Svenja Akwaba

​

My name is Svenja, born in 1996. I come from Berlin and have a bachelor's degree in nature conservation and a master's degree in wildlife management. I am a trained safari guide and am currently completing an additional master's degree in systematic theology.

​

During my studies, I have been travelling to African countries since I was 19 years old. In 2016 and 2018 I did internships in a reserve in Uganda, then I spent a year in South Africa and Botswana, where I trained as a safari guide and worked in a reserve for six months. I then studied wildlife management in Sweden, but wrote my master's thesis in Kenya.

​

During my stays in various African reserves and through interaction with local communities, I noticed how wildlife and beautiful landscapes were admired by tourists, but the local population had no access to them. In addition, many rural residents are faced with the effects of climate change, such as drought and floods, and native wildlife destroying their crops or killing their livestock. This creates conflict between humans and wildlife, leading to poverty and trauma or injury, as well as decimating wildlife populations and the loss of valuable habitats.