African Environmental Film Foundation - AEFF Audience: Who benefits from AEFF films?

AEFF's Audience

The following groups of people, communities and organisations benefit directly from the availability of AEFF films:

Rural communities across Africa, especially in areas not suited to pastoralism and agriculture, are getting a new insight into their wildlife, and are gaining access to new ideas for building a better livelihood based on conservation-based enterprises. This in turn improves their economic ability to help themselves. Information disseminated through AEFF’s films is available to all sectors of society, including those people who have not had access to a formal education and who are illiterate.

Urban communities are developing a new understanding of how they, as the primary consumers, rely on and affect the natural resources of their country. Despite seldom coming into contact with wildlife, urban dwellers are benefiting from it through the multiple industries generated as a result of the tourist trade. AEFF’s films highlight this connection. This is a section of society, which is rapidly becoming more concerned about the environmental crisis affecting them directly. They are becoming an important target for our distribution network.

The East African region as a whole (and beyond) is benefiting both in the long and short term by realising the financial, security and ecological benefits of maintaining a healthy environment and conserving wildlife, a unique and valuable self-sustaining resource.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), government departments responsible for wildlife conservation, are benefiting from the publicity gained on the international stage through AEFF’s films. Education Centres within the National Parks have access to AEFF’s films as teaching tools. The films are of particular benefit to Community Wardens whose job it is to educate people living in proximity to the National Parks and wildlife about the benefits of conservation.

Wildlife Clubs & other NGOs are relying more and more on AEFF’s films as an appealing and interesting way to inspire more people to join the conservation effort. The films increase people’s appreciation and understanding of biodiversity, and its importance.

Schools and other Educational Institutions have access to AEFF’s films, adding a new dimension to the limited conservation education currently available. AEFF now receives requests for films on a regular basis. Once AEFF has ascertained that anyone requesting films does have the equipment to show the films, they make copies available for free. Some village and community leaders have gone out and bought the necessary equipment as a result of having seen AEFF’s films. AEFF now supplies them with every film they make.

On an international level, AEFF’s films provide an interesting insight into the lives of people and wildlife in the developing world. Greater contentment among African people, as a result of increased prosperity through sustainable development projects (including conservation-based enterprises) will create more peaceful societies in Africa, and indirectly, a more secure international community. As global environmental problems grow, more people on the international stage show an interest in finding out the real problems in Africa.