Why Partnerships Power Everything We Do
At the heart of what Six Rivers Africa does is the belief that meaningful, long-lasting conservation is only possible when strong partnerships are built and nurtured.
Our dedicated Partnership pillar exists for this exact reason: to cultivate relationships that strengthen protection, deepen research, restore ecosystems, and uplift communities. For our team these relationships span from our relationship with rangers and local communities to Tanzania’s national authorities on conservation, research bodies, and conservation experts, forming a network of shared responsibility and shared success.
Strengthening Conservation Through Homegrown Leadership
SRA’s commitment to partnership begins within our own leadership. Six Rivers Africa follows a Tanzanian-led conservation model that places local insight, experience, and ownership at the centre of decision-making. This approach is reflected in the organisation’s board composition, where representatives from key institutions, including Tanzania National Parks and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, sit alongside conservation experts with close ties to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Their seat at the table ensures that SRA remains deeply grounded in national priorities and local realities. It also reinforces our belief that conservation decisions should be shaped by the people who understand the land best.
Beyond the boardroom, the organisation is entirely staffed by African professionals, working hand in hand with private stakeholders, community leaders, and institutions across the sector.
Protecting Wilderness Through Joint Action with TANAPA
Our on-ground collaboration with TANAPA is one of the clearest examples of how our partnerships work in practice. SRA operates under a formal agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, which lays out our shared responsibilities in protecting wilderness areas. Through this, we work closely with TANAPA across our areas of operation, supporting protection activities, sharing resources, and aligning strategies. Together, we conduct joint patrols, integrate Village Game Scouts into protection units, strengthen ranger capacity through training, and expand surveillance through aviation support. This collaboration has made a visible difference in places like the Usangu wetland, where wildlife presence, river health, and fish breeding grounds are showing significant recovery. Building on this success, the same joint approach is now guiding our expanding work in Nyerere National Park, including the protection of the Msolwa sector and beyond.
A Research-Driven Partnership with TAWIRI
Our partnership with TAWIRI strengthens another critical side of conservation, science. Working under a dedicated agreement, we conduct collaborative research to understand biodiversity, monitor population trends, and guide restoration efforts. Together, we carry out camera-trap studies, aerial wildlife surveys, collaring of key species, and ongoing monitoring to improve human–wildlife coexistence. The scientific insights gained from this work feed directly into our management strategies and also inform communities through our radio programme, where TAWIRI professionals occasionally join to share their expertise. This ensures that science is both shaping conservation decisions and reaching households around protected areas.
Furthermore, SRA collaborates with the Elephant Conservation Organisation and the Rhino Recovery Fund to support TANAPA’s Mobile Veterinary Unit in Mikumi and Mkomazi national parks. This includes operational assistance, a dedicated vehicle, and veterinary supplies that enable rapid response to wildlife emergencies ranging from injuries to disease outbreaks. The project strengthens wildlife health and supports rangers and veterinarians working in challenging, remote environments.
Community Collaboration at the Heart of Conservation
SRA works closely with local governments, village leaders, agricultural extension officers and national youth development bodies to support livelihood and coexistence initiatives. With guidance from district authorities and technical support from our partners, we implement income-generating activities that reduce pressure on national parks, from poultry farming to soap making, oil pressing, and other conservation-friendly enterprises. We collaborate with agricultural specialists to train farmers, support sustainable farming practices, and increase resilience against human–wildlife conflict.
Our formal agreement with the Prime Minister’s Office reinforces this work by strengthening youth skills development in areas such as tourism, conservation, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. This is complemented by training opportunities provided through the Six Rivers Africa Training Academy (SRATA), which offers fully supported programmes to young people living near protected areas.
Across all these examples, partnership remains one of Six Rivers Africa’s strongest tools in conservation. It is how we protect wildlife, strengthen science, uplift communities, and weave conservation into national structures. It is these relationships that make our mission possible: preserving Africa’s great wild places while ensuring the communities surrounding them thrive.
