The Elephant Whisperers of Tanzania, Wild Survivors
Elephants are the mega gardeners of Africa. Their existence is under threat due to poaching for the ivory trade.
Tanzania lost 60% of its elephant population, with 64,000 killed during the poaching epidemic in 2013-2015. One of the factors enabling poaching gangs was the issue of human-elephant conflict.
Wild Survivors in 2016, a UK charity, works to safeguard the future of elephants, and the essence of Africa's wild spirit; through the leadership and empowerment of Tanzanian communities.
Due to urbanization, infrastructure, and the expansion of agriculture, Tanzania's leading industry, farming took place in the protected areas. Elephants raided crops overnight, causing an increase in the conflict.
Nature has a way to this. Honeybees. Elephants avoid foraging in trees that contain bees.
Wild Survivors partnered with the communities living adjacent to protected areas and initially supported 45 farmers on bee fencing.
Bees gave rise to initiatives such as Women and Bees which has empowered 36 ladies with financial independence in sustainable livelihoods, earning a 210% profit on the sale of honey and organic vegetables, which is reinvested back into their enterprise and a loan facility.
Every member trains three women in their village in beekeeping and permaculture, leading to 108 households adopting organic vegetables and beehives at their homes.
There is now a local demand and market for highly nutritious vegetables, with the women's group now supplying 50% of their village with the produce from their Enterprise Hub.
This is Wild Survivors of Tanzania.
