Elephants for Africa's Community Empowerment

Dear supporters and friends,

We’re excited to share an update from the community of Phuduhudu, where we are seeing how a small investment can grow into something much bigger. In 2024, with generous support from Fondation GoodPlanet, Elephants for Africa helped the community build a cluster fence to protect their water source and crops from regular elephant damage. Community members were also trained to install and maintain the fence themselves. The results were almost immediate, helping to protect important resources while giving community members the knowledge and confidence to manage the fence and play an active role in finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict. Your support made this possible, and we are so grateful.

Recently, we were invited by the Phuduhudu community to celebrate the launch of the Herding for Health programme, together with Conservation International and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture. Through mobile bomas, livestock can now be protected as herds graze further from settlements. This helps keep cattle safe and supports local livelihoods, while also easing pressure on wildlife corridors. For us, being invited to celebrate this next step with the community was especially meaningful. It shows that conservation is not just about protecting wildlife, it is about working alongside the people who share their homes and landscapes with elephants.

This is what community empowerment looks like to us. It starts with listening, providing practical support and sharing knowledge, but the real success comes when communities are able to take those tools forward themselves. The progress in Phuduhudu reminds us that when communities are given the opportunity and support to lead, the impact can reach far beyond one project. Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us support communities as they build a future where people, their livelihoods and elephants can thrive together.

With gratitude,
The EfA Team