Inspiring community initiatives to support women in Zambia
Projects across Zambia are focusing efforts on the importance of working with local women in Zambia to help support their careers and challenge traditional norms.
From female anti-poaching units to training women to become safari guides, we’ve rounded up a selection of the most inspiring initiatives to support women in Zambia.
Kufadza
In 2021, Conservation Lower Zambezi formed Kufadza, Zambia’s first all female community scout and anti poaching unit. Kufadza, meaning inspire in the local Goba language, operates across Lower Zambezi National Park to mitigate threats to wildlife and include local women in important conservation efforts. The Kufadza will inspire the next generation of women and girls to get involved in anti-poaching protection for their local communities, helping preserve nature and wildlife for the future and change the face of conservation.
Mulberry Mongoose
Inspired by the rugged beauty of the South Luangwa, Mulberry Mongoose consists of a group of creative women in Zambia with the joint mission of bringing women together. Mulberry Mongoose employs local craftswomen who make jewellery from recovered wires used in poaching traps. Their motto is, beauty through brutality, and their aim is to support local families through the sales of hand crafted jewellery.
African Bush Camps
The female guide programme at African Bush Camps aims to develop female safari guides through skills training, mentorship, job shadowing, and rotations through multiple camp departments. By 2025 the programme aims to have trained 25 female guides, with the first cohort of female safari guides in Zambia launched in 2023. Through the project, the team is actively contributing towards addressing gender inequality in the safari guide sector, where women account for less than 5% of the workforce. Participants in the programme undergo four weeks of practical training before starting as a trainee.
Shachiwondwe Women’s Group
In July 2021 Game Rangers International established Shachiwondwe Women’s Group, aiming to provide education and empowerment opportunities for women living nearby Lusaka National Park. Since 2021, 13 women have been trained in vegetable gardening, equipping them with essential tools and climate smart knowledge. To help enhance economic stability GRI has also helped women in Zambia to identify where it might be possible to sell farm produce – enabling women to support their families and lessen their reliance on male poachers.
Musekese Conservation
Founded in 2018, Musekese Conservation (MC) started as a result of an increase of illegal activity across the landscape with a notable number of carnivores falling victim of snare related injuries. In 2020, MC trained their first two female anti poaching rangers from the local community and continues to work to ensure the safeguarding of female law enforcement personnel. To date, MC has seen four women interns through their civilian programme, which exposes enrolled students to a range of opportunities from field ecology to research. The team at Musekese Conservation remains committed to working with local communities to educate on the importance of training women to protect their local areas.
Mukeya Development Centre
Mukwa River Lodge supports a selection of community based projects including Mukeya Development Centre. This community centre aims to combat poverty by equipping women from the local community with income generating skills such as clothes making. Those staying at Mukwa River Lodge in Livingstone have the opportunity to purchase hand made one of a kind clothing from the women working at the centre. Guests can be measured up by a tailor at the hotel before bespoke garments made from Zambian materials are created to size, with all profits going to the local community.
Classic Zambia Safaris
Classic Zambia Safaris are proud to put efforts into training women in Zambia without previous guiding qualifications to achieve National Guiding Level Three certificates. Among several trainee guides at Classic Zambia, Yvonne and Mildred from Livingstone and South Luangwa will be attending the Level 1 Driving Safari Guide course this year, as well as attending off season training covering hospitality, best practice guiding, natural history and bush skills. At Classic Zambia Safaris the trainee guides are mentored by directors and spend time on rotation across various National Parks in order to gather as much knowledge as possible. In 2024, the team hopes to hire two more women trainees in order to continue their efforts.
For more information, visit zambia.travel.
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