SOWILD is a grassroots association set up to support communities and indigenous peoples in the sustainable management of wildlife and forest resources on which they depend for their livelihoods, therefore contributing to conservation goals and the maintenance of traditional ways of life.

The Association has set itself the following specific objectives:

To Support local communities:

• in managing their wildlife and forests on the basis of traditional and scientific knowledge;
• in consolidating individual local businesses or cooperatives for productive sustainable activities (agricultural products, non-timber forest products, timber, sustainable sources of energy, handicrafts, aquaculture products, etc.);
• in linking local productive initiatives to new market possibilities through improved processing and innovative marketing;
• in promoting, consolidating and ensuring the transmission of local knowledge related to wildlife and forests;
• in securing sustainable financing to support the conservation efforts of local communities

Since 2014, our members have been involved in research and implementation of wildlife-related activities in the Tshopo Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, through various initiatives. In 2023, our founding members decided to set up SOWILD in response to the increased need to empower local communities in conservation and support their technical capacities to manage their wildlife and forest resources in the context of a changing world.