Each year, 6 KfW Stiftung Fellows take part in the FSS. Together with the other participants, trainers and experts, they develop a conservation project idea during the course. A jury representing five FSS partner organisations selected the three KfW Stiftung Fellows who will receive funding to bring their projects to life. This year’s grants go to Tanzania, Honduras and Fiji!

Manfredo, from Honduras, works with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Honduras in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, one of Central America’s largest remaining tropical forest landscapes, rich in biodiversity and home to Indigenous communities.

His project focuses on protecting a truly remarkable species: the giant anteater. With its distinctive long snout and specialized diet of ants and termites, it plays an important role in maintaining the balance of forest ecosystems.

In Honduras, the species occurs at the northern edge of its global range and is increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and other human pressures. At the same time, there is still limited data on its distribution and the challenges it faces, making effective conservation difficult.

Manfredo’s project addresses this by working closely with Indigenous communities and local partners to better understand where giant anteaters occur and how they can be protected. By combining scientific monitoring methods with traditional knowledge, he aims to strengthen community-led conservation and support long-term protection efforts.

Looking ahead, Manfredo hopes to see the gradual return of giant anteaters to parts of their former landscape. For indigenous communities such as the Miskito, the species has deep spiritual significance and is known as the ‘spirit of the forest’, representing well-preserved forests.

Manfredo’s passion for conservation and his connection to the landscapes he works in are at the heart of his project, and we look forward to following his journey.

A big congratulations to Manfredo on this fantastic achievement! 👏

 

Each year, 6 KfW Stiftung Fellows take part in the FSS. Together with the other participants, trainers and experts, they develop a conservation project idea during the course. A jury representing five FSS partner organisations selected the three KfW Stiftung Fellows who will receive funding to bring their projects to life. This year’s grants go to Tanzania, Honduras and Fiji!

Fredrick, from TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks), works with chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains National Park. His project addresses a key challenge: the main habituated chimpanzee group has reached its tourism capacity. As the animals become more accustomed to humans, they come closer to visitors – increasing the risk of disease transmission, as chimpanzees are highly vulnerable to human illnesses.

To tackle this, Fredrick aims to strengthen biosecurity measures and habituate a second chimpanzee group. This will reduce the time each group spends with visitors, limit close interactions, and prevent the animals from becoming too used to humans, while carefully increasing visitor numbers. By doing so, his project not only safeguards chimpanzees but also supports local communities whose livelihoods depend on tourism – linking conservation outcomes directly with economic benefits.

Fredrick’s enthusiasm for these remarkable animals is truly unmatched – and if you meet him, you’ll likely hear countless fascinating facts about chimpanzees and their striking similarities to humans.

We’re excited to follow the development of this project in the coming years.

Congratulations, Fredrick: a truly well-deserved achievement! 👏