International Women’s Day | Celebrating Women in Conservation

2 days ago
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Today we celebrate the leadership, resilience, and vision of women shaping the future of conservation and community development.

One such leader is Ellie Modesta, a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and

community-led conservation. Since 2023, Ellie has served on the Board of Directors of the

Loisaba Community Trust, supporting initiatives that strengthen livelihoods, education, and

environmental stewardship across the communities surrounding Loisaba Conservancy. Her

work with the Chui Mama Centre highlights the powerful role women play in building

sustainable futures for both people and wildlife.

The Centre itself has been made possible through the support of Loisaba Conservancy and

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, who have been instrumental in financing its construction

and providing ongoing oversight and support, with the long-term goal of the Centre

becoming fully community-owned and financially self-sustaining.

Below, Ellie shares more about the Chui Mama Centre and the impact it is having on women

and families in the landscape.

A Centre Built by Women, for Women

“The Chui Mama Centre is a women-led, community-owned space that brings together

indigenous women living alongside wildlife to build sustainable livelihoods rooted in

conservation, culture, and care for the land.

It was created in response to persistent challenges facing women in our community - limited

income opportunities, climate stress, human–wildlife conflict, and exclusion from decision-

making - despite women being central to household and community wellbeing.

The Centre serves as a second home: a place of dignity, learning, and production where

women can earn income, strengthen skills, restore degraded land, and support coexistence

with wildlife while passing knowledge to future generations.”

Community ownership sits at the heart of the Centre. As Ellie explains, when the Centre

belongs to the women themselves, decisions are made collectively, benefits remain within

the community, and priorities are shaped by lived experience. This builds pride,

accountability, and long-term sustainability.

Reaching Thousands of Families

Today, around 1,000 women are active members of the Chui Mamas network, participating

in conservation-linked livelihoods, production groups, training programmes, and community

initiatives.

Through these activities, an estimated 4,000–6,000 household members depend fully or

partially on income generated through Chui Mama enterprises such as beadwork, tailoring,

sustainable agriculture, permaculture farming, hall hire, mentorship programmes, and

seasonal group work.

For many women, this represents the first reliable income they control directly.

Strengthening Households and Opportunity

Income earned through Chui Mama activities supports some of the most important needs

within families, including:

School fees, uniforms, and learning materials
Mentorship programmes providing pads, underwear, and learning supplies for girls
Food security and improved household nutrition
Healthcare, menstrual hygiene, and emergency needs
Farm inputs, livestock, and other productive assets
Savings and table banking groups that allow women to reinvest in their businesses

But the impact goes far beyond finances.

“The most significant change has been economic confidence and independence,” Ellie

explains. “Women are now able to contribute meaningfully to household income, reduce

vulnerability during droughts or shocks, and participate more actively in family and financial

decision-making.”

Through the support and mentorship provided by Loisaba and SDZWA’s programmes,

women are also able to access training, resources, and partnerships that help strengthen

their enterprises and expand opportunities.

Building Skills, Confidence, and Leadership

Through the Centre, women are gaining a wide range of practical skills, including:

Sustainable production such as beadwork, organic farming, soap making, and
tailoring
Financial literacy, savings, and basic business management
Leadership, governance, and group organisation
Conservation awareness and climate-resilient land use practices
Marketing, communication, and engagement with partners

Many of these training opportunities are delivered through programmes supported by

Loisaba Conservancy and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, ensuring that community

empowerment is closely linked to long-term conservation goals.

These opportunities are also transforming women’s confidence and visibility within their

communities.

“Many women now speak openly in meetings, engage with conservancy leadership, and

contribute to discussions on land use, conservation, and community development. Women

are increasingly recognised as leaders and role models.”

Linking Livelihoods to Conservation

The Chui Mama Centre is closely connected to conservation outcomes across the Loisaba

landscape.

By creating sustainable, conservation-aligned livelihoods, the Centre helps reduce pressure

on natural resources while strengthening positive attitudes toward wildlife. Women also play

a key role in sharing conservation knowledge within households and communities.

Through initiatives such as Uhifadhi wa Chui (San Diego Zoo Global’s Leopard Research

Programme), women are actively involved in supporting coexistence with wildlife,

environmental stewardship, and land restoration.

This integration of community development and conservation reflects the broader

Loisaba–SDZWA partnership, which recognises that long-term conservation success

depends on strong, resilient communities living alongside wildlife.

“Conservation-linked livelihoods ensure that communities directly benefit from protecting

wildlife and ecosystems,” Ellie explains. “When conservation supports daily needs and

income, it strengthens long-term commitment to coexistence.”

Looking Ahead

For Ellie and the Chui Mamas network, the vision for the future is ambitious.

“In five years, success would mean a financially self-sustaining Centre supporting even more

women through diversified and resilient income streams. The Centre would be recognised as

a hub for women’s leadership, conservation livelihoods, skills development, and

environmental restoration.”

Plans for the future include expanding eco-enterprises, developing value-added

conservation products, strengthening climate-smart agriculture and seed banks, and growing youth and girls’ mentorship programmes.

With continued support from Loisaba Conservancy and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and

strong leadership from the women themselves, the Centre is well positioned to continue

growing as a model for community-led conservation and women’s empowerment.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the Chui Mamas — and the thousands of

women across the Loisaba landscape who are shaping stronger communities, thriving

wildlife, and a more sustainable future.