Tashinga Initiative - Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2023
Tashinga Initiative is taking on the Wildlife Ranger Challenge to raise awareness of the vital role our 16 rangers play in protecting Zimbabwe's Doma Safari Area, and supporting an estimated 80 livelihoods.
Doma – Zimbabwe
My story
Rangers are Africa’s unsung heroes. They hold diverse roles as conservationists, teachers, community support workers, leaders and much more.
The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, organised by Tusk, is a celebration of solidarity, connection and camaraderie for the ranger profession. Culminating on 16th September 2023, the campaign raises vital funds for Africa's biodiversity guardians.
Rangers based in Tashinga Initiative - Doma Safari Area (945 sq. km), form part of the patrol effort across the unique landscape that makes up the Zambezi Valley’s 12,820 sq km wildlife protected areas. It is mountainous, well-wooded with magnificent views.
Rangers protect territorial integrity, undertake biological monitoring, conservation management, community relations and manage equipment, resources and tourism. Rangers patrol in extremely rugged and remote conditions throughout Doma.
WRC Grants have significantly supported a total of 245 ZimParks Rangers. Those resultant WRC Grants addressed food security through the provision of monthly dry food hampers, the provision of ranger patrol kit such as backpacks and boots, the maintenance of daily field-based and law enforcement operations, thus enhancing morale and efficacy.
For WRC 2023, your support to the Doma Rangers could be far-reaching: to continue providing patrol food hampers, Rangers are operationalised with appropriate and essential patrol kit, vehicles patrol across the 945 sq. km and need fuel each month and rangers’ morale is strengthened through the provision of life insurance cover.
Give today and the Scheinberg Relief Fund will match every dollar donated, amplifying your impact. Join us in speaking up #ForWildlifeRangers
Wildife Ranger Challenge, 21km marathon carrying our 22kg backpacks done!
Sep 28, 2023, 9:50:22 AMRunning our marathon in Doma was not so easy due to the very rugged mountainous terrain but we managed to find a stretch of 10.5kms that was not too hilly, and that formed our route. Our time was 03:06:53. Afterwards Concessionaire Vongai Mutendi supported our team and supporters with her beautiful venue that she had set up for us, and we enjoyed the luncheon provided by Tashinga Initiative.
WRC 23 SITUP CHALLENGE underway!
Sep 4, 2023, 7:46:11 AMGreat to have got 3 of 4 teams members to complete the SIT UP CHALLENGE this morning! Good solid entries and very well done to Team Doma for their consistency in delivery of results! Now to the 16th and the final 21km marathon!
Ready for Marathon Day 16th!
Aug 23, 2023, 6:34:51 AMOur efforts to prepare the 7 ZimParks Rangers teams around Mid-Zambezi Region are now almost complete except for the final support days when we split into 3 teams, one supporting Hurungwe-ZAVARU (TI Team Gidion), one supporting Chewore South (TI Team Neil), and one supporting Doma - that's self! And this year for the first time, we have the support from Doma Safaris, Vongai Mutendi and she has put her hand up for Wildlife Ranger Challenge and will be, together with Tashinga Initiative Team Lynne, Moses and Gidion K, be hosting Team Doma for the luncheon after the Marathon, there in faraway Doma Safari Camp - and what views from her camp! It's dry and hot already, on on 16th September so we will all be looking forward to the welcome shade and cool water when we arrive there!
Support to Team Doma, and preparations underway for Mini-challenge
Aug 19, 2023, 3:46:51 PMWe were able to reach Doma this last week, - the road is terrible! - but it meant we could connect with two of the 4 team members who were available for a chat as well as to go over the format required for the SITUP CHALLENGE. The team were chuffed with the banners showcasing the great WRC logo, Zimparks and Tashinga Initiative logos, and of course to support our rangers! Here is one of the team members, out on patrol, undertaking the 2-min Pushup Challenge.
Team visits, preparations for PUSHUP CHALLENGE
Aug 8, 2023, 11:59:36 AMTeam Doma, situated away to the south east of the Zambezi Valley definitely off the tourist route live and work in a very remote area, covering vast distances on usually very poor roads. But this team are one of the most determined. The PushUp Challenge showed us their level of application! We are still waiting for one video to arrive as one member is far from any internet! No matter where the Ranger team member might be, he still took on his PUSHUP CHALLENGE! Trymore! In admiration!
Team training and team kit deliveries by Tashinga Initiative
Jun 24, 2023, 10:28:49 AMFollowing onto Tashinga Initiative's visit to WRC 23 Teams Hurungwe, Chirundu Task Force, Chewore South, Dande Antipoaching Unit, Dande-Mbire, we reached Team Doma in the far south-east of the Zambezi Valley on Thursday 22nd June 2023. The Rangers had made arrangements to meet up at Chenanga, the Doma Safari Area field HQ station, to spend time together for training updates, photographs and of course to check the 21km course! Team Doma have found a great course to run despite the excessively steep and hilly and very rugged terrain that constitutes Doma! Tough touch country! This team's enthusiasm is infectious! Support them if you can! They deserve it so much!
Team Preparations underway!
May 14, 2023, 12:18:06 PMWildlife Ranger Challenge TEAM DOMA has committed and is training once again, having achieved first position within the ZimParks Zambezi Valley teams in 2021! Well done Team DOMA in taking on the gruelling 21km marathon, in the extreme heat of the Zambezi Valley, whilst carrying 22kg backpacks! We want to support you all the way and see you reach your team and personal goals! We are fundraising for Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2023 as well as to ensure each team member has boots to train in, running shorts, a backpack, T-shirts and a cap, and for RACE DAY on 16th SEPTEMBER that the team has banners, and a chance to celebrate their dedicated participation in Wildlife Ranger Challenge with a chicken and sadza lunch and cooldrink afterwards! Please support us!
Support a unique conservation initiative empowering and uniting wildlife rangers across Africa.
May 3, 2023, 2:43:53 PMWildlife rangers operate on the very frontline of conservation across Africa, routinely making personal sacrifices to put their lives on the line to protect the continent’s magnificent wildlife and habitats. Yet they are so much more than just law enforcement officers: rangers are teachers, community support workers, mediators, researchers and so much more. Unfortunately, resources are not keeping pace with the scale of the challenges they are trying to tackle. For the fourth year running, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge sets out to redress this, by raising critical funding to cover operating costs, including salaries and equipment, for over 10,000 rangers. This will help them protect threatened wildlife and some of the continent's most vulnerable areas, while also protecting communities and securing coexistence with wildlife, as well as providing for their own families.
