Internship
Melindika | 2018

From March to April 2018, I spent two month volunteering for Melindika association. This experience was definitely too short but full of incredible meetings in a completely wild environment. Melindika association supports livestock farming and rural development through community-driven approaches.”Melindika” comes from Mellivora capensis (the honey badger) and Indicator indicator (honeyguide bird) that share a mutualism interaction. The bird help the badger to find hives, and the badger opens it with its claws, eating the honey, while the indicator feeds on the wax and larvae. This mutualism is one of the key value of this association and represents cooperation between North and South countries, veterinary and human medicine, agriculture and livestock, between human and wildlife.

During two weeks, I had the privilege to assist Victoire, veterinarian and president of the association. Then, I had the opportunity to be hosted by Boyd Kasama, an incredible in a village near Itezhi thezi. The local villagers rely on two key ressources: their cows, kept in enclosures known as [bomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boma_(enclosure), and maize crops. However, these resources often attract lions and elephants from the neighboring Kafue National Park.

During my stay, I had the opportunity to meet several farmers and discuss their livestock management practices. From these conversations, we brainstormed potential ideas to build better bomas and better protect their animals from these wildlife threats.

Living in this extraordinary environment was an unforgettable experience, but what truly enriched my time there was the chance to connect with the wonderful people I met.

Melindika embodies a philosophy I deeply admire: it is led by local people, for the benefit of local communities, with a central mission of safeguarding animal welfare. Here is an intervention (in french) by Victoire that beautifully illustrates this concept.