John Kasaona

In his home of Namibia, John Kasaona is working on an innovative way to protect endangered animal species: giving nearby villagers (including former poachers) responsibility for caring for the animals. And it's working.

Namibia Most African stories today are about poverty, war, women or AIDS. This is a story of success.

Born and raised in the Kunene Region of Namibia, John grew up with a father who “poached” wildlife to put food on the table. In 1993, John became an assistant environmental officer with Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), a non-governmental organization that helps rural Namibians sustainably manage and benefit from local natural resources.

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Milking the Rhino examines the deepening conflict between humans and animals in an ever-shrinking world. It is the first major documentary to explore wildlife conservation from the perspective of people who live with wild animals. Shot in some of the world’s most magnificent locales, Rhino offers complex, intimate portraits of rural Africans at the forefront of community-based conservation: a revolution that is turning poachers into preservationists and local people into the stewards of their land.

The keynote address was by John Kasaona, assistant director of the NGO, Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC). The core of John's message was that for conservation to thrive, we have to involve the communities. Without their support, the efforts by the government and private sector cannot succeed.