About us
A Zimbabwean trust rooted in the community it serves
Tikobane Trust was established in 2018 to work alongside communities in and around Dete — not to deliver solutions to them, but to build them together.
Who we are
Community-led, locally staffed, accountable
Tikobane Trust is a registered Zimbabwean organisation (Reg No. 239/2018) based at 253 Soweto Township in Dete, Hwange district. We work with households, schools, community committees and traditional leadership across the Dete area and the wards bordering Hwange National Park.
Our work spans animal health and welfare, sustainable community development, youth and children's programmes, skills training, human-wildlife coexistence and environmental responsibility. These are not six separate projects — in a community living beside a national park, they are one interconnected reality.
Our team is drawn from the communities we serve. That matters practically: it means programmes are designed by people who understand the constraints, and it means accountability is immediate and personal.
- Established
- 2018
- Registration
- Reg No. 239/2018
- Based in
- Dete, Matabeleland North
Our mission
To improve livelihoods, promote animal welfare and empower young people in and around Dete, and to create sustainable, community-owned solutions for living alongside wildlife.
Our vision
Resilient communities in Matabeleland North where households prosper, animals are cared for, young people have real opportunity, and people and wildlife coexist safely.
Our approach
Community-led development, not delivery to communities
The difference is not rhetorical. It changes who sets the priority, who holds the budget conversation and who is still there in year three.
- 01
Listen first
Communities identify the priority and define what success would look like.
- 02
Plan together
Activities, roles and responsibilities are agreed with community structures.
- 03
Build capacity
Training and mentorship stay local so knowledge does not leave with us.
- 04
Review honestly
Results — including failures — are reviewed with participants and published.
Our values
Six commitments that guide our decisions
Community
Communities set the priorities. We work alongside them, not ahead of them.
Compassion
Dignity for people and welfare for animals guide how we act, not just what we deliver.
Sustainability
We build for what remains after the funding cycle closes.
Education
Knowledge shared locally outlasts any single intervention.
Collaboration
Lasting change happens through partnership, never in isolation.
Coexistence
People and wildlife share this landscape. Both must be able to thrive.
Our story
How Tikobane has grown since 2018
Milestones below are indicative and are being confirmed with the Trust's records.
2018
Tikobane Trust established
Registered in Zimbabwe as Reg No. 239/2018, founded to serve communities in and around Dete.
2019
First community programmes
Animal health outreach and community development activities begin with local households.
2021
Youth programmes expanded
Boys & Girls Clubs and youth skills training grow to reach more schools and wards.
2024
New partnerships
Collaboration deepens with conservation, veterinary and development organisations.
2026
Scaling coexistence work
Human-wildlife coexistence becomes a dedicated programme strand alongside Hwange communities.
Community-led change needs people behind it
Whether you give, volunteer, mentor or partner with us, you make the next season of work possible for households in and around Dete.