The Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) proudly participated in the Collaborative Landscape Innovation Platform (CLIP) held from Thursday, 19 June to Friday, 20 June 2025, at the Marienfluss Conservancy in Namibia’s remote Kunene Region.

The forum brought together key stakeholders under the Skeleton Coast – Etosha Conservation Bridge (SCECB) initiative — a long-term landscape conservation and management programme.

In the dry, thorny landscape of Kunene North, where the midday sun scorches the earth and water is as precious as gold, three elderly men have taken it upon themselves to protect what little their community depends on—its gardens.
Niklas Tjauira, Kambanga Zaryama, and Unyonena Katupose are not trained wildlife rangers. They do not wear uniforms, nor do they carry radios or protective gear. What they have instead is courage born of necessity and a deep love for the land that raised them. Armed only with whistles, sticks, and the occasional torch or horn, they spend their nights watching over community gardens—small patches of green that feed their families and their neighbours.