Akashinga The Brave Ones

Amy Davies discovers more about this striking image, which was nominated for World Press Photo of the Year 2019

- Brent Stirton

Brent Stirton is no stranger to the World Press Photo Awards, with his achievements now racking up double figures at the prestigious event.

This year, this image, taken from his Akashinga series was named winner of the Environment, Singles category and was also shortlisted for the overall World Press Photo of the Year prize. Not content with that, he also won the 1st Prize in the Nature, Stories category for a different set of images. Later, Akashinga also took second place in the Documentary category of the Sony World Photography Awards.

The Shona dialect word Akashinga translates as ‘The Brave Ones’, and documents a female-only ranger force. It is an arm of the nonprofit International Anti-Poaching Foundation, which is responsible for the management of the Phundundu Wildlife Area in Zimbabwe.

Measuring 115 square miles, the zone is a notorious former trophy-hunting area in the Zambezi Valley ecosystem. The aim of the force is to work with, rather than against, local populations for the long-term benefits of both their communities and the environment – the zone borders almost 30 different local communities.

The women of Akashinga come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with their work in the force empowering them, offering jobs and helping local people to benefit directly from the preservation of wildlife. The series was featured in the June 2019 issue of