MACLYTTE TSAKATSA

I have always aspired to be a voice for the voiceless, an instrument of peace and a woman in conservation. I recently completed a degree in Animal and Wildife Sciences with a distinction, and my thesis, "Identification of human carnivore conflict hotspots - a tool to prioritize mitigation efforts," was selected for publication.  I'm interested in research on issues evolving around human-wildlife conflicts, and the communities affected .

I was attached for a year at Wildlife Conservation Action led by Dr Moreangels Mbizah, a strong woman in conservation. During this period, I interacted with the communites facing human wildlife conflicts. Under her team leadership, I understood the importance of being a conservationist, balancing the community voices and the conservation of wildife to achieve coexistence. Moreangels gave me a solid reason to pursue my dream to be a woman in conservation. Women spearhead projects that always become successful. Their focus, accuracy and collaboration skills make them good team members and leaders, hence they achieve so much more.

In Zimababwe, communities residing alongside with wildlife face human-wildlife conflicts. So this was the purpose for my thesis. I intended to pinpoint hotspots of conflicts so that non- governmental organisations can direct mitigation tools exactly where they are needed. The community loses their livestock to predators, encounters fatalities and this affects their livelihoods negatively. My dream is to introduce projects like fish farming and goat fattening to these communities so that they can earn a leaving and hence improve their economic status and wellbeing. I want to educate them on the value of coexistence so they won't retaliate against carnivores. Our goal is to conserve, so being a conservationist is being able to balance between the needs of people and conserving wildlife resources. Given the platform, I know I will be that voice for Nature, and hence an impact for women in conservation.