A
sk Daudi Sumba about the
biggest conservation challenges
facing AWF today, and chances are
AWF's vice president for program
operations will say it's the lack of
qualified conservationists willing
to work in the African bush.
"When you work in remote
environments, there are always
capacity challenges," Sumba says.
"It is difficult to attract the best and
brightest young people. Most would
rather work in the city with the
infrastructure and conveniences
of living in an urban area."
1st class
Drawing from its capacity-
building roots, AWF launched the
Conservation Management Training
Program (CMTP). This rigorous
program immerses qualified master's
graduates in AWF's conservation
work for 24 months, helping to
develop tomorrow's class of African
conservation professionals.
Of 100-plus applicants, three
were chosen as the first class
of trainees. Samuel Loyd of the
United Kingdom holds a master's
in conservation science. Kenyan
forestry specialist George Okwaro
holds a master's in natural resources
management. Theo Way Nana has a
law background and worked as an
AWF program officer in his native
Democratic Republic of Congo.
After a three-month orientation
in Nairobi--where Lloyd reports
they learned about "a range of
topics, from how stock exchanges
work to how tribes in the north
of Kenya make decisions"--all
three trainees are now in the field.
Lloyd supports ecological and
community development in the
Kazungula Heartland in Zambia.
Okwaro is implementing AWF's
climate change and forestry work
in Kenya's Mau and Chyulu
Forests and Tanzania's Kolo Forest.
Nana is working with pastoralist
communities in the Samburu
Heartland in northern Kenya
on participatory forest and land
management.
The experience is proving useful
for both AWF and the trainees.
Says Okwaro, "I am learning
different approaches to fostering
conservation and marvel at AWF's
success stories."
DeveLopinG A neW
GenerAtion oF conservAtionists
q
George Okwaro's love of
conservation began when
he was just 8 years old
while helping his uncle
plant trees. Now armed with
a master's degree in natural
resources management,
he is implementing AWF's
climate change and
forestry projects in Kenya
and Tanzania through the
Conservation Management
Training Program.
"I am learning
different approaches
to fostering
conservation"
Follow the trainees' adventures
at awf.org/cmtpblog