During ZTN Prime's Morning Rush show, Damien Mander joined Mr. Tich and Candice Mwakalyelye to talk about conservation in Africa, the issues posed by poaching, and the extraordinary progress made thanks to the Akashinga program. From a small group of 16 women using a chalkboard and a tree for training, the organization has expanded to 500+ staff who are all dedicated to protecting the planet's biodiversity.
Recently IAPF also received a A$1 million (US$700,000) donation from the Judith Neilson Foundation. This grant will be used to strengthen our ‘Akashinga - Nature Protected by Women’ program, recruiting additional women as wildlife rangers to defend the expanding wilderness portfolio under Akashinga’s protection.
This includes one of the largest remaining elephant populations on Earth in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley. “Akashinga’s strong focus on supporting marginalized women in rural areas, hand in hand with delivering infrastructure upgrades for healthcare, education and clean water are vital for community led conservation having impact at scale," Judith Neilson said. "The women of Akashinga have proven this and I am excited to be supporting them as they expand their work in Africa.”