Mélanie Joins Our Education Team

Okapi Conservation Project is happy to announce the hiring of a new educator Mélanie NAMELE ALUKUNIO!

Education is the foundation of social change and implementing conservation action, and with a strong understanding of this idea, Okapi Conservation Project has been deeply investing in the education of the communities around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve since our start in 1987.

Mélanie joins the OCP team after she previously taught schoolchildren in Kisangani, a large city in the north central part of DRC, but her most recent experience was with the National Electoral Commission office in Wamba, a population center just outside the northwestern boundary of the Reserve.

Mélanie will be based in Wamba, where much of the community has a deep understanding of the importance of the forest and it’s critical that together we cultivate a strong interest in protecting it. Mélanie will assist in curriculum development and implementation focused on health and ecosystem conservation in addition to recording conservation-focused radio broadcasts for the greater community. She will also facilitate our fast-growing women’s group in Wamba, helping women build micro-enterprises by providing them the necessary materials and training to produce goods to sell in the local markets.  To read more, click here.