UGANDA’S PATRICK AGABA’S WORK RECOGNIZED AS HE IS NAMES AS 2019 WINNER OF THE DAVID SHEPHERD WILDLIFE FOUNDATION CONSERVATION CHAMPION AWARD
(Posted 22nd November 2019)
Patrick Agaba has been announced as the winner of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Conservation Champion Award 2019.
The award, launched in 2017 to commemorate DSWF’s founder David Shepherd, aims to commend unsung global heroes of conservation. Patrick was one of five shortlisted candidates nominated for the award, and after an exciting few weeks of online voting, he was announced winner at the annual David Shepherd Wildlife Ball at the Dorchester Hotel in London last Friday the 15th November.
Patrick is the Projects Manager at Uganda Conservation Foundation, a role he has excelled at for the last fourteen years. His dedication, hard work, integrity and loyalty have proved instrumental in the Recovery of Murchison Falls Programme and other projects for UCF. He has a long list of accomplishments including ensuring relationships between UWA and communities are strong, helping to reduce elephant crop raiding and supporting UWA ranger training with the US and UK military, and UNODC training teams.
Founded by renowned wildlife artist and conservationist, David Shepherd FRSA CBE, the DSWF has supported conservation in Uganda through UCF for over 15 years. The Recovery of Murchison Falls programme has seen UWA successfully support a dramatic rise in wildlife numbers and so tourism.
Patrick will receive the £1000 prize, which Patrick has said is a wonderful surprise and will be used to pay for his children’s school fees.
Edison Nuwamanya, UWA’s Chief Park Warden of Murchison Falls describes Patrick as ‘one of the most honourable and hardworking people you’ll ever meet’. He is also one of the main reasons why so many programmes have been so successful. On behalf of all of us in Murchison Falls, we are delighted he won.’
The award for Patrick Agaba is of course also a recognition of the work done over the past many years by the Uganda Conservation Foundation and speaks volumes about Uganda’s own commitment to wildlife conservation, being the key partner and beneficiary of UCF’s programmes and projects.
UCF’s projects are in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley National Parks. UCF supports the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) by providing training for rangers, infrastructure development and provision of equipment. Furthermore, UCF works with park-adjacent communities to develop lasting solutions to human-wildlife conflict and to provide sustainable alternative livelihood options.
To find out more about the organization please visit https://ugandacf.org/
From ATCNews it is a very cheerful congratulations to Patrick and UCF on this very special occasion.
