Our Story
We Are The World Giraffe Alliance
It began with a feeling—loss, emptiness, and a future without direction. At 58, Michele Mattingly, a divorced schoolteacher climbing out of financial ruin, was searching for something that could lift her from sadness. On January 1, 2016, she made a bold decision: to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa.
Her guide was Kefas, a 30-year-old Tanzanian who loved his homeland, his mountain, and the wildlife he had grown up alongside. The day they met, Michele saw in him the eyes of her own son. By the third day, Kefas was calling her “mama.”
That week in November, there were no other climbers. Michele and Kefas, supported by a team of porters, took on the mountain alone. The seven days were filled with struggle, tears, and deep conversations. One night over supper, Kefas shared his heartbreak over the dramatic decline of giraffes across Africa. Little did he know, Michele’s love for giraffes had begun when she was just three years old. His words lit a fire inside her.
The climb ended, but the journey had only begun. Over the next three years, Michele and Kefas spent hours on Skype dreaming up a plan to protect giraffes. During that time, Kefas welcomed two more children, while Michele remarried and retired. Their conversations continued, until finally inspiration struck: they would build a giraffe sanctuary near the base of Kilimanjaro.
They had planned to begin in 2020, but the pandemic delayed everything. By 2023, things began to move forward. That year Michele officially founded The World Giraffe Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States and in April, she boarded a plane to visit Kefas and select a site for the sanctuary. When her flight was unexpectedly re-routed to Uganda, frustration turned to serendipity.
During her three-day delay in Uganda, Michele met Moureen, a single mother and educator, and Tomson, a giraffe specialist and father, both of whom worked at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Center. When they heard about the sanctuary plan, they were so inspired that they asked to join the project—and agreed to relocate to Tanzania.
Now there were four.
That same year, a generous donor contributed $5,000 to purchase land. With it, the team secured five acres for the preserve. Momentum was building.
Soon, others joined: a math teacher turned wildlife adventurer, an environmental filmmaker, and a public relations professional with a passion for animals.
Now we were seven.
In 2025, another Ugandan conservationist—then finishing his law degree in India—joined the team as our legal counsel.
Now we are eight.
Over just three years, we have purchased land, planted trees, installed a water line, and grown from two people with a vision into a diverse team of eight. Our shared passion for giraffes and Africa’s ecosystems drives us to reach for the next step, again and again.
Though we come from different corners of the world, our hearts and souls are united. We are a family working together to protect the planet’s tallest animal.
We are The World Giraffe Alliance.
Stopping the Silent Extinction
What is the Silent Extinction?
In just 30 years, 40% of the world’s giraffe population has disappeared. This drastic decline has been termed the "silent extinction," as it has received far less attention than the plight of elephants, rhinos, and other endangered species. Habitat destruction, illegal poaching, and trophy hunting continue to threaten giraffes, pushing them closer to the brink of extinction.
Giraffes' essential role
Giraffes play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity. As browsers, they help shape the landscape, spreading seeds and pruning trees, which supports the health of entire ecosystems. Their decline is not just a loss for their species—it disrupts the delicate balance of the environment, affecting countless other plants and animals that depend on them.
The cascade event
The rapid loss of giraffes is part of a much larger crisis: global biodiversity loss. Across the planet, species are vanishing at an alarming rate due to deforestation, climate change, and unsustainable human activities. As habitats shrink and temperatures rise, wildlife struggles to adapt, leading to cascading effects on food chains, ecosystems, and even human communities that rely on these natural systems for survival.
Giraffes need sanctuary
At The World Giraffe Alliance, we are taking urgent action by building a giraffe sanctuary in Tanzania, a protected space where these incredible animals can live and thrive without the threats of poaching and habitat destruction. By safeguarding giraffes, we are also protecting the broader ecosystem and supporting the communities that coexist with them.
Protecting giraffes is not just about saving one species—it’s about saving us all.
Help us Build Twiga Territory!
We at The World Giraffe Alliance are people just like you—individuals with day jobs, families, and everyday responsibilities, but with a deep passion for protecting giraffes and the wild spaces they call home. We know that real change happens when people come together, and we invite you to be part of this mission.
By joining The World Giraffe Alliance Task Force, you can help make Twiga Territory, our dedicated giraffe sanctuary, a reality. Your donation of just $30 a month (one dollar a day) will directly support the creation of a safe haven where giraffes can live in safety.
Stay engaged with our cause by subscribing to The Twiga Times Newsletter, where you’ll receive conservation updates, giraffe facts, and ways to get involved.
Together, we can turn the tide on the silent extinction and create a lasting legacy for giraffes.