In March 2022, after years of preparation, Friends of Bonobos of the Congo returned 14 bonobos to the wild in the Democratic Republic of Congo! It’s just the second time in history the endangered great ape has been rewilded. Both times, it was done by Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo.
Watch the video to see how we did it!
(And if you’re not signed up to receive the whole video series, please click the box below. )
Kendra is a creative problem-solver who excels in leading end-to-end project delivery with a focus on clear goals and timely execution. She provides support to FOB’s development and communications teams and serves as assistant to the Executive Director. Originally from Panamá, Kendra is an avid traveler. She is proud to support bonobo conservation not only for the well-being of bonobos but also because it helps protect our planet.
Njango has worked in climate action and environment conservation for four years. She supports FOB through donor communications, data analysis, research, and outreach. Njango has been a fan of wildlife conservation since her visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy as a young girl, where she saw the beauty of elephants, and how their home was threatened because of human interference. She strongly believes that the only way to achieve true utopia is to live in harmony with animals.
Amanda makes connections with FOB’s major donors. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for her entire career and found her passion for animal rights and conservation as a volunteer fundraiser for a local dog rescue. She finds that FOB coalesces multiple causes – environmental, animal rights, and community engagement. While protecting bonobos first drew her to FOB, she’s learned how we, as humans, are connected to the environment and to the bonobos that we strive to protect.
Kathleen Cook brings more than eight years of experience working across Africa, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she has traveled over twenty times to support projects spanning conservation, clean energy, and community development. Her career has centered around using storytelling, strategic marketing, and relationship-building to create meaningful impact.
With a background in marketing management, Kathleen has led social media strategy, donor engagement campaigns, and grant writing efforts for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Her work has included developing fundraising appeals, overseeing content creation, managing media partnerships, and coordinating brand activations—from small grassroots initiatives to global campaigns for companies like Microsoft, BMW, and Target.
Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Travel and Tourism from Clemson University and continues her professional development through French studies at Central Piedmont Community College. She is passionate about connecting people to purpose-driven work and is committed to amplifying the voices of those working to protect the bonobos and the Congo rainforest.
Candor has a background in and passion for community-based forest conservation. She builds relationships with individuals and institutions to support our holistic approach to bonobo conservation. Previously, Candor worked in women’s health, alternative education program development in North Carolina and Ecuador, and leadership coaching. She loves working for and within intact matriarchies!
Ariel has devoted much of her life to community building and organizing around a cause, and has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, management, and activism. She brings an entrepreneurial mindset and creative problem-solving to her role, enhanced by having lived, worked, and studied all over the world. Upon joining Friends of Bonobos in 2018, Ariel created and executed FOB’s first strategic development plan and succeeded in nearly doubling revenue in the first year. She continues to think big and is focused on growing FOB’s revenue, capacity, and reach.
In 2020, Ariel was named to the University of Edinburgh Business School’s list of 100 distinguished alumni. She was selected from among 17,000 EUBS graduates over the school’s 100-year history for having made a significant impact in her field, demonstrating what can be achieved and serving as an inspiration for current students. Previously, Ariel served as Executive Director of Go Conscious Earth and Development Director for Congo Education Partners, both nonprofit organizations working in the DR Congo.
Through her leadership, Go Conscious Earth brought clean water to over 30,000 people while protecting rainforest and wildlife. Prior to working in nonprofits, Ariel founded a niche video production company with clients ranging from international globe-trotters to 5-star Generals to Robert De Niro. Ariel has a BA in Communications from the University of Auckland and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Edinburgh.
