• Showing the way in a male-dominated world

GISELA Kimario is among five senior assistant commissioners and 12 assistant commissioners who were awarded the titles by Commander-in-Chief President Samia Suluhu Hassan on April 9.

He was among those who gained professional knowledge and specialized training and then was crowned by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, retired Major General Hamisi Semfuko on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Gisela, a Senior Assistant Commissioner of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) after being awarded the title, was appointed Lake District Conservation Commander.

The position makes Gisela the first and only woman in the position of Regional Commanders on the part of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

He says his service began decades at the Department of Wildlife, a department that was established during the colonial period.

Four years after he was hired and he was appointed as the manager of the former Akiba Burigi, Biharamulo and Kimisi in the region of Wajir.

She said the appointment also made her the first and only woman to serve as a wildlife manager since the establishment of the Wildlife Department and later the establishment of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

Gisela began his employment in the conservation sector as a wildlife officer in 2005 and was assigned to work as a tourist desk in the Burigi, Biharamulo and Kimisi reserves.

According to Gisela at the time she started work she was the only woman among the more than 30 workers working in the fields.

"This shows that during that period women were a minority in the conservation industry... "It's because of the work environment being in the wild and involving the use of firearms to make the work seem more male," says Gisela.

But in that environment, she says she managed to work and even when they were hired other women and assigned to the facility they worked well in her footsteps.

Gisela says that during her service journey, in 2011 she was transferred to the Tanzania Wildlife Conservation Fund and worked as the Fund's Project Officer.

"I served in that position until I was transferred to work for the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority in 2019," says Gisela.

He says this is after the government made changes to the Department of Wildlife established by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

This authority was established to carry out the responsibilities of wildlife resources protection in all areas outside the National Parks and Ngorongoro National Park.

Julius Nyerere in one of his 1961 speeches was quoted in this famous quote of the Arusha Declaration as saying, "The life of wildlife is a matter for all of us in Africa, these wild creatures, when they are in the woods where they live not only for the sake of being stunned and attractive but also part of our natural resources and also the future of our lives. By accepting the guarantee of our wildlife we sincerely wish that we will do everything we can to ensure that our children's grandchildren will be able to enjoy this great and precious and rare heritage.

"The parks and all the wild areas require professional knowledge, specially trained staff and money. So we ask other nations to work with us in this important work, whose success or failure affects not only the African continent but the whole world as a whole.

Gisela says that after the establishment of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, the Wildlife Department remained responsible for policy and rehabilitation.

He says after being transferred to the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority he was tasked with coordinating the development of management plans for the areas managed by the Authority.

Gisela says the work has been done professionally and with great efficiency until he was appointed Senior Assistant Commissioner.

He says after being awarded the title he has been appointed as the Lake District Conservation Commander, one of the six regions managed by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority.

"I am very grateful to God for the rank and opportunity of appointment I have received as it is a special privilege," he notes.

According to Gisela, among the tasks he will have are to strengthen wildlife resource protection, relationships with citizens, various stakeholders and revenue collection from wildlife use activities in the region.

Gisela thanks President Samia for her continued appreciation of women's contribution and calls on women by saying: "Any work if you are determined, committed and trusting in God is possible regardless of gender."

Profession

Gisela has a Bachelor of Wildlife from the University of Dar es Salaam and a Master of Planning and Project Management from the University of Bradford in the UK.

She received secondary education at the Head Secondary School in Kilimanjaro and the Msalato Girls School in Dodoma.

Gisela is a wife and mother of two who strives to ensure her family and work responsibilities without one affecting the other.

In life outside of work he is active in entrepreneurship and also serving God at the Church of Tanzania Assemblies of God (TAG).