

The book is 75 pages long and was written for children between Grade 4 and 7 (ages 10 to 13) but can be enjoyed by children of all ages. It includes illustrations by Louis du Preez, a well-known graphic designer who has worked on international movies such as Blood Diamond as well as various ad campaigns for well-known brands including Windhoek Lager and Castle Lite.

How to order

The book can be ordered from Rozan and Gerard Victor for R120 including VAT and excluding postage. Delivery in Port Elizabeth is free (door delivery to most areas of the city), and for non-Port Elizabeth residents (both local and international) postage is added onto the invoice.

Orders can be made via email to theessentialrun@gmail.com. If you would like to find out more about the book you can also visit the Ogres of Greed Facebook page here.