Pictured/Photo credit: Vegan Chef Nicola Kagora Nicola Kagora—aka Chef Cola—is on a mission. Firstly, to see her fellow Zimbabweans embrace veganism as a lifestyle choice. Then to share her “African roots” vegan brand with the world. This being especially relevant given that she believes the plant-based vegan diet originated in Africa. Kagora, 30, who lived in New York City from age three to twelve with her then-diplomat mom and siblings, is based between Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare and “the middle of nowhere” which is no exaggeration. The curious second location makes sense when you learn that Kagora is executive chef, appointed to manage a bush kitchen and “feed” the Akashinga (“the brave ones”), Africa’s first armed all-women anti-poaching unit. Their mission? To restore to wilderness, a 115-square-mile former trophy hunting tract in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley ecosystem. And to not only protect the remaining animals—the region has lost thousands of elephants to poaching—but also to facilitate the financial upliftment (through tourism and in other ways) of impoverished communities that intersect with this vast wildlife tract. Pictured: The Akashinga (“the brave ones”), Africa’s first Armed All-Women Anti-Poaching Unit | Photo credit: Nicola Karago Kagora was brought on board by Damien Mander […]

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