Empowering women, enabling species conservation: New steps in Botswana

We have taken an important step towards strengthening women-led communities in our project area in Botswana.

Over the past few weeks, we have been working closely with a local women’s group to create the basis for more independent and sustainable livelihoods. Together, we have established structures, clarified responsibilities and developed transparent forms of cooperation.

At the same time, a concrete cultivation plan was drawn up for the coming season. This will enable the group to better coordinate its agricultural activities and plan for the long term.

But structures alone are not enough.

That is why we have also focused on practical skills. In on-site training sessions, the women have learned how to use agricultural equipment such as a walk-behind tractor and a grass mower safely and efficiently. These tools make physical work easier and increase productivity at the same time.

At the same time, work has already begun in the fields. Areas have been prepared, soils tilled and initial measures implemented in the spirit of conservation agriculture. These approaches help to improve soil quality, use water more efficiently and ensure stable yields in the long term.

For us, this is about more than just agriculture.

We see how new perspectives are created through access to knowledge, tools and joint organization. Women are empowered to make decisions, take responsibility and actively shape their future.

One participant put it this way during the training:
“Now we understand how we can plan and work together. That changes how we see our future.”

This is where long-term change begins.

After all, strong communities are a central basis for humans and wild animals to live together in the long term.