Blog - The Matriarchs

Latest from our blog

Meet Lizette Moolman

At the heart of the Knysna forest elephant enigma in South Africa, one woman stands as a beacon of hope for the last remaining Knysna elephant – Lizette Moolman. With a background in wildlife ecology and conservation biology, Lizette completed an intensive camera trap study that revealed there is only…

More Matriarch Stories

In today’s world, where progress and empowerment are championed, it is disheartening to acknowledge that gender-based violence remains a pervasive societal issue. Across many communities,…

Meet Nadiah Mony

Masi Violin Outreach is a project which focuses on empowerment through music education. Masi Violin Outreach, a newly registered PBO was founded 16 years ago…

Meet Chesnay Moses

Chesnay is a 16-year old junior leader of BRAVE, a girl-led organisation based in Manenberg, in South Africa.

Meet Corporal Agnes Sopilal

Agnes is one of the first female Rangers employed by Big Life. As a Ranger, Agnes plays an important role in helping the Big Life…

The Matriarchs – Reflecting on 2020

This year we shared the stories of Matriarchs from many different walks of life all working to create change, empower those around them and inspire…

Rebeca Gyum

Meet Rebeca Gyum

Rebeca is a lawyer, activist and the Founder and Executive Director of the Msichana Initiative, a non-governmental organization based in Tanzania, which advocates for girl’s…

Meet Bernie Mshana

Bernie Mshana is the Communications Coordinator with the Grumeti Fund, based in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti in Tanzania. Our team had the privilege of meeting Bernie while documenting one of the Grumeti Fund’s Girls’ Empowerment Sessions.

Meet Rachel Kolisi

Rachel and her husband, South African rugby captain, Siya Kolisi founded the Kolisi Foundation earlier this year. Rachel is a humanitarian, business owner and mother…

The Matriarchs – Women’s Month 2020

On the 9th of August South Africa celebrated Women’s Day. It’s commonly believed that we celebrate Women’s Day and mark the month of August as…

Meet Adine Roode

When a female elephant is brutally killed for her ivory tusks, or when a herd scatters in response to human retaliation, there is a chance…

Meet Khensani Ngobeni

Khensani Ngobeni is a Junior Nursery Carer at HERD, the first elephant orphanage in South Africa. Earlier this year we met Khensani and Khanyisa, an elephant who sadly became orphaned after being injured by a snare and separated from her herd.

Meet Stephanie Nyirahumure

Stephanie is a Community Health Worker, who we met while on assignment for Malaria No More documenting the progress Rwanda has made in the fight…

Meet Jane Anyango

Jane is the Manager at the Bwindi Community Hospital and Nursing School in Uganda. She is passionate about female empowerment and community uplift, and is using her voice and experience to empower young girls to reach their full potential.

Meet Gloria Uwera

Gloria is a student in her final year at African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation in Rwanda. The School of Wildlife Conservation, an organisation…

Elizabeth Ojo

Meet Elizabeth Ojo

Elizabeth Ojo is the Director of Operations at the School of Wildlife Conservation at the African Leadership University.

Meet Aimeè M Umujeni

Our team met Aimeè while on assignment for Malaria No More in Rwanda, documenting Rwanda’s success in the fight against Malaria and the role that female leadership has played in achieving this success.

Meet Sharon Terer

Sharon is a ranger with an anti-poaching unit in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and is one of the first women to undergo training to be able to work with a sniffer dog.

Anne Rasa

Professor Anne Rasa is a pioneer in the field of ethology, who has spent much of her life conducting ground-breaking research on the behaviour and biology of mongoose species.

sheilla munsabe

Meet Sheilla Munsabe

Sheilla is a student at the African Leadership University in Rwanda, who is completing an internship with Singita, working in their Community and Conservation Programme at the newly launched Singita Kwitonda Lodge in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

Meet Kristin Davis

While many of you may already know Kristin Davis from her time onscreen as an actress and producer, we wanted to share her story as a passionate conservationist with you.

Rachel Murton - Elephant Day - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Rachael Murton

In celebration of World Elephant Day, we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Murton – Director of the Wildlife Rescue department at Game Rangers International (GRI) in Zambia.

Rise of the Matriarch | Meet Gloria Asasira

Meet Gloria Asasira

In honour of World Ranger Day, we wanted to introduce you to Gloria Asasira, who is one of the only female Ranger Guides working in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.

Meet Jeannie Hayward

Jeannie is a Project Researcher for the Cape Leopard Trust, who works closely with Anita Wilkinson on the Boland Research Project.

Meet Anita Wilkinson

Anita works for the Cape Leopard Trust as a Project Coordinator. She is based in the Boland region and has a focus on researching leopard diets, using techniques like leopard-scat analysis.

Meet Lana Müller

Meet Lana Müller

Lana works for the Cape Leopard Trust as an Operations and Research Manager in the Cederberg region, of the Western Cape.

Rachel Harris - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Rachel Harris

Rachel is a Director at Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) in Namibia, where her and her team are doing challenging work assisting communities and schools in this remote area.

Dr. Anna Songhurst - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Dr. Anna Songhurst

Dr. Anna Songhurst is Field and Program Director for Ecoexist Trust in Botswana, who is doing challenging work to mitigate daily human-wildlife conflict in this area.

Maria Diekmann - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Maria Diekmann

We first met Maria during the Rise of the Matriarch Expedition with our conservation partners, Blue Sky Society Trust and she left us feeling inspired and in awe – We knew we had to share her story with you.

Nomuntu Murukani - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Nomuntu Murukani

Nomuntu is a member of one of the first majority female anti-poaching units in South Africa. The Black Mamba’s work tirelessly to protect all boundaries of the 52,000ha Balule Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park.

Joy Matebula - Rise of the Matriarch

Meet Joy Matebula

Joy is one of the 32 female Rangers with the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, which is one of the first majority female anti-poaching units in South Africa.