Akashinga: The Brave Ones | National Geographic

So foreign, today we are expecting 500 results that are coming in from 500. He wants 822 graduates. This training is going to be hard, but I know these ladies. They are strong ladies. As we are coming here, everyone—we know we are coming here for training and it's good to work together. You cannot move alone, so try to help each other, encourage each other. Teamwork, guys! Teamwork! Together we are one here today. We are all equals. The only thing that will set you apart is if you've got character and spirit, and if you do, we'll teach you how to fight.

I've spent my life doing things in real life that most kids can't do on a PlayStation—living every kid's dream, jumping out of helicopters, blowing stuff up. My background is counter-insurgency warfare. We go out, we look for a fight—we want to finish it. Akashinga shifts the strategy on conservation of having women come out and do what was perceived to be a male-only role. We started this program with 16 women. I know every young woman, every young girl out there wants to be a ranger. It's a tough job; it's a dangerous job. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Some of you will die doing this job. We're going to be out there up against armed men. They will be willing to kill elephants or anybody that's standing in their way, and the only thing standing in their way will be you. These ladies are like me; their life is tough. It's very difficult to survive. They work hard to have food. They work hard to have even clothes to wear. Yes, before I joined Akashinga, my life was very difficult. Even to give food to the babies was too difficult. I was crying every day, every day I was telling myself, "This is a job that I want. I'm sacrificing my everything, my life, for protecting the world."

Question: Our standout from the beginning, from day one when we did selection with the first program, she walked differently. She looked differently. She became one of our best rangers very quickly. Now here she is, ready to lead the selection for what will become 240 more rangers in the next 12 months. Now I'm a leader, and I'm going to teach other ladies to be like me. Some of them, they are going to finish; some of them, they are going to surrender.

Over the next 72 hours, we're going to expose these women to the four pillars of misery: to be hungry, cold, tired, and wet. We're going to push them to their physical and, most importantly, their mental limits. We're going to see what they're made of. When you come here, just tell us about your life, the challenges that you faced with.

Me: I'm going to say yes, so you're going to push me back. Then you say no. Yes, no. I say yes, no. I said yes, no. I say yes, no. Can you approach the project? You must be aggressive and be confident. Say no. Do you want to know? Can you fight? How strong are you?

I met a man who was already married, and his parents didn't like me as a second wife, but I was now pregnant and I didn't have money. But I do my best, selling even a little thing to support my family. You must know how to fight, how to defend yourself. I can see some of them; they are strong. Some of them can become Akashinga rangers.

What? Most of the quarters, that mean so they think we are not strong. They were saying, "You ladies, you cannot arrest us." They were saying, "When you become Akashinga, I'm going to burn your house. I'm going to rape you. I'm going to destroy your family." I feel it in my heart when I see you disturbing or approaching or hunting my animals, then I'll show you. I'll catch you. I love my elephants like my children, so I must protect them as I'm protecting my children.

Without protection in these areas, elephants would continue to be slaughtered. They would become extinct. But as they kill elephants, bush, they want the tusks, the ivory. People from the villages sometimes give us information if there is someone who is pushing the animals. A red is dangerous for us. When you see a gun, you tell us that the gun is used to kill the elephant. It means you are a killer.

8,000 elephants were killed in the 16 years prior to our arrival, hurt by fires, shot, poisoned, snared. Those women with the arrests that they've made have been able to break over those syndicates and drive a downturn in elephant poaching across this entire landscape. The women are now the leaders. I'm expendable; they're the ones taking this program forward.

For so long, we've been blinded by our egos from seeing the most powerful force in nature, and that's a woman's instinct to protect. This job is a dangerous job, so you must sacrifice your life to be a single lady—Akashinga ladies. There must be one group, one family. Wait! As a team, work as their group, help each other, support each other. We become sisters.

I'll teach you to fight back! I'll teach you to disappear! I'll teach you to use your power! I can see there are some brave ones inside this group. I'm so excited to tell them they are now accepted to be Akashinga rangers. Two things we asked for is character and spirit, and then we can teach you how to fight. So long as you have those things, and you all have them, stronger than I've ever seen anywhere.

So everybody, congratulations on becoming an Akashinga trainee ranger. I'm going to read the Akashinga oath. So as I'm reading, I want you to repeat after me. Is it clear?

Yes! I fight to use my skills and training. I want to use my skills and training to protect these animals, to protect this land, and in this mission, in this region, I'm prepared to give my life. I prepare to give my life. This is my duty. This is my duty.

You are now—today we are hundreds; tomorrow is going to be thousands and thousands. I'll teach you to be brave! I'll teach you to survive! I'll teach you to be Akashinga!

So... Hey! [Applause]