adminAshley Mujoma
AKASHINGA Rangers say they have recovered 24 pangolins and 118 elephant tusks from poachers.
This follows raids and community awareness campaigns held last year.
Akashinga is an all-female anti-poaching rangers’ unit.
“To date, Akashinga and its Wildlife Crime Unit has carried out 1 303 arrests in 724 operations.
“In the past year alone, the unit has recovered 24 pangolins, 118 elephant tusks and one rhino horn, as well as over 1 500kg of illegally caught fish,” Akashinga said.
Speaking at a combined rangers’ parade in the Zambezi Valley on Friday, Akashinga founder and chief executive, Damien Mander, said their success was proof that women could also contribute to the conservation of nature and other endangered species.
“Women have become the conduit through which conservation and the community collaborate.
“The message these women are delivering throughout Africa is something we can all be proud of, and it began right here,” said Mander.
Akashinga also continues to prioritise community development, focusing on areas such as education, health and nutrition, infrastructure development and employment.
Recently, a joint project between the Hurungwe Rural District Council, MoveMe Abundant Village and Akashinga, with support from the Australian government, provided essential access to clean water through the installation of solar boreholes at Nyamakate centre and Kilo Village in Chundu.
Solar power has also been provided at Nyamakate Clinic, and upgrades to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in nearby Golf and Jinami villages are in progress.
The Akashinga programme started in 2017 in Hurungwe, with an initial group of 16 women, all survivors of gender-based violence.
It has since grown to more than 500 rangers and contractors, with a wilderness protection portfolio totalling over 9.1 million acres, across four countries.
Online Reporter