“What a joyful evening I had? You know, you may know a number of brave women; I also know heroines who are committed and dedicated to preserve nature, breaking the barriers of ethnicity, language and religion. I know special people who are sacrificing their lives to conserve nature.
Heroine of my country, Ranger Fetiya Ousman, who is serving in the Babile Elephant Sanctuary, has won the annual International Rangers Award of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; (IUCN).
Congratulations to my countrywoman, Fetiya, who has been in service for the past 14 years with an affinity for nature, with complete perseverance and love. And today, you have achieved this great victory. I am proud of you and your colleagues!”
This remark was taken from the social page of the renowned tourism and culture journalist Henok Seyoum. Henok expressed his joy in relation to the 2023 International Ranger Award that was given recently for rangers and ranger teams around the world to recognize the remarkable activities they carry out in protecting and conserving nature in all protected and conserved areas and wider land and seascapes. And Ranger Fetiya Ousman was one of the awardees.
According to the journalist, park ranger is a profession that has not been given much attention in our country even though it is one of the risky fields that takes the lives of many people. It is a field of career that separates families; and where hunger and thirst, misery and suffering are daily occurrences. “We have such heroes and heroines who are enthusiastic to conserve nature. Even if the country does not know them, the world has recognized and honored them for their contribution to the planet,” Henok remarked
True, in a situation, let alone to live freely, but even to walk for a few minutes in the areas is scary and risky that compels one to watch each and every of his/her moves cautiously, park rangers spend their lives making forests and the mountains their safe places. They reside there; and serve their country happily due to their love of nature.
No matter what, they are always there and carry out their role bravely being on the frontline. Be it in the heavy rainy season, or in the scorching heat, they are always there in conserving nature. Whether they are in pain or in some kind of unpleasant situation, rangers remain there to protect the natural world and conserve the planet, putting their lives at risk.
According to the report from the International Ranger Federation, 149 rangers died on duty over the last year. That is nearly a 50 percent increase over the previous year.
Therefore, the International Union for Conservation of Nature; (IUCN), realizing the risk the job poses on individual rangers and to encourage those people engaged in the profession, every year awards stewards for their incalculable contributions in protecting the planet
Recently, on the 26 July 2023, IUCN offered the annual International Rangers award for nine inspirational rangers and ranger teams, drawn from the six different continents.
As it is learnt, in this year’s 2023 IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) International Ranger Award program, five individual rangers and four ranger teams have got recognition and received awards in a virtual conference held in Geneva.
Amongst these awardees, Fetiya Ousman, an Ethiopian, was the one. Fetiya won the award in a competition, in which 140 contestants from fifty countries participated. In addition to Fetiya, Anton Mzimba, South African ranger, has also won the award, IUCN reported.
In its press release issued on 26, July, 2023, The IUCN announced that Fetiya Ousman was awarded for outstanding resoluteness and leadership, as a head ranger and a pioneer for gender equality.
“Fetiya Ousman effectively and successfully leads a team of 60 rangers addressing poaching, encroachment and human wildlife conflict in Babile Elephant Sanctuary; until recently she was the only female member of the team. She has overcome cultural and personal challenges throughout her career and has brought new approaches to peaceably addressing the threats faced by the Sanctuary,” the statement.
Her quick wit, attention to detail and loyalty to the office have endeared her to her colleagues, and her skilled, powerful communication and fight for gender equality have inspired more female rangers to join the team from the community, it further elaborated.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chair of the IUCN WCPA Capacity Development Thematic Group and Director of Protected Area Management at Re:wild, Michael Appleton said that the winners are also ambassadors for the 286,000 dedicated women and men in the global family of rangers, whose service should not be taken for granted.
Offering the award, Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that Fetiya, apart from beating all the challenges those rangers encountered, can register an outstanding performance and became an awardee of the international ranger. That is a great pride for the country, as the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) stated.
Underscoring the importance of encouraging rangers that are working to save the wild animals and their habitats in our country, Hailemariam said that the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation is preparing to hold an annual national ranger award competition starting from 2023/24 and to award the winners, in addition to the international one.
Congratulating Fetiya and expressing his happiness, Director General of EWCA, Kumera Wakjra, said that the Authority has worked tirelessly to make Fetiya win the award. He also promised to facilitate scholarship for Fetiya because it encourages other rangers to work committedly.
Mentioning that he has been working with the sanctuary since the past five years, GEF 6 project Head Argega Mekonnen, expressed his happiness for Fetiya Ousman for winning the International Rangers Award on behalf of the project. He also presented an award to the winning ranger.
Fetiya, the awardee, also expressed her happiness for winning the award. “Let the award also be for those rangers who are serving in the Babile Elephant Sanctuary and paying dearly as well as the surrounding community.
These prizes express recognition by the International Rangers Awards partners: the International Ranger Federation, Universal Ranger Support Alliance, Conservation Allies, Re:wild and the Global Tiger Initiative, it was learnt.
Including former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, senior officials from the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, partners and stakeholders, employees of the Authority, media personnel, invited guests and Fetiya, the winner, attended the virtual awarding ceremony.
The World Ranger Day is celebrated worldwide on July 31st to commemorate rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work rangers do to protect the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage. Ethiopia also observed the day in protected and conserved areas including in Alitash National Park and Simien Mountains National Park, with various events.
BY ELIZABETH MENGISTU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 3 AUGUST 2023
