Meet Margaret Darawanda, a Dedicated Akashinga Ranger, on World Ranger Day.

This is the story of one of many rangers around the globe whose hard work is celebrated on World Ranger Day on July 31. HARARE, Zimbabwe, July 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ranger Margaret Darawanda has not looked back since she joined the International Anti-Poaching Foundation’s all-female Akashinga conservation program that is expanding its footprint across southern Africa, protecting the natural world. The International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), founded by former Australian special forces soldier Damien Mander, is inching closer towards its goal of deploying 1,000 Akashinga rangers across 20 reserves throughout the region by 2026. Last month, 25 new rangers graduated from basic training, and in early September they will be joined by 46 more, enabling three reserves under IAPF management to begin receiving full and regular patrols. Ms Darawanda, 24, who was part of the first intake of Akashinga rangers to start patrolling Phundundu Wildlife Area in the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe in 2017, said: “I think it’s a special thing protecting something that cannot protect itself.” After completing her training, Ms Darawanda soon found her stride patrolling, collecting and keeping records, tracking and arresting poachers, investigating and educating the local community about the importance of wildlife. She has also become the proud breadwinner for her entire family…
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