Mission lift off: It takes a village to raise an activist
By Jamie Joseph
As I write this blog I’m up in the air, flying at an altitude of 12000 metres, three hours into a 36 hour long journey back to Africa, my Motherland. This time last night I was breaking bread with some of my dearest friends in New Zealand, sharing tales of the wild, and banking promises that next year they will buy a ticket to the greatest show on earth.
My friends are a colourful tapestry of nationalities and backgrounds; artists, inventors, sustainability pioneers, mothers and fathers trying their best to raise good humans. And we all have one thing in common; a deep passion for nature, that thing that connects us all.
My treasured friend Tracy once told me that she lives her dream through me. Half way through last year, when I set out on the 2014 Africa fact finding mission, she handed me a letter which I carry with me always, and on my darkest days I borrow courage from her words. There is the expression, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, and I think that can be true too for activists.
I suppose I am a natural born activist; as a child I was always trying to save something, usually stray dogs and cats, or injured birds, or the kids getting picked on by the school bully. In my twenties I was a high risk entrepreneur making silly money and willing to put it all on the line for that blue sky dream. I tapped into the power of music to bring people of different skin colours together and drive social change in South Africa, but the biz part of the music business can sometimes be a black hole that literally sucks the soul out of you.
And then in 2011, after losing everything that ever mattered to me, I ran away to a remote island in Indonesia. Three months later I was struck with malaria, and with only a few tainted dollar bills left to my name, the locals around me living in absolute poverty all chipped in and saved my life. Nearly dying was the best thing that ever happened to me, because when I finally woke up I knew what it was I was really fighting for. Everything else just became excess baggage.
Before I touch down in Africa – location is a surprise until I post my next blog – I feel it’s time for me to tell the story behind the story. About 18 months ago I launched Saving the Wild, a platform to interview global thought leaders engaged in Africa’s poaching crisis, and an uncensored space for me to post the stories I write from the frontline. People often think that because of the people I associate with, and the way I conduct my business, that I must have an office, and investors, and someone must be paying the bills. Well the truth is, I live on air.
Photo: Jamie Joseph @ Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, Africa Mission 2014.
I exhausted all my savings not long after I completed my last Africa mission in February of this year, and have literally been living out of the boot of my car ever since. When I am not house sitting my friends make sure I have a roof over my head and food on the table, and the only reason I am even on this plane right now is because of the kindness and generosity of strangers.
Even though Saving the Wild is a registered charitable trust, I have never shared these details or asked for donations. I never wanted to draw attention and much needed dollars away from the NGOs and the incredible conservationists that I write about, because clearly they need it more than I do. But there have been Global Citizens that have followed my work, and have in recent weeks taken it upon themselves to raise money to fund my Africa travel. Such as Lisa and the ladies at John’s Pharmacy in Tauranga (east coast NZ) that raised just over $2000. And Joey, a striving student with a huge heart that donated $1000 to my trip.
Contour have sponsored all my action camera gear, so expect to see some very unique video angles, and Augusto based in Auckland, with clients that include the All Blacks and Adidas, are doing the editing of the web video series, all pro bono!
My heart is so full right now with the moral support from all of those that continue to give me wings, and I will not let them down. I will not let any of you down that continue to answer to the call of the wild by sharing stories that drive positive change.
Photo: Jamie Joseph and Helen Clark, Administrator of the UNDP @ TEDxAuckland 2013.
Saving the Wild is all consuming, however I do occasionally pick up paid writing work, so long as it’s something I really do believe in. Tomorrow I have an exclusive cover story coming out in New Zealand Herald’s ELEMENT Magazine, an interview with Helen Clark, the United Nation’s leading lady, about ‘the greatest challenges facing humanity’. Helen and I did of course discuss the poaching crisis, but I’ve decided to shelve that, for now. This exclusive does however discuss Africa, poverty, food and water challenges, climate change and inequality, and it is an urgent reminder that nothing is separate.
When I touch down in Africa my aunty will be picking me up from the airport, and I’ll have one night with my family before I head out into the bush. I am so excited about this mission, not just because I am returning to the wild – the place I call home – but because these upcoming assignments symbolize hope and progress, because, at its best, it will become a global showcase for a better way of doing conservation in Africa. Because even though the war on poaching is a war on greed, the weakest link is in fact poverty. And poverty will continue to drive poaching and conflict until we all realize that to save our magnificent elephants and rhinos from extinction we actually have to save the humans first.
Please stick with me along this journey as I shadow rangers and scientists, legends and future eco-warriors. I’m counting on all of you to help us spread ideas that really do matter.
Thank you.
Jamie x
Photo: Sand art by Jamie Harkins ‘rhino on the edge of extinction’ – Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, July 2015.
Mission: Solving poverty saves wildlife
Starting 1 August, Saving the Wild’s upcoming 14 week mission is to seek and deliver solutions to Africa’s poaching crisis, and produce a rolling narrative of successful community conservation stories and sustainable tourism ventures. Africa’s wild is brutal poetry that has a way of unstitching every adventurer who dares to breathe in its shuddering life force.
But it’s time for a new story.
Saving Africa’s last wild places is as much about humans as it is about animals. Poverty will continue to be an exploitable phenomenon until the world wakes up and starts investing in both people and planet. We need to keep sharing stories that matter until eventually it becomes part of business DNA in Africa – because what is good for African people is good for Africa’s wild.
Duration: August, September, October, November 2015.
Locations: Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa + more TBA.
Phase 1: Storytelling on location, usually two week assignments, with a new story thread released every few days.
Phase 2: Editing begins in December on the ‘Solving poverty saves wildlife’ web video series, linking back through to stories written on assignment. Whilst on location at writing assignments, video footage will be captured on Contour, creating a non invasive and intimate portrayal of life in the African bush and surrounding communities.
Phase 3: 2016 and beyond…
Projects and opportunities for growth will be sought out in the second half of 2015 while I am on assignment. Over the course of 2016 Saving the Wild will raise funds through social enterprise and targeted fundraising on a per project basis; such as building a water well or a school for the local community, a medical clinic, up-skilling of rangers, support programmes for women and children, and contributing to the creation of alternative incomes for rural poachers such as agriculture, bee keeping and renewable energy.
Saving the Wild is built on systems thinking and scalable design, harnessing leverage points to create rocket fuel change. In early 2016 we will launch a ‘spare capacity’ initiative, sending over shipping containers or large freight to Africa, starting with medical supplies. As an active member of the TED community and the official storyteller for TEDxAuckland, the largest TEDx event in the world, I’m very lucky to spend time with people that are literally ‘outsmarting poverty’. Check out this 2015 TEDx talk with Janette Searle discussing the ‘spare capacity’ business model.