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Chelsea Clinton in Zambia touring various conservation projects
Chelsea Clinton standing under a red spotlight before giving a speech in Washington D.C.
—Photo by Joseph Earnest
by Joseph Earnest August 2, 2013
Newscast Media NEW YORK—On Friday, August 2, 2013, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) will host Chelsea Clinton on a visit to two of its conservation projects in Zambia. Clinton will be touring various programs in Africa along with her father, President Bill Clinton, on behalf of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation (Clinton Foundation).
While in Zambia, she will visit a conservation-themed primary school built by AWF as well as a brand-new community-owned tourism enterprise established by the conservation organization.
"It's wonderful to have Chelsea Clinton and representatives from the Clinton Foundation visiting our projects on the ground in Africa to see how people are trying to live with, and protect, elephants," said Patrick Bergin, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation. "The African Wildlife Foundation has a long history of working with local communities to find conservation solutions that benefit both wildlife and people, and we're excited to be able to show the Clinton Foundation two examples of how we work."
Clinton will also take a tour of Lupani Conservation Primary School. AWF rebuilt the once-dilapidated Lupani School into a modern facility in exchange for the local community setting aside land that allows elephants to travel peacefully between countries. Along with constructing six new classrooms, AWF built teacher housing complete with solar panels for electricity, to help entice teacher talent to the region.
The impact has been significant in an area where more than 80 percent of the population is illiterate: Now, more than 140 students are enrolled at Lupani School, and more students have been accepted into secondary school, allowing for further continuation of their education. The school has further become a community education center that provides literacy classes for adults.
President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton will also meet with Community Health Assistants who are bringing health care services to rural communities, and will help provide hearing aids to children through a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) commitment made by the Starkey Foundation.
In addition to Lupani School, Clinton will visit the brand-new Machenje Fishing Lodge, a sport-fishing camp established by AWF as a tourism enterprise owned solely by the community. AWF brokered an innovative partnership whereby the community and a private-sector partner, which manages daily operations, share revenues. This arrangement will increase area income while also putting the community in the driver’s seat in terms of determining how best to apply revenue for local development projects. Revenues from the lodge will also be used to help fund elephant patrols in the community conservation area.
And, while Machenje Fishing Lodge has only recently opened, it has already provided employment to the local population. Machenje was built from locally sourced supplies, and building and construction was done by local workers. Many of the full-time staff positions will also be filled by local residents.
The Clinton Foundation has been supportive of such anti-poaching work and other efforts by conservation organizations such as AWF to eradicate illegal wildlife trafficking in Africa and around the globe.
The trip will last until August 8, where the Clintons will visit more Clinton Foundation projects in Rwanda, Tanzania and South Africa. Add Comments>>
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