About Us – Dreike Scholarship Fund

ABOUT US

The Dreike Scholarship Fund (DSF) was founded by Volker and sons, Oli & Marcus, in 2008, with a simple aim – to help young Africans who live near wildlife reserves to enjoy a decent education; allowing them to improve their quality of life and giving them the opportunity to fulfil their ambitions and potential. We do this by raising funds for individual students to attend school and university, who might otherwise not be able to enjoy the education they deserve.

DSF was born from our combined love of Africa and the joy it has brought to us over the years. When we came to realise that in rural areas people are often prone to poverty and have to compete with wildlife for resources, we also saw that education was key to a secure future for both people and wildlife. Our scholarships pay for school fees, uniforms, books and other materials. We help children and young people who we feel are most deserving, but who otherwise might not be in able to afford to continue their education.

We are a small, family run charity, registered in the UK – Charity Registration Number 1138760 – and eligible for Gift Aid. We raise funds through individual donations, annual fundraising events and through collaborations with other organisations who share our objectives. With minimal administration and overhead costs, the majority of funds raised go directly to Africa to fund education. To date we have raised over £200,000 towards education in Africa and helped change the lives of more than 80 students in Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

OUR TRUSTEES

We are a small, family run charity with four trustees; Oli has worked in the safari industry in Africa since 2000, Volker has also spent many months in Africa, working in the diplomatic service and on safari. Marcus has joined them on safari and on a number of other visits and used to work as a teacher, and we are lucky to be joined by Marcus’s wife Emma who shares a passion for Africa and has a talent for fundraising.

Volker Dreike

Volker’s career as a diplomat led him to work in many countries, including several in Africa; where he served in Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Burundi. His love for Africa started when he first visited Oli in Botswana in 2002 and since then they have spent many months on safari together; it was during one visit to Zambia in 2008 that the idea for the Dreike Scholarship Fund was born. Now retired, Volker lives in Germany where he devotes much of his time to helping people in need; either as a trustee of the Dreike Scholarship Fund – where he oversees the accounts - or as a Rotarian. Some years ago, he also helped set up a school in Turkey.

Oli Dreike

Oli has been involved in the safari industry for the past two decades. Having studied Zoology and Conservation & Tourism in the UK, he has worked in Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda,Tanzania and Congo and is currently based in Kenya. With a passion for responsible tourism he has always been keen to make a difference to the lives of the local people living around the wildlife areas in which he has worked - which led to the initial idea for setting up the Dreike Scholarship Fund. Being based in Africa, and knowing the communities we support well, Oli is responsible for helping select and mentor students, as well as ensuring that school fees are paid.

Marcus Dreike

Marcus first visited Africa in 2000, visiting Oli in Kenya and instantly fell in love with the continent’s magical atmosphere and has returned to Africa with Volker and Oli many times. Having lived and worked in France after university, Marcus originally trained as a teacher, but now works in property in London. He has found being involved in The Dreike Scholarship Fund to be extremely rewarding and has been overwhelmed by the response from our supporters, especially at the fundraising events he has organised. Marcus married Emma in 2013 and they have three young sons.

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Emma Dreike

Emma first became aware of the Dreike Scholarship Fund when she met Marcus in 2008 and since then has been an avid supporter and has attended and assisted with each of the past fundraising events. Emma works in luxury international real estate PR, which has allowed her to hone her passion for travel. An enthusiastic writer, Emma relishes the chance to work with the team to tell the on-going story of the Dreike Scholarship Fund’s achievements and help the charity achieve continued success. Emma married Marcus in 2013 and they have three young sons.

We would like to thank past trustees Emily Lewis and Lucy Philipps, whose efforts and support we are extremely grateful for. We would also like to thank Charles Zulu and Thomson Zulu (in Zambia) and Emmanuel Ahishakiye, Simon Mvunabandi and Jackson Vugayabagabo (in Rwanda), for their assistance and mentorship over the years.