Mentoring, training, and providing financial support for Mozambican conservationists is an essential responsibility if our goal is the long-term conservation of wild places and carnivores in Mozambique.
We start with children, through our growing Lion Scholarship program. Many Niassa children leave school at between the ages of nine and eleven as the secondary school is a boarding school, relatively expensive, and far away. We provide scholarships to deserving children that include all costs, uniforms, food, and materials, as well as ongoing mentorship by our staff. For $300 a year we can provide an invaluable opportunity to a local child.
Where possible, we financially support and mentor Mozambican college graduates to obtain post-graduate degrees in biology, zoology or conservation. This is a growing program. Agostinho completed his Master’s Degree in Zoology in 2012 and Mbumba Marufo started his Master’s Degree in 2012.
Our staff is entirely Mozambican, most are trained on the job, and the majority of them are from villages within Niassa Reserve. Training includes practical courses in GPS, radios, binoculars, datasheets, car maintenance, visits to other conservation projects, and other day-to-day skills, as well as obtaining drivers licenses, and specialized courses in anti-poaching, computer skills and mechanics. We believe that providing training opportunities for our local staff is the only way to ensure sustainability of our programs. We need local champions. We organize field visits for our staff to other conservation projects to broaden their view and allow them to see what successful conservation looks like. These trips are highly sought-after perks of the job.
Since 2006 we have provided ongoing financial support and training for a community monitor program (SMOG) managed by the Niassa Management authority, SRN. This growing team of village monitors provides an important link between Reserve management and residents. They collect information on human-carnivore conflict, as well as sightings of species of special interest and measure fish catches. The aim is to eventually have representatives from all Niassa Villages.
We assist the Reserve management team by providing and sourcing essential conservation equipment and provided funding to attend relevant training workshops. Through the Wildlife Conservation Network Solar Project, we have installed a complete solar electric system for the Reserve Headquarters, Mbatamila. This solar system is powering the management offices, as well as the anti-poaching scout quarters. We have also provided them with GPS, binoculars, computers, and cameras.
If you are interested in supporting training or mentorship programs, please visit our Donate page