Dear Friend,

My name is Julius and I am the Project Coordinator for the Living with Wildlife project in Uganda. In 2020, you may remember that Ripple Effect teamed up with wildlife conservation charity Tusk and their local partner Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) to find a solution to human-wildlife conflict in the Pakwach region, Uganda.

Together, we ran a campaign to raise funds for the Living with Wildlife project. Supporters like you kindly donated over one million pounds, which was doubled by the UK government to £2.6 million. As the project comes to an end, in our latest blog post, we celebrate the successes and share the challenges faced by farming families and our team.

Pakwach sits along the Nile, which separates it from Uganda’s oldest National Park, Muchison Falls. Conflict between people and wildlife is no stranger to this region. With a lack of opportunities for making a living, people like Ujeni (pictured with his family below) have no choice but to travel across the river in small boats to poach wild bushmeat.

The Living with Wildlife project was aimed at supporting families living in this area to grow their own nutritious food and find alternative livelihoods, all while protecting the local wildlife too.

The project began in October 2020 at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, meaning my team had to adapt from day one. Families participating in the project also came up against the challenge of drought.

Despite the challenges faced, as we look back on this extraordinary story now that the project is completed, we celebrate the wins. As a result of the project, 38,000 people in Pakwach now have access to new ways of producing food and making a living. Thank you for making projects like this possible.

With best wishes,

Julius Adubango

Living with Wildlife Project Coordinator, Uganda