“As a woman, I was focused on using Akashinga as a tool to fight my battle for a better life. I can now feed my kids and pay school fees for them. I acquired a driver’s license, which is a big deal for women in Africa! I am also building a big house for my children. Now I have the pride of having my own future,” one of the rangers featured in the Nat Geo documentary, 30-year-old single mother of two Petronella, said how the program turned her life around.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old sergeant Nyaradzo Auxillia Hoto explained that she wanted to prove the stereotype that only men can become rangers wrong. “At first, my community couldn’t believe a woman could be a ranger. But the sky is the limit, and women can also be rangers. I managed to pursue my educational dreams. I dropped out of school many years ago; I am now a part-time student at one of the universities in Zimbabwe, pursuing a bachelor’s degree with honors in science, wildlife, ecology, and conservation. I also managed to buy a plot of land in our community.”

She added: “Animals shouldn’t suffer or feel pain for the sake of our needs and desires. They have the right to live and enjoy their life. They also have an aesthetic value, a natural beauty, and artistic value that I find so lovely.”