Field Rangers and Community Scouts (Rangers) can often be the most underappreciated of Africa’s conservation heroes. Without their passion and dedication to protecting wildlife our work towards human-wildlife coexistence on the African continent is doomed.

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Recognising the importance of supporting these conservation heroes, The Sophia Foundation generously committed to support Rangers in protected areas where Peace Parks Foundation has an operational presence. The Sophia Foundation Ranger Support Programme has three components: a Success-based Incentive Scheme for Rangers, the Best Performing Ranger Awards, and an Inner Development Training Programme.

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This Success-based Ranger Incentive Scheme has successfully motivated Rangers to apprehend poachers and recover illegal wildlife products, leading to numerous arrests and the removal of poaching equipment from protected areas. In the past three years, the Ranger Support Programme facilitated close to 35 000 patrols and the removal of more than 11 300 wire snares as well as the arrest of 515 poachers, indicating effective biodiversity conservation efforts. The provision of incentives, made possible by The Sophia Foundation, to Rangers in support of their commitment and dedication, is a valuable support mechanism alongside a multi-faceted approach to counter-poaching and fostering human-wildlife coexistence in the transboundary conservation areas where Peace Parks and partners operate.

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The inclusion of an Inner Development training component of The Sophia Foundation Ranger Support Programme was an essential requirement of the grant agreement for The Sophia Foundation founder, Lorraine Forbes. She recognised the toll taken on the mental wellbeing of Rangers as they tackle the complexities and dangers inherent in their work and knew the value that developing inner leadership can play in strengthening resilience and creating positive mental and emotional wellbeing outcomes.

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The Sophia Foundation Ranger Support Programme has been a vital support mechanism that focuses on the heart of the matter – the internal aspects of the individual people that make up a well-motivated Ranger Corps.