This case study examines the design and delivery of an illegal wildlife trade (IWT) awareness campaign developed under the UNDP-GEF-USAID project "Reducing Maritime Trafficking of Wildlife between Africa and Asia." The campaign responded to a specific problem: port workers being targeted for recruitment by criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking.
Developed with WildAid, the "Join Our Team! Defend Our Wildlife" campaign targeted workers along the cargo transport supply chain at seaports in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Mombasa, as well as Kampala dry port and its inland container depots. Using football as a unifying theme, it aimed to build pride, collective responsibility, and active participation in combating wildlife crime among port stakeholders, young people, and those connected to port workers. International football stars served as campaign ambassadors to help shift attitudes and engage audiences.
