Our Mission
The African People & Wildlife Fund (APW) builds the capacity of rural Africans to engage in environmental conservation and sustainable livelihood strategies that promote the dual objectives of biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. At APW, we emphasize the importance of place-based and community-led initiatives that support the collective management of natural resources for the mutual benefit of people and wildlife.
The majority of our staff are African citizens who live and work together with our constituencies – rural Africans living in remote places. With our unique, place-based approach, APW is bringing conservation back to the field.
Inquisitive Zebra
Brief History
APW initially began in 2001 as the People & Predators Project, a non-profit organization based at Yale University. Originally focused on applied research and the challenges of conserving Africa’s large carnivores, in 2005 the organization made a transition from its research project structure into a broader-reaching non-profit called the People & Predators Fund. At this time, the fund registered as an independent, US 501c3 organization based in New Jersey. The Fund continued with the exciting carnivore conservation activities begun earlier, while expanding its programs in support of integrated conservation and village development. In 2008, the organization made its final transition to the African People & Wildlife Fund, reflecting both its expanded mission and its long-term commitment to the African continent. In addition, the Tanzania People & Wildlife Fund (TPW) was registered in the United Republic of Tanzania as APW’s first sister organization.