Colleen Begg’s Post

Founder and Director of The Beach Co-op, Aaniyah OMARDIEN, believes that we all need to take ownership of our resources because they belong to all of us. She is leading by example through the work she does at The Beach Co-op. Read her interview with Damaris Agweyu to learn more about her and her initiative. https://bit.ly/3wE0q40   #EmbracePossibility

When the latest #IPCC report landed last week, we felt a sense of nightmarish helplessness. The doom was unbearable. And then... we got to spend time with 20 of Africa's most extraordinary women conservation leaders, as we launched the Visibility component of WE Africa, a new movement for women's environmental leadership, that we are unbelievably privileged to be supporting. After their six months together as an inaugural cohort, being supported with their resilience, wellbeing and self-awareness, we're witnessing these women, hailing from 12 countries across Africa, intentionally unfolding into the leaders they want to become. They're articulating their leadership #vision and contending with what #systemschange might look like in a world that desperately needs them. Taking leadership in hugely demanding contexts means they need to be ruthlessly decisive about where they spend their time and energy. This means being strategic - in everything they do. So we are supporting them to use #visibility as a tool to activate their vision; to choose where and how they engage; to build skills, and gather support around them; to assess the risks, which in many of the spaces they operate, are real. Each woman will share her story with Visibility team collaborator Damaris Agweyu on the Kenyan publication Qazini. As WE Fellow Winnie Kiiru PhD put it so beautifully, they're realising that they're already visible - and have power in that. The choice is whether they craft their own, more powerful leadership story, or have it told for them. It's a neat encapsulation of our collective choice: will we shape the story of our own future, or have it told for us? We get to decide. To learn more about the WE Fellows, and the program, watch this video: vimeo.com/574560137 Deep gratitude to the WE team, Colleen Begg, Leela Hazzah, Rachel Amador, Liesel Scott, Victoria Simpson, Jana Niehaus and the wider team for enabling us to be part of this radical collaboration. You all give us hope.

In the build up to World Ranger Day on the 31st July, we are pleased to announce this year's finalists for the 10th Rhino Conservation Awards. Recognition is vital to keep ranger morale up and raise the profile of our conservation role models. In showcasing the awards as a truly African wide initiative, it is great to see seven different countries represented. The shortlisted finalists for each category are: _____ Field Ranger: ➡ Lucrescencia Macuacua, Limpopo National Park, National Administration for Conservation Areas, Mozambique. ➡ Samuel Ndlovu, Kruger National Park, South African National Parks, South Africa. ➡ Sebenzile Rwexu, Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, South Africa. _____ Game Ranger: ➡ Bryce Clemence, Anti-Poaching and Tracking Specialists, Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe. ➡ Dennis Kelly, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, South Africa. ➡ Verissimo Fernando, Luengue Luiana National Park, National Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation, Angola. _____ Conservation Team: ➡ Big Game Parks, Eswatini. ➡ Niassa Carnivore Project , Mozambique. ➡ Zakouma National Park Rangers, Chad. _____ Conservation Supporter: ➡ Environmental and Corporate Investigations, South African National Parks, South Africa. ➡ Neville Agesa Mise, Diani Turtle Watch - Local Ocean Conservation, Kenya. ➡ StopRhinoPoaching.com, South Africa. Huge congratulations to all those who have made the shortlist and best of luck with the final announcements on 25th August 2021! Save the date for the virtual ceremony! Special commendations also went to Givemore Bako, Anti-Poaching Tracking Specialists, Zimbabwe; Stefan Cilliers, Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa; Abraham Njenga, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya; Game Rangers International, Zambia; K9 Kara and Robert Bryden, Kruger National Park, South Africa; Captain Mornay Viljoen, South African Police Services and Advocate JC Coetzee, National Prosecuting Authority, South Africa. Well done and thank you for your service to nature! https://lnkd.in/d6-9WCU #RhinoConservationAwards #RangerLegacy #SupportAfricasRangers Photo: Peter Chadwick