Esilalei Ward
Rungwe District | 2026 - Ongoing
In northern Tanzania, families living around Manyara Ranch often face an impossible choice: feed their children today, or protect the land that will sustain them tomorrow. When crops fail and pastures dry, desperation drives parents into wildlife corridors—clearing land, grazing cattle, or hunting bushmeat—sacrificing long-term survival for short-term relief. The cost is devastating: dwindling wildlife, persistent poverty, and the erosion of one of Africa’s most vital ecosystems.
But a new path is opening. For 25 years, Africa Bridge has shown that rural communities can rise from extreme poverty without sacrificing their natural heritage. Now, in partnership with the community-led Manyara Ranch Management Trust, we are bringing this proven model to the Tarangire-Manyara Wildlife Corridor—22,000 square kilometers of grassland that sustains both iconic species and local livelihoods. With the ranch transferred to community stewardship in 2024, families now hold the keys to a shared future where prosperity and conservation go hand in hand.
Over the next five years, this partnership will demonstrate that thriving communities and thriving wildlife are not opposing goals, but inseparable ones. Together, we can replace the cycle of poverty and loss with a cycle of hope, resilience, and lasting abundance.
Goals:
- Economic Resilience: Families of vulnerable children build diverse income streams through microfinance, training, and small enterprises, ensuring stability in times of crisis.
- Women’s Leadership: With access to financial tools and training, women become household and community leaders, strengthening both family welfare and collective decision-making.
- Conservation Incentives: As livelihoods improve, families begin to view wildlife not as competition, but as partners in eco-tourism and conservation enterprises that secure their future.
- Self-Sufficiency: Within five years, communities gain the skills, systems, and confidence to sustain progress independently, breaking the cycle of poverty for good.