In unison
A groundbreaking alliance unites conservation and development goals
Photographer
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Jerry Mushala
© WWF-US/Jerry Mushala
Among the Maasai people of Kajiado County, Kenya, something exciting is taking root. Women who once walked miles for water, watched crops wither, and relied on others for their livelihoods are now shaping their own futures and restoring the Earth—one beehive, one seed, and one goat at a time.
“We are proving that we are not just caretakers of our families but also caretakers of the land,” says Peninah Shadrach, chair of the Yiungani Women’s Group.
This dual focus on people and the environment is at the heart of a unique 17-year partnership between WWF, one of the world’s largest conservation organizations, and CARE, one of the largest development organizations in the world.
Inspired by and launched with support from Sall Family Foundation, the CARE-WWF Alliance brings together the deep knowledge and expertise of both organizations, as well as a shared understanding: Human well-being depends on a stable climate and healthy ecosystems, and thriving ecosystems, in turn, require the stewardship and leadership of people. The belief that women are essential to building a more resilient and sustainable future is central to the Alliance as well.
As WWF's Chief Operating Officer Loren Mayor says, “We need to evolve our relationship with nature for all of us to survive. Women are powerful agents of change who can make a resilient future a reality.”
The Yiungani Women’s Group is one of 34 similar women-led village organizations behind Sowing Change, an Alliance initiative that connects women to nature-friendly economic opportunities, laying the groundwork for women like Peninah to secure income for their families and restore the land they call home.
Kajiado, Kenya
Sowing Change
2024-
Communities in Kajiado County, Kenya, support themselves primarily through small-scale farming and raising livestock. But unsustainable agricultural expansion and livestock grazing have led to severe land degradation and human-wildlife conflict. Combined with destabilizing rains and drought, these challenges make it difficult to feed families, send children to school, and save for the future. As primary caregivers, women are disproportionately affected by these challenges, yet they frequently lack access to financial resources and are excluded from decisions that shape their opportunities.
In Kenya, Sowing Change strengthens women’s leadership and provides tools and training on nature-based enterprises. Through these efforts, participants are now earning sustainable incomes, assisting with water management issues, and improving and protecting local ecosystems.
Sowing Change launched in Kenya, is now active in Colombia, and will be launching in Zambia soon.
Beekeeping
Bees are good for nature: They pollinate flowers and keep ecosystems balanced by providing food for other animals. Beehives can also be an excellent source of income. But successful beekeeping requires proper tools and an understanding of how to properly manage a hive. And to generate income, a market must exist for honey and other products, as well as knowledge of how to access those markets.
Participants in the Ngaisi Women’s Group had attempted beekeeping on their own with mixed success. Hives died due to improper maintenance; harvesting was left in the hands of others who sometimes stole the group’s honey; and without training and proper equipment, many felt it was unsafe.
Working with local partner Bee Farmers Hub, Sowing Change trains women to develop and manage apiaries, extract honey, and bring their honey, wax, and other hive products to market.
Before, we had beehives but did not understand their value. Now, we know exactly when the honey is ready and are able to extract it in a way that preserves its quality. We have a nearby market where we can sell our honey, and this has brought us much-needed income. It feels empowering to know that we can contribute to the sustainability of our homes and families.
Silanga Lekokoro Ezekiel Ngaisi Women's Group chairperson
Terracing and Earth Bunds
Cutting down forests for charcoal production, farming, or other developments can have devastating effects on farmland. Without trees and their roots anchoring the soil, heavy rains uproot small seedlings and wash away seeds before they have the chance to grow.
Solutions must come at multiple levels, starting with education on alternatives to deforestation. But where the trees have already been cut, farmers need new methods of planting crops that can withstand soil runoff when a deluge arrives.
© WWF-US/Jerry Mushala
Working with a local partner, Sowing Change trains women in terracing techniques that allow heavy rains to soak into the soil, rather than running off and causing erosion. The women, in turn, train other farmers.
Communities are also creating semicircular pits called earth bunds on rangeland to slow runoff and reduce erosion. Grass seed is planted to provide additional vegetation for wildlife and livestock alike.
I learned to measure fields, to know where the terraces go, and how deep to make them. I am now training other farmers. We hope that at harvest, other farmers will see the benefits and want to do the same.
Emily Nchinina Mwangaza Women's Group treasurer and Sowing Change certified trainer for the terracing program
Boreholes
To address prolonged drought and distant water sources, many communities share boreholes, which are narrow shafts drilled into the ground to access underground aquifers. When the system operates properly, water flows into troughs for cattle and wildlife and into separate containers for human consumption and farming.
