Historically, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) has been responsible for establishing Namibia’s wildlife laws and performing enforcement duties within the Conservancies. In addition non-governmental organizations (NGOs) contribute supportive research and conservation assistance, targeting iconic wildlife species such as Rhino, Lion, and Elephant. Despite this support, the responsibility for managing wildlife and habitat resources ultimately rests within each communal Conservancy. Unfortunately, the absence of sustainable funding and management resources hampers their capacity to implement effective conservation initiatives.
The mission of the SWT Community Management Program is to address this conservation gap by bridging the divide between government responsibilities and the specific needs of the Conservancies. Our program is customized to meet the unique requirements of our community partners while simultaneously creating sustainable employment opportunities for community members.
Each Conservancy has its distinct combination of resource utilization, habitat protection, and economic growth goals. Through collaboration with community leaders, our Community Management Program integrates these community goals into the broader conservation mission. This approach ensures active community participation and enhances the likelihood of mission success.
The cornerstone of the SWT Community Management Program is to empower, employ, and train local Conservancy members to execute the conservation mission. This involves providing permanent employment opportunities for game guards, trackers, support positions, as well as construction and maintenance workers. Through the creation of local, sustainable jobs, these conservation efforts yield long-term benefits for the community. Every economic benefit of job creation is magnified twelve-fold within the community. Therefore, providing employment opportunities is not only vital for the community's economic future but also ensures active community engagement and participation in the conservation mission. The core of our ethos is based on the Africa proverb “It takes a village”.
