Aurora Malene elected President of the Gorongosa Restoration Project.
Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 – The Gorongosa Restoration Project (“GRP”) is a public-private partnership between the Government of Mozambique and the US non-profit Carr Foundation, led by an Oversight Committee. Mr. Mohamed Harun and Mr. Greg Carr represent the parties on the Oversight Committee.
The GRP collaboratively manages Gorongosa National Park with the Ministry of Land and Environment and supports the Ministries of Education, Health and Agriculture in a Sustainable Development Zone (SDZ) surrounding the park, covering over 600,000 hectares. The SDZ hosts a population of more than 200,000 people.
The Board elected Aurora Malene as President of the GRP. Aurora’s impressive career spans over 25 years in development finance and commercial banking. Throughout her career, she has occupied various board and committee chair positions, prioritising environmental, social, and good governance values and effective risk management.
Aurora Malene, President, Gorongosa Restoration Project
Aurora demonstrates a successful track record in project management and fundraising. Aurora holds a master’s degree in development finance from Stellenbosch University and a certification in project management from the University of Cape Town.
The Board’s responsibility is to ensure best practices within the GRP across emploment, gender equity, environmental stewardship, community development and financial policy. The Board will ratify the GRP’s annual budget and action plan, developed by the senior management team. At the end of the financial year, the Board will conduct a comprehensive review of the financial results and other requisite documents, as mandated by law, sharing its findings with the Oversight Committee. This board’s report shall be made available to all GRP stakeholders.
In addition to Ms. Malene, the other members of the GRP Board include:
•Claudia Sucá, Country Manager for Flora & Fauna.
•Henrique Banze, Executive Director of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation.
•Mateus Mutemba, Executive Director of Karingani Reserve.
•Michelle Lawrence, previous director in the resources and community development sector.
•Miguel Chaves, Director of Tensai Industria and Executive Director of Inspired Orbit.
•Terezinha da Silva, social activist and researcher focusing on human rights.
MISSION and VISION
The GRP protects one of the most important biodiversity reservoirs in the world, the southern end of Africa’sGreat Rift Valley – from the Zambezi River to the Pungue River – including Mt. Gorongosa and the eastern and western shoulders of the Rift. This biodiversity-rich region is a world treasure. It will benefit humans for centuries and millennia to come. We are a source of nature-based economic development for the communities who share the greater ecosystem of the Park, and we are a model for sustainable development in Africa.
About the Gorongosa Restoration Project
The Gorongosa Restoration Project seeks to integrate conservation and human development with the understanding that a healthy ecosystem will benefit humans, who in turn will be motivated to support the objectives of Gorongosa National Park.For more information about the Gorongosa Restoration Project or to schedule an interview with someone involved in the Project, please contact Vasco Galante by WhatsApp (+258 82 297 0010) or email (vasco@gorongosa.net).For general information, please visit our website at www.gorongosa.org. You may follow the daily activities of Gorongosa National Park here: https://www.facebook.com/gorongosa/