© WWF-US/Jerry Mushala
Broken or damaged receptacles, however, can force humans to drink from the same troughs used by animals. And when the boreholes are inoperable due to cracked tanks and pipes or dead generators, livestock suffer, women and children must walk miles to access water for family use, and wildlife can pose dangers to villagers in search of water.
Sowing Change works with community members to repair tanks and pipes, install solar panels and backup generators, and establish borehole management committees to address human health issues and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
For the women of Ilchalai, the impact [of the boreholes] has been profound. Water, once a distant resource, is now right here. We are no longer dependent on labor from other farms to earn a living. Now, we can work our own land, produce [our own] food, and support our families with pride.
Nanyo Lorimirim Ilchalai Borehole Management Committee member
Goats
In Maasai tradition, women are not allowed to own cattle, but they can raise goats. Since goat milk is valued locally for its high nutritional benefits, managing dairy goats is a practical income-generating option.
Goat rearing is also better for the environment than cattle. Goats require less land, water, and feed, which reduces pressure on ecosystems and minimizes land degradation. They produce significantly lower methane emissions than cattle. And they can graze alongside trees and crops without damaging undergrowth while their manure enriches the soil.
© WWF-US/Jerry Mushala
Each of the 34 women’s groups in the program received three goats—two females and a male—to breed and manage as a community. They also received training in goat management and accessing local markets to sell milk, kefir, cheese, and buttermilk.
I am proud to say I have already harvested one liter of milk. It might seem small, but it is a significant step toward financial independence. Soon, I plan to sell the milk and use the money to support my family. We now have more control over our financial security. That sense of empowerment is priceless.
Margret Nayeso Empuan Women's Group
Aligned for Impact
“Blending conservation and development … offers a humanistic approach to conservation,” says Mona Sherpa, country director for CARE Nepal. That innovative approach—addressing conservation and development holistically—is at the heart of the CARE-WWF Alliance’s 17 years of success. By combining the organizations’ dual threads of expertise, Alliance programs in Africa, Asia, and now South America are designed to meet social and economic needs while recognizing nature’s vital role in community well-being.
Tanzania
© JERRY MUSHALA
Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor
2 0 1 5 – 2 0 2 3
The flow of the Great Ruaha River, essential for farming communities in Tanzania’s Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor, had been decreasing due to unsustainable farming and deforestation. This particularly affected women and girls, who depend on water access for their households and crops. The Alliance worked with 21 villages to restore landscapes, improve water management, and boost household incomes through savings groups, nature-based enterprises, and sustainable agriculture training.
As a result, communities increased their agricultural yields (improving household incomes and family nutrition) while helping to restore key water sources through better land and water management.
Nachingwea
2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 9
Southern Tanzania’s Nachingwea district, home to vital woodlands and large elephant herds, was facing deforestation due to slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and poaching. The Alliance introduced climate-smart agricultural practices, supported participatory forest management, and helped women-led groups start sustainable businesses and savings programs.
By the program’s end, communities had protected 102,788 acres of forest and generated new income streams via sustainable timber harvesting—funds that were channeled toward community projects such as the construction of a preschool and health insurance for village elders.
Nepal
Hariyo Ban
2 0 1 1 – 2 0 2 1
Nepal’s forests have long been under threat from unsustainable harvesting, extreme droughts and fires, invasive species, and illegal wildlife trade. These challenges disproportionately impact women and marginalized groups who rely on forest resources. Through the Hariyo Ban program—named after the Nepali saying “healthy green forests are Nepal’s wealth”—the Alliance worked with local and international partners to restore ecosystems, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and train women as environmental leaders.
Recognized as one of the most successful conservation programs in Asia, the Hariyo Ban program led to more than 800 women winning public office, strengthening natural resource governance and resilience in their communities.
© Karine Aigner/WWF-US
Mozambique
Primeiras e Segundas
2 0 0 8 – 2 0 1 8
The Primeiras e Segundas Archipelago, one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, faced extreme stress from unsustainable fishing practices and mangrove destruction, threatening local livelihoods and marine biodiversity. The Alliance partnered with farming and fishing communities to promote sustainable fisheries, forest conservation, and financial independence through savings and credit programs.
As a result, community-led conservation efforts contributed to the Government of Mozambique declaring Primeiras e Segundas a protected area in 2012—and more than 70% of fishers increased their catches after introducing biodiversity-friendly, community-managed, no-take fishing zones.
© WWF-US / James Morgan
© Andy Rouse / naturepl.com / WWF
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