Akashinga "The Brave Ones"
Founder of Akashinga, military-trained sniper Damien Mander lives on a vegan diet along with all of his female rangers. Mander first turned to veganism when he felt the "hypocrisy" of protecting one group of animals and coming home and eating another. The team members have embraced the change. Field rangers say, "It's great... we don't miss meat at all and we're mentally and physically stronger by choosing to adopt this diet". A nutritious diet is vital for the work being done, as training for Akashinga is modeled around strenuous special-forces training. While working with rather than against the local population, the aim is to protect wildlife and their habitat. The project provides an alternative to poaching and at the same time, empowers women and supports local communities.