The Akatia Team
Women and men of the field, driven by a common conviction: to protect primates and the forest at all costs.
Management & coordination
Estelle Raballand
Co-founder & Director
Passionate about conservation, Estelle co-founded Akatia in 2017 after being shaken by the death of Nemley Junior. She leads the organization and is present on the ground in Côte d'Ivoire.
eraballand@akatia.orgSarah Crawford
Co-founder
Sarah co-created Akatia with the conviction that adapted rehabilitation facilities for primates could and should exist in Côte d'Ivoire. Her expertise nurtures the NGO's scientific protocols.
Sarani
Coordinator
Sarani coordinates Akatia's activities and connects the NGO's teams, partners and projects.
coordinatrice@akatia.orgField team
The caregivers
Primate rehabilitation
Our caregivers are the daily guardians of the primates. They live on-site in the forest, in basic conditions, to ensure the monitoring, feeding and rehabilitation of the animals.
The rangers — BSSI
Forest protection
Trained by the NGO C.R.O.W, the rangers of the Special Surveillance and Intervention Brigade patrol daily in our two forests to defend biodiversity.
The field researcher
Scientific monitoring
Based in the Yapo-Abbé forest, he monitors wild chimpanzee groups, deploys camera traps and trains former hunters in wildlife protection.
Yapo-Abbé coordinator
Camp coordination
Based in Yapo-Abbé, he coordinates camp activities and supports the teams working in the field.
Board of directors
Board of directors
Akatia International governance
The board oversees the governance of the French non-profit Akatia International and supports Akatia's work in Côte d'Ivoire.
Want to join the team?
Whether in the field or as a remote volunteer, your commitment is valuable.