#akashinga

[comicwaren]

From Bring on the Bad Guys: Abomination #001

“Well of Ages”, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson (W), Sergio Dávila, Aure Jimenez and Arif Prianto (A)

“Deal with the Devil”, by Marc Guggenheim (W), Michael Sta. Maria and Dono Sánchez-Almara (A)

[city-of-ladies]

Why Zimbabwe’s female rangers are better at stopping poaching

The Akashinga, or “brave ones,” survived abuse and exploitation. Now, armed and trained like special forces, they're protecting the country’s most iconic wildlife.

“Mander sought women who had suffered trauma: AIDS orphans, victims of sexual assault or domestic abuse. Kumire joined after her husband abandoned her and their two daughters. Who better to task with protecting exploited animals, Mander reasoned, than women who had suffered from exploitation? He modeled his selection course on special forces training, subjecting the women to three days of nonstop exercises designed to test their teamwork skills while being wet, cold, hungry, and tired. Of 37 recruits who started the course, 16 were chosen for the training program; only three quit. Years ago Mander ran a similar course for 189 men. At the end of day one, all but three had quit. “We thought we were putting [the women] through hell,” Mander says. “But it turns out, they’ve already been through it.””

[intelligentliving]

Africa’s First Armed, All-Female Anti-Poaching Unit

An Australian named Damien Mander recruits females to become wildlife rangers to protect the animals in Zimbabwe’s Phundundu Wildlife Area. He has changed the lives of many African women who were previously broken, and he trains them to be fearless soldiers. They now have a purpose in life and can...

[maddaddy316]

[kreuzaderny]

Petronella Chigumbura is a member of the Akashinga, or ‘brave ones’, an all-female anti-poaching unit. They patrol Zimbabwe’s Phundundu Wildlife Area in the Zambezi Valley, where elephant poaching is common.

[genoacedo]

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#Repost @alexander.dreymon (with @report.for.insta) ... @officialzsl @int.anti.poaching.foundation #akashinga #zslamerica #womenempowerment #alexanderdreymon https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zDIymoXEQ/?igshid=1hh6csbt10s7k

[keepingitneutral]

“Akashinga – the Brave Ones” © Brent Stirton, Getty Images,

Akashinga (‘The Brave Ones’) is a ranger force established as an alternative conservation model. It aims to work with, rather than against local populations, for the long-term benefits of their communities and the environment. 

Akashinga comprises women from disadvantaged backgrounds, empowering them, offering jobs, and helping local people to benefit directly from the preservation of wildlife. 

Petronella Chigumbura (30), a member of the all-female anti-poaching unit, participates in stealth and concealment training in the Phundundu Wildlife Park, Zimbabwe.

Environment, Singles, Winner / World Press Photo of the Year

[jareckiworld]

Brent Stirton  -  Petronella Chigumbura. Akashinga (the brave ones) Zimbabwe (Getty Images, 2018)