Honeyguide Foundation proudly took part in the African Borderlands biennial conference in Arusha, Tanzania March 17-18.
Aiming to conserve the threatened species of elephants and lions, the Borderlands Conservation Initiative has brought together a coalition of Tanzanian and Kenyan government agencies, non-profit organizations, and communities among the critical habitats that span across the two East African neighboring nations.
“The Borderlands Initiative has begun to break down barriers and unite us to fight together for wildlife and communities,” said Honeyguide’s executive director, Damian Bell, who gave two presentations at the conference.
More than 50 key conservation, community, and stakeholder figures took part in the two-day event, including Honeyguide’s cross-border primary partner and donor, Big Life Foundation. The Wildlife Conservation Society, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, and Wildlife Division from Tanzania and the Africa Conservation Centre and Kenya Wildlife Service from Kenya co-hosted the conference, which was funded by the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation.
During the proceedings, the Borderlands partners established a steering committee to help focus future campaigns and implement key actions. Community attendees nominated Honeyguide’s own coordinator and member of the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, Lomayani Komolo Simel, to be Tanzania’s community representative on the committee.
“We have always worked together with our brothers and sisters in Kenya,” said Komolo, who grew up in a village beside the Kitenden Wildlife Corridor in West Kilimanjaro, just a short hike away from Kenya. “Now we can learn how to better benefit from and preserve wild animals like the great lion and wonderful elephant.”
