Celebrating 20 Years in Africa
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1990-2010 Celebrating 20 years in Africa he year to December 2009 was Iain Rawlinson to make substantial progress in securing characterised by great efforts Tusk’s future through the expansion of from the team and continuing and Chairman Tusk Trust the financial endowment embodied in the extraordinary generosity from our Tusk Foundation. This Endowment Fund Tsupporters, with a very good outcome in a is intended to ensure that Tusk’s work difficult economic climate. Gross revenue outlives the current generation! of £1.454m* was achieved with £1.208m* Some of our supporters have already (83%) being allocated support of our wide made generous donations to this element range of programmes in conservation, of securing Tusk’s future, and I can communities and education across Africa. report that the Trustees have also each Although total revenue was reduced from personally agreed a financial pledge the previous year, reflecting the general to the Endowment Fund to mark the financial background, this nevertheless Anniversary. We have an ambitious target allowed us to maintain a consistent level of for this year to grow the size of the Fund support for our core projects, and embark so that it can become an effective source on some new initiatives including support of additional income and increasingly help for an excellent community-based initiative to cover Tusk’s core costs in the coming in Nigeria. years. We hope that others will see such Looking back to 1989, and what was long-term benefit in what Tusk is doing known then, it is extraordinary what has that they will feel able to support this vital been achieved – including raising over aspect of our long-term structure. £12m from donations, supporting over This year we would like to say thank you 100 conservation projects and community to Prince William, our Royal Patron, for schemes in 23 countries across the African his generous support over these last five continent, and achieving awareness of years, which marks a period of significant Tusk’s work in many places around the expansion and much greater recognition. world including Europe, USA and Asia. This has given tremendous encouragement We have held ten marathons in northern to us all for the future, both directly and Kenya raising a total of $2.25m, and through the highly effective Princes’ distribution of our PACE environmental Charities Forum, and we look forward to education resource packs continues to our ongoing work with this growing group reach tens of thousands of children across of organisations. Africa. Importantly, Tusk has achieved The Trustees would also like to mark worldwide recognition and donor support this 20th year by thanking our team for as a global brand in all its key sectors of their unstinting hard work, and Charlie activity. in particular for his determination over While celebrating the past we necessarily very many years to forge Tusk into the look to the security of the future. And effective force in conservation, community given what we know now and with the development and education it is today. resources and experience of the last 20 Looking forward to immediate years, it is exciting to contemplate what challenges will remain for many years priorities, Tusk will seek to maintain can be achieved by continuing to reach a to come, but major efforts are now effective levels of support in its core wider community of supporters. underway to do what we can to address projects, to nurture new high quality Tusk has a clear vision, and effective this critical issue with a simple organic initiatives, and continue to strengthen the execution capability through our own solution. During this 20th Anniversary global awareness of its brand. team and through the tireless efforts of year we plan not only to continue our All of which could not be done without our partners in the field. These are our fund raising to support the day-to-day your support. Thank you again for all you core competencies. However, financial needs of our projects in the field, but also have done for Tusk! * At the time of publication the figures quoted were still subject to final audit and approval by the Trustees. Tusk Trust 2009 How the funds of £1,208,000 were distributed Tusk USA welcomes new board member We are delighted to announce the was on the International Committee of the appointment of Wendy Breck to the Board Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) located of Tusk USA Inc. in New York City, which supports species- Since her honeymoon in Rhodesia in specific projects as well as developing 1973 Wendy has had a strong relationship models of national parks that have been used with Africa. She founded and ran a travel around the world. company, Conservation Travel, from All her commitments have encompassed Welcome 1989-1999 which arranged safaris, but at the idea of sustainable development, This edition of Tusk Talk is published in celebration of the same time focused on understanding conserving wildlife and supporting local issues of conservation in Africa. She has communities through education and job 20 years of Tusk’s work in Africa, and with it comes travelled extensively in Africa including trips to creation. Her philosophy fits perfectly with 25% Education Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, that of Tusk. Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Wendy lives in New York with her husband, an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved 37% Wildlife Conservation Wendy was a Trustee of the Gallmann Henry, who himself has a great deal of 38% Community Development Memorial Foundation from 1989-2004 and experience in the conservation and financial over the last two decades, and to point the way towards served six years on the Board of the African world. Over many years the work of Tusk has developed into the three focus areas of conservation, Wildlife Foundation (AWF). For eight years she what can yet be done. community development, and education. 2 3 Your support – then and now n 1990 when Timothy Ackroyd and The threat to Africa’s elephants is no I decided, in our somewhat youthful Charles Mayhew MBE less serious. The Tanzanian and Zambian naivety, that we wished to contribute Chief Executive Tusk Trust Governments attempted to seek approval in some small way towards wildlife from the 2010 meeting of The Convention conservationI efforts in Africa, the on International Trade in Endangered continent was in the midst of an acres of critical wildlife habitat owned and Species (CITES) in Doha for a down- unprecedented poaching crisis. managed by 17 communities drawn from listing of their elephant populations, which The black rhino was on the brink of several different Kenyan tribal groups. would have allowed for a one-off sale of extinction and elephant populations were This bold initiative, which provides ivory from government stockpiles. Whilst being slaughtered at the alarming rate of tangible benefits to 72,000 people, now undoubtedly a victory for conservationists, 100,000 a year. comes under the very effective umbrella many believe the key driving force behind I confess that what really started as of the Northern Rangelands Trust. It the ongoing poaching is the continued a hobby – albeit a serious one – has is a model that has demonstrated how existence of illegal domestic ivory markets subsequently taken over my life and never conservation can be used effectively as a across parts of Africa and Asia. in my wildest dreams did I expect, two vehicle for both poverty alleviation and The effects of climate change are a decades later, to be celebrating Tusk’s 20th conflict resolution. And it is one that devastating fact of life for many rural Anniversary and achievements! Tusk is hugely proud to have been able to communities. And Africa is predicted to Indeed I used to hear people describe support since its very early days. suffer these effects the most. For many Tusk as one of conservation’s best kept Whilst we have witnessed huge strides in rural Africans, their idea of the future is secrets – but thanks to the spotlight that terms of community-driven conservation, simply surviving from one day to the next. Prince William’s patronage has brought sadly the picture in terms of poaching Education and sustainable development upon our work, I hope that we might have now threatens many of the wildlife gains are the vital ingredients needed to secure finally let the cat out of the bag! achieved since 1990. Elephant losses have the future of Africa’s natural heritage. Tusk We have always viewed conservation as a increased three and half times in the last has long recognised the need to invest long-term investment, relying upon strong two years and the poacher’s price for rhino in Africa’s youth – not only by building partnerships with key individuals that have horn has leapt more than 600% from $400 schools, but also by promoting simple a track record in delivering results from as per kilo in 2007 to $2,600 per kilo today! environmental solutions to everyday far afield as Namibia to Sierra Leone and It explains why there is now a surge in problems through our successful PACE Botswana to the Congo and always with a poaching and why South Africa, a country initiative. strong presence in East Africa. which in the past has remained largely Tusk has had the ability and privilege In those early years when many were immune to major poaching, lost over 100 to support a portfolio of remarkable field adopting a fortress mentality, a chance rhino last year. projects. It is clear, however, that there is meeting with conservationist, Ian Craig, That alarming trend looks set to still much to be done both to demonstrate led to an invitation for me to visit Lewa, a continue as three Kenyan rhino sanctuaries and integrate the benefits of wildlife fledgling wildlife conservancy in northern suffered serious poaching incidents on conservation, sustainable development and Kenya.