This Vegan Kitchen In The African Bush Feeds An All-Female Anti-Poaching Unit

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The post This Vegan Kitchen In The African Bush Feeds An All-Female Anti-Poaching Unit appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

Based in the Lower Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe, a vegan kitchen busily feeds an all-female anti-poaching unit called Akashinga. By preparing healthy, plant-based options for the group of dedicated rangers, they’re well-fueled to patrol a million acres-worth of African nature reserves. While setting up a full kitchen in the bush isn’t easy, the grassroots vegan movement is gaining momentum. (1)

Why A Vegan Kitchen Feeds The Akashinga Anti-Poaching Unit

Damien Mander founded the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), launching its special Akashinga unit in 2017. Meaning “The Brave Ones,” this group of women train rigorously and relentlessly to work as park rangers. By the latter half of 2019, the group made 191 arrests and helped create an 80% downturn in elephant poaching in the Lower Zambezi Valley. Additionally, the Akashinga serves as a shining model for others in the global poverty, conflict, and climate crisis. The women employed by IAPF, primarily from rural villages, are investing back into their communities and truly making a difference. (2)

Part of the Akashinga creed includes adherence to veganism, where plant-based foods replace animal products in the diet. Aside from the health benefits of including more fruits and vegetables in the diet, Africans face many crises related to animal farming. Heart disease and cancer are now more prevalent in Africa than cholera and measles, putting a strain on the economy due to healthcare costs. The climate crisis makes droughts and floods more common, affecting farmers. Ultimately, however, a plant-based diet is a return to traditional African diets.

Mander partnered with Chef Nicola Kagora to create the Akashinga Back to Black Roots Vegan Kitchen and Garden. The concept is built on traditional African diets, long before Westerners brought commercial farming ideas to the continent. While they may have included some animal protein in their diet, early African diets consisted of mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In some countries, like Mali, Chad, and Ethiopia, citizens’ diets are among the healthiest in the world. Why? Because they largely rely on plant-based foods for every meal. (3)

Cooking Up Vegan Meals In The Bush

Because of all these benefits, the Akashinga requires its members to eat vegan at work–though they’re free to eat what they like at home. Although they don’t have to continue with the diet on their off-days, many choose to. They also teach friends and family members about the benefits of eating vegan. Since eating in the bush can be difficult, the Akashinga Back to Black Roots Kitchen and Garden provides the 171 rangers, staff, and trainees with all the fuel they need.

Chef Nicole Kagora–who everyone calls Chef Cola–battles the blazing African heat while supervising the operation. Staff had to learn all the skills of running a kitchen, while also planning and creating new recipes and sourcing ingredients. Using different methods to prepare food has also helped. For example, dehydrating fruits and veggies made carrying them on patrol easy. The vegan kitchen also created a garden to feed the anti-poaching unit, since food availability was sometimes scarce. (2)

Although the Akashinga enjoy their meals, spreading veganism in Africa is slow. “It’s hard to spread the vegan practice around Africa because Africans love their meat,” Chef Cola told The Guardian. “The challenge is because Africans think meat is a form of showing wealth.” Still, as more women join the Akashinga, it’s hoped they will take what they learn back home. With a growing number of vegan restaurants in Africa, it’s hoped that this kinder way of eating will spread. (3)

The post This Vegan Kitchen In The African Bush Feeds An All-Female Anti-Poaching Unit appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

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