Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe (31 July 2026) – Nineteen-year-old Evernice Dzomba from Masoka, Mbire, graduated today as one of 17 rangers sponsored by the Chewore Conservation Trust (CCT). She was among 165 rangers commissioned into service nationally after completing the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority’s (ZimParks) three-month Basic Ranger Training Course – where she earned the Best Shootist – Female award for outstanding marksmanship.

Dzomba was selected from Mbire Ward 11, where 30 candidates came forward for CCT’s ranger recruitment drive. Applicants underwent a 10km run, physical fitness testing, and an oral interview before five were shortlisted – three men and two women. She joins fellow graduates recruited from Hurungwe District – across Ward 8 and Ward 9 in Chitindiva under Chief Chundu – and through CCT’s Cadet Ranger Programme, together forming the 17 new rangers who will reinforce wildlife protection across Chewore South. Dzomba was one of 38 women in the national graduating class of 165.

This year’s World Ranger Day theme, “Rangers: Guardians of a Changing Planet,” reflects the growing pressures rangers face across the country, from prolonged drought and shifting wildlife distribution to rising human-wildlife conflict.

In a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of Environment Climate and Wildlife Honourable Evelyn Ndlovu, the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa said: “As we join the international conservation community in observing World Ranger Day, we are reminded that behind every thriving protected area, every elephant roaming freely across our landscape, every recovering rhino population, every healthy forest, and every flourishing wetland, there are dedicated men and women who have committed their lives to protecting these priceless national assets that are God-given to us as Zimbabweans.”

In her address, the First Lady specifically acknowledged Chewore Conservation Trust’s role in this year’s ranger training programme, saying: “Today I wish to sincerely thank all the organisations that supported this year’s Ranger Training Programme, including … Chewore Conservation Trust … and many others whose commitment continues to strengthen Zimbabwe’s conservation sector. Your support demonstrates that when we work together, we can achieve lasting conservation success.”

“Recruiting rangers from the wards that border Chewore South Safari Area is part of what partnering with communities actually looks like in practice,” said Simba Sandram, CCT’s Community Manager. “When someone from Mbire or Hurungwe puts on that uniform for fieldwork, they are protecting land their own families depend on, and that kind of community leadership is what makes this partnership work.”

The rangers completed their training at Ume Camp in the Nyaminyami Communal Land, under the Matusadona Conservation Trust, covering areas including ecological monitoring, patrol-based data collection, and human rights-based approaches to law enforcement.

“Protecting wildlife in a landscape the size of Chewore South comes down to having enough trained rangers on the ground,” said Nicholas Chinembiri, CCT’s Head of Law Enforcement. “Every recruit we add means better coverage and a faster response when it matters. For the 17 of you graduating today, this is more than a ceremony; it is the start of a guardianship for life. You carry a badge of conservation responsibility and combat readiness.”

“Protecting wildlife has always been my dream,” Dzomba said. “My father encouraged me to apply, although some people believed the training would be too difficult for a woman. I believed in myself, kept working hard, and proved to myself that I could do it. I hope more girls and young women will realise that conservation is a career they can pursue.”

About the Chewore Conservation Trust

The Chewore Conservation Trust (CCT), an implementation partner of Awe for Nature Foundation, is a Zimbabwe-based conservation organisation working to protect and restore the Chewore South Safari Area in the Zambezi Valley. Operating under a 25-year collaborative management agreement with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, CCT leads wildlife protection, habitat restoration, community development, and sustainable livelihood initiatives across the landscape.

About Awe for Nature Foundation

Awe for Nature Foundation is a non-profit organisation advancing practical, scalable finance solutions to support the long-term protection of critical ecosystems and help shape a new model for conservation. Our mission is to deliver high-integrity nature finance solutions in real-world conservation settings. Through long-term partnerships on the ground – beginning in Zimbabwe’s Protected Area Network – we aim to create scalable models that protect biodiversity, support livelihoods, and inform the future of global conservation finance. As the founding partner behind the Chewore Conservation Trust, Awe for Nature Foundation provides strategic, technical, and financial support to conservation efforts in the Chewore South landscape.

Media Contacts

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

• Ndanatsiwa Tagwireyi, Awe for Nature Foundation Communications Lead – ndanatsiwa.tagwireyi@awenature.org
• Niall McCann, Awe for Nature Foundation Conservation and Communications Executive Director – niall.mccann@awenature.org
• Luckmore Safuli, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Public Relations Manager – lsafuli@zimparks.org.zw