Rural communities in Uganda, live with wildlife in the same ecosystem. Rural people bear the burden of living with wildlife. Rural people are not educated about the existence, importance, and ways of protecting local wildlife species. Human and wildlife conflicts are thus on the increase in Uganda. Communities don’t know who owns wildlife.
Help African Animals volunteers go village to village in districts of Uganda, educating rural people on how to coexist with wildlife, the importance of conserving wildlife, the nature of wildlife crime and its effects, how to identify and report wildlife crime, wildlife laws and penalties for violation of the laws. In this way, the lives of animals and those of the people saved.
Many rural people in Uganda think that whatever is on their land is theirs. They don’t know what to do when wild animals encroach on their gardens. Communities take such animals to be their enemies since they depend on subsistence farming. Others think that they have a right to kill and consume wildlife and have hunted from generation to generation. Many Ugandans have as a result ended up in prisons after killing wild animals out of ignorance. They are shocked to be told that they committed offenses by killing animals. The penalties for killing wildlife in Uganda go up to life imprisonment.
Help African Animals founder Gladys Kamasanyu states, “It is cheaper to educate a community than to send a community member to prison for life imprisonment.” We go out to villages in districts of Uganda raising awareness among the communities. Each Community Wildlife Talk Costs us about $500. This is covers travel expenses of 4 volunteers and refreshments for the community participants in the wildlife talks. Our goal is to reach every village in the rural parts of Uganda.
Take this opportunity to contribute to community awareness and bring an end to wildlife crime. Participate today by donating towards the Community Wildlife Talks Project. Save the lives of animals and those of the people through your participation.
