Chronixx does it for Africa
Grammy-nominated reggae artiste Chronixx is billed alongside a string of international personalities for a virtual fund-raiser to benefit african wildlife rangers.
Chronixx is the only Jamaican on the event dubbed Endangered Rangers, which airs today on the various social media platform pages of The African Community & Conservation Foundation (ACCF).
“I stand with and on the behalf of the young Rastafari community of the world, especially on behalf of the CHOR foundation here in Jamaica. We send our love and support to the rangers out there in Africa, who stand at the heart of humanity and the heart of the preservation of our natural life as human beings and for many creatures. One of the things about being human is about using your strength and using your power of unity to bring about balance in creation. We really extend our support by way of our talent and in every single way possible.”
“Chronixx has one of the most caring and sharing hearts which is evident from the amazing work he continuously does not only for the people of Jamaica through his CHOR Foundation’s mission and purpose — but he also understands the current need for the plight of the people and the wildlife that are being affected by the pandemic!” said Brady Forseth, CEO of the ACCF.
Among those joining Chronixx to raise funds and awareness are two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou; serial entrepreneur and Shark Tank favourite Daymond John; Emmy Award-winner
Debra Messing; actress Loretta Swit, Sheikh Abdul Aziz known as the “Green Sheikh”, British fine art photographer David Yarrow, Chief Jim Ogimaa, and eleven-year-old animal advocate, Kate Gilman Williams.
Multi-platinum recording artist and former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will be performing a song from her new album, Cider & Hennessy.
Helping the rangers during the pandemic means saving the lives of thousands of endangered species as COVID-19 has accelerated the already ominous threats to their preservation. Endangered Rangers: A Virtual Fundraiser for African Wildlife & Their Human Protectors is the united effort of two game-changing conservation organisations who immediately shifted their efforts toward mitigating the economic hardships faced by the conservation community and restoring support for wildlife protection operations.
The loss of conservation revenue, up to 90 per cent in Eastern and Southern Africa, is crippling ranger livelihoods and creating security issues. The reduction in ranger patrols and visitors draws out brazen poachers putting more animals at risk, accelerating already unbelievable timelines for the eradication of key species, and derailing the considerable progress made in wildlife conservation. There has been an exponential increase in reports of poaching incidents, bushmeat seizures, and wire snares.
In an effort to counteract the domino effect COVID-19 has triggered, proceeds from the event will go towards forward-looking organisations developing innovative, scalable, and effective anti-poaching initiatives — the African Community & Conservation Foundation in partnership with the Grumeti Fund and The Malilangwe Trust, and Zambezi Partners in partnership with Wild is Life. They were brought together through their shared mission to preserve African wildlife through the eradication of poaching using transformative community programmes and advanced technologies.
“The beneficiaries of Endangered Rangers represent African reserves at varying stages of technology deployment,” said Jenna Seiden, co-founder of Zambezi Partners. “Ranger intelligence is vital in the evolution of these anti-poaching solutions, which is why their health and safety is our first priority.”
The Endangered Rangers virtual fund-raiser will spotlight the specific challenges the coronavirus has added to anti-poaching operations in light of the fact that keystone species like the African elephant and lion are already being threatened with extinction within decades. And while the stories we will share highlight the severity of the situation on the ground in Africa, the event is meant to inspire hope and show a path forward.