Newswise — NAIROBI, KENYA and KIGALI, RWANDA, October 8, 2024 — In a world where poverty alleviation and conservation are often juxtaposed, an innovative partnership seeks to reshape the future of both people and planet. Today, Village Enterprise and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announce the scaling up of their partnership after nearly a decade of working together to address two critical issues simultaneously: extreme poverty and wildlife conservation.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, communities living on the fringes of national parks and protected areas often find themselves in a desperate situation. With limited economic opportunities to provide for their families, many turn to hunting endangered species or engaging in illegal extractive activities. This threatens delicate ecosystems, hinders conservation efforts, and perpetuates cycles of extreme poverty and environmental degradation.
As Village Enterprise and WCS expand their partnership, their focus is on creating a sustainable future where both people and wildlife can thrive. By involving Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation efforts and equipping them with resources and training to launch climate-friendly micro businesses, Village Enterprise and WCS are planting the seeds for long-term change.
Most recently, Village Enterprise and WCS teamed up in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo and Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). By equipping women, men, and youth living in extreme poverty near these protected areas with the tools and resources to start sustainable businesses, their households no longer had to rely on harmful practices to earn a living. Patrols in the protected areas reported reduced illegal lumbering and poaching, creating greater protection for endangered wildlife such as gorillas and okapis. In total, the project equipped over 2,000 entrepreneurs who launched more than 700 sustainable businesses, transforming over 15,000 lives across the two countries.
Dianne Calvi, CEO of Village Enterprise, emphasizes the transformative potential of this partnership: “Together, Village Enterprise and WCS are taking on two of the most challenging issues in sub-Saharan Africa today—ending extreme poverty and safeguarding vital ecosystems. By providing individuals with the training to become entrepreneurs, we are offering them a sustainable alternative to generate income, increase their savings, and eliminate their reliance on illegal hunting or deforestation. This partnership proves that economic development and wildlife conservation can go hand-in-hand and that we can create a sustainable future for vulnerable communities and our planet.”
By supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities to be less reliant on natural resources through diversified income streams, the partnership is setting the stage for long-term, sustainable conservation. It's a model that recognizes the intricate link between human welfare and environmental health.
“Our partnership with Village Enterprise demonstrates how successful conservation can be when local communities are at the forefront of the effort,” said Emma Stokes, WCS Vice President for Field Conservation. “By empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge to build sustainable livelihoods, we are not only protecting some of the world’s most important places for biodiversity but also lifting communities out of poverty.”
As we look to the future, Village Enterprise and WCS are looking to expand their partnership into more areas in sub-Saharan Africa in an effort to transform more lives and further conservation efforts. Both organizations will soon expand their joint operations in the benefit of communities living around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, in DRC.
About Village Enterprise
Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. We work with vulnerable women, refugees, and youth who are most impacted by climate change, conflict, and displacement, and equip them with skills and resources to launch climate-smart businesses, build savings, and put themselves and their families onto a sustainable path out of extreme poverty. Village Enterprise has started over 100,000 businesses, trained over 321,000 first-time entrepreneurs, and positively transformed the lives of over 2,031,000 people in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Learn more at villageenterprise.org.
About Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
WCS combines the power of its zoos and an aquarium in New York City and a Global Conservation Program in more than 50 countries to achieve its mission to save wildlife and wild places. WCS runs the world’s largest conservation field program, protecting more than 50 percent of Earth’s known biodiversity; in partnership with governments, Indigenous People, Local Communities, and the private sector. Its four zoos and aquarium (the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium) welcome more than 3.5 million visitors each year, inspiring generations to care for nature. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org. Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: +1 (347) 840-1242. Listen to the WCS Wild Audio podcast HERE.
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