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Mobilizing Communities and Conservation Efforts with Bicycles – IFAW Partnership with Buffalo Bicycles (Zimbabwe) powered by World Bicycle Relief
In Zimbabwe’s Northwest Matabeleland, where the majestic Hwange National Park sprawls over 14,600 square km, communities live in close quarters with diverse wildlife, including 45,000 elephants and 100 other mammal species. This proximity often leads to human-wildlife conflicts (HWC), posing risks to human livelihoods and wildlife conservation efforts.
Amidst these challenges, a unique partnership between Buffalo Bicycles Zimbabwe (World Bicycle Relief) the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) is harnessing the power of bicycles to create solutions.
Empowering Guardians and Students with Bicycles
At the heart of this collaboration is the recognition that mobility is crucial for both community guardians and students. Bicycles provided by Buffalo Bicycles (World Bicycle Relief) are empowering individuals in buffer communities around Hwange National Park, enabling quicker response times to HWC incidents and safer journeys to school.
Primary Response Teams (PRTs) on Wheels
To address HWCs, Buffalo Bicycles (World Bicycle Relief) supplied 20 Buffalo Bicycles to IFAW/ZPWMA’s Primary Response Teams (PRTs) in three wards bordering Hwange National Park in the communal areas of Tsholotsho, Hwange, and Lupane districts. These PRTs, consisting of village-based community guardians, play a pivotal role in protecting both humans and wildlife. The bicycles enable them to patrol their areas efficiently, respond swiftly to HWC incidents, and promote the welfare of their communities.
Fortunate, a 29-year-old guardian from the Lupane district, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We are delighted to be actively involved in promoting harmonious coexistence with wildlife through the PRTs initiative. Bicycles enable us to serve as the first line of defense and respond to time-critical conflict situations, ensuring the safety of both people and animals.”
Buffalo Bicycles: Built for the Challenge
Central to the success of these initiatives is the Buffalo Bicycle, purpose-built by World Bicycle Relief to withstand the demanding rural terrain where these students and PRTs live. Tested in rugged environments, the Buffalo is a robust, high-quality bicycle capable of handling the tough conditions of the Hwange landscape.
Buffalo Bicycles feature durable steel frames, puncture-resistant tires, and reinforced spokes, ensuring they can carry heavy loads and endure the rigors of the unpaved roads typical of rural Zimbabwe. The simplicity of their design also makes them easy to maintain and repair, a critical factor for users in remote areas with limited access to spare parts and professional mechanics.
For community guardians like Fortunate, the reliability of Buffalo Bicycles means they can focus on their crucial work of mitigating human-wildlife conflicts without worrying about transportation failures. Similarly, students benefit from the bicycles’ sturdiness, allowing them to travel long distances to school safely and comfortably.
Riding for Conservation and Education
The partnership’s impact extends to education through the “Riding for Conservation and Education” initiative. Recognizing the dangers students face while walking through wildlife movement passages (corridors), Buffalo Bicycles Zimbabwe (World Bicycle Relief), donated a further 20 bicycles to students in communities around Hwange National Park. These bicycles provide a safer means of transportation, reducing the risk of wildlife attacks and encouraging school attendance.
Phillip Kuvawoga, IFAW Senior Director of Conservation, emphasized the initiative’s importance:
“Education plays a pivotal role in breaking the poverty cycle and fostering positive attitudes towards wildlife. By investing in their education, we hope to create a better future for communities and the wildlife that live amongst them, one ride at a time.”
Enhancing Education through Bicycles
Since 2019, the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) has been providing a range of engaging resources and experiences annually to at least 315 students aged 8 – 15 years learning at 21 primary schools located in the communities surrounding Hwange National Park. This strategy aims to create a sense of ownership and understanding of dynamics between people, wildlife and the environment. Subsequently, the program instills conservation values and practices in young learners, fostering the sustainable development notion and ultimately ensuring that communities in the Hwange landscape have future constituencies that value nature, making them great insurance for conservation sustainability.
The program provides various educational inputs to enhance access to quality, inclusive, relevant, and lifelong education for disadvantaged learners. Key among the inputs are bicycles. By providing bicycles, the initiative enhances access to education for students who walk over 5km, ensuring that students can reach school safely and on time.
Further, the ESP pays tuition fees for less privileged but academically gifted students. The annual fees for 255 students’ were paid in 2024. Non-payment of fees is a significant challenge hindering access to lifelong education opportunities for children living in marginalized rural communities, whose families rely on climate change and HWC-ravaged agro-based livelihoods.
More children can now access education, and dropout rates have decreased, lowering future potential involvement in wildlife crimes and subsequently contributing to impactful social, environmental, and economic change.
Furthermore, 500 copies of science, technology, English, and mathematics textbooks were provided to 10 schools, benefiting around 1,600 students and improving the textbook-to-student ratio from 1:5. To add to the critical learning resources, the program supported the design and production of four sets of conservation-themed supplementary materials that will serve as teaching media for imparting environmental knowledge to students. These efforts are vital in nurturing future conservation champions who will continue to support wildlife and environmental sustainability.
Community-Based HWC Management
The bicycles provided by Buffalo Bicycles Zimbabwe (World Bicycle Relief) play a pivotal role in supporting the IFAW/ZPWMA partnership’s pioneering community-based Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Rapid Response Teams (PRTs). These teams comprise dedicated local volunteers, village elders, and influential community members who have been trained and equipped to serve as ambassadors for wildlife and local communities.
As first responders in HWC incidents, the PRTs are quickly mobilized by bicycles, enabling them to deliver timely and culturally appropriate responses. Their swift actions help to de-escalate conflict situations, mitigate the impacts on both people and wildlife, and prevent incidents from intensifying. This prompt intervention is crucial for maintaining community trust and tolerance toward wildlife.
Additionally, PRTs function as an early warning system, systematically collecting and disseminating alert information to individuals, communities, and organizations at risk of conflict. This proactive approach allows for better preparedness and response, reducing the chances of injury, death, crop damage, or retaliatory actions against wildlife.
Moreover, PRTs gather vital conflict data, contributing to the development of comprehensive conflict profiles. These profiles enhance the understanding of conflict dynamics and inform improvements in HWC management strategies. Serving as accessible knowledge hubs within the community, PRTs also foster stronger relationships between local communities and wildlife authorities.
With the mobility provided by bicycles, these guardians can respond quickly to conflict situations, minimizing their impact and preventing further escalation.
The partnership between Buffalo Bicycles Zimbabwe (World Bicycle Relief) and the IFAW/ZPWMA underscores the transformative power of bicycles in addressing critical issues in Zimbabwe’s greater Hwange landscape. This collaboration enhances human and wildlife welfare by providing mobility to
community guardians and students, fosters education, and promotes sustainable development. Through these efforts, bicycles are bridging gaps and creating a harmonious coexistence between people and wildlife.
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