The Akashinga Ranger Report is a quarterly newsletter that puts you behind-the-scenes with Africa’s plant-based, all-female Akashinga Rangers. You'll be immersed in the rangers’ activities, experiences, stories, and achievements as they protect, connect, and restore invaluable ecosystems across Southern and East Africa.
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The Leading Brave Fellowship Inspires a New Group of Leaders at Akashinga

This February, Akashinga's Phundundu camp hosted a 5-day launch programme for the Leading Brave Fellowship, gathering together 15 rangers and staff to develop leadership skills and build networks that are intended to amplify their voices as climate leaders.

The Fellowship pilot programme, co-created and led by The Rallying Cry, includes building 'softer' skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, and negotiation to support personal leadership and resilience. It continues with virtual programming and 1-on-1 coaching this July.  

Here's what some of the participants had to say about their experience:

"It has equipped me with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop a deep understanding of my professional and personal journey. By having these abilities, I will be able to contribute more effectively to the Akashinga team and help my fellow women to discover their own unique journeys too."

"Leadership is more than just a title; it is the ability to inspire, guide, and empower others toward a common goal. Through leadership training, I am gaining essential skills that allow me to better serve our mission, team, and community."

"Through the fellowship, I am gaining critical skills in negotiation, decision making, and problem solving, all of which are essential for driving conservation efforts in complex environments."

Meet the women reshaping the future of conservation through courage, connection, and community.
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Community Supervisor Blessing Neya Furthers Her Professional Training

Blessing Neya, Community Supervisor Akashinga East, grew up in Huyo village close to Phundundu camp. Since both her parents were teachers, they ensured all their children, including the girls, went to good schools. After school, Blessing qualified from university with a BSc in Urban Planning. When she joined Akashinga, she brought along the planning, and government and community engagement skills she had learned through her degree.

With a personal stake in the well-being of her community and her own experiences as a woman guiding her, Blessing was keen to enhance her understanding of how gender dynamics affect conservation work:
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"I know we are coming from a patriarchal society where women are just told to work at home, look after kids and not be part of these important discussions [about human-wildlife conflict and climate change], although we are the most affected people...yet, there's a better chance for conservation if the community is 100% in."

This February she completed Planet Women's 8-week Gender Mainstreaming Course, receiving technical training on how to embed gender into conservation fieldwork and planning.

Blessing is hopeful her new knowledge will impact her work: "The course deepened my understanding of gender issues and it's dynamics... allowing me to be inclusive and to ensure the perspectives and needs of women and men are integrated in the community work I do thereby driving meaningful change within communities. I am not a gender expert yet, and I want to use the newly acquired knowledge and skills to ensure that gender inequalities are not further aggravated in the community programmes and projects I am involved in."

Akashinga Instructors Complete Training at the Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation

On 2 May, four Akashinga instructors graduated from the month-long Basic Paramilitary Instructors Train the Trainer Course at the Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation (ZIWC).

The training ensures the Akashinga instructors are in-line with Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management (ZimParks) paramilitary training and fulfils the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations, enabling them to work together and increase Akashinga's impact on the ground.

Blessing Chirombe, Head of Akashinga's Training Academy at Phundundu, notes that completing a course signed by ZimParks Director General and combining Akashinga and ZimParks standards is "a big endorsement."

Kennedy Gonde, ZIWC Acting Vice Principal, was very pleased with the student's progress and interest in the modules they covered, which included Intelligence Gathering, National and Strategic Studies, Specialist Firearms Training, GIS, Bushcraft and Principles of Wildlife Management.

All four instructors — Tendai Kadohwata, Sharai Viola Tunhira, Moreblessing Khumalo, and Asiyatu Phiri — passed the course, with Sharai confirming it has increased her confidence as an instructor:

"I am looking forward to teaching Akashinga Rangers, especially on the side of weapon handling. I mastered a lot of concepts including principals of wildlife management and how to conserve our area so that our future generations will also see some of the species."

Tendai, who was awarded Best Student, says she tells herself that what a man can do, a woman can do. She hopes the recognition will inspire other women:

"Akashinga ladies, we are very strong, I have seen a lot here. We want to thank the Akashinga management for bringing us here — together we can make it."