Powerful individuals quiver in the face of people that are united for a cause. When a group marches
and attracts others to join in that march the interlopers flee. 
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The traditional
wildlife NGO
(non-governmental organization)
spends time raising money and
marching to raise
awareness of the
poaching problem. In the end lots of people become aware of the problem but
there is no solution that curbs poaching. What was surprising to the Slate Foundation upon a recent trip to Africa was that the majority of poachers were single moms that were simply attempting to provide for their children with the only resource they had at
their disposal–endangered wildlife. When the group began exploring the causes of this poaching it became apparent that solutions
existed that were manageable.
The expedition was conceived to find the gorillas that have come
under severe pressure due competing for life sustaining resources.
When the Slates arrived the absence of any and all wildlife was eerie. Even insects were absent as they were being eaten by the villagers whenever they were found. What was also surprising was the
communication network that exists without cellular phones or radios. News of the Slates travel reached the village hours before
they did. The Slates arrived in time to curb the virtual destruction
of everything in the area. When insects are absent, every shrub,
plant or tree becomes fair game as a food source. The result is an
ecosystem that is damaged with the inability to sustain life.
The villagers told the Slates that they were familiar with raising chickens but lacked the resources to get a chicken farm up and running. The women from the village presented Slate with a formal business plan drawn out on a single sheet of paper to gain the confidence of Slate that they could make the endeavor work. An $800 donation of 24 chickens, tools, building materials and the acquisition of a small piece of land and the women were up and running. Soon after the donation Slate was warned that harm was coming to them if they did not leave immediately. “They know you are here and they are coming for you.” Knowing that life or death often hinged upon a mere scrap of information the Slates packed up and left without more than a few moments notice.
Strangely they were told that the other NGO’s, that profit from a climate of aid dependency, were the threat - not the tribesmen. The group left behind a camera for the women to document their progress or should harm come to them to document that too so that the world could keep tabs on them and reach out for help should violence seek them out. They also established a line of communication and a method to send additional funding through a bank in the nearest town. Two times they were able to successfully donate money that reached the mark but the third attempt was hi-jacked by the bank.
What began as a coalition of a few women has grown to encompass 500 women that all work sewing, farming, and raising rabbits or chickens. In this remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo two rabbits sold generate enough money to pay for a year of edu- cation for a child. Recently a few of the women suffered an attack that included being raped. The 500 women answered this violence by marching as a message of solidarity that violence against women was no longer going to be tolerated. There is strength in numbers. Empowered women are one of the keys to peace. These women have created a vibrant economy and have no intentions of going back to poaching wildlife to sustain their lives. The Slate Foundation is still monitoring their project but everyone has bought into the concept that the responsibility for this village lies within the village. The Slate Foundation is all about helping people help themselves. Says Gina Longo, “ultimately the people have to do the heavy lifting.”
