Tofauti was founded by Crista Cullen MBE
Crista grew up in Kenya – surrounded by its natural habitat, its local people and its wildlife – deeply aware of both its beauty and its fragility. Having gone to school in England through her teenage years, Crista fell in love with sport – becoming an elite level hockey player and ultimately winning Olympic Gold in Rio as part of the GB team.
Crista founded Tofauti to bring her two worlds together.
Her belief in the power of teamwork – built through the highs and lows of a 15-year international hockey career.
Her deep understanding of the challenges facing Africa’s animal and human populations – the place she grew up and the place she still calls home.
Tofauti means difference in Swahili.
We’re now a small but growing team. Diverse in our backgrounds, experiences and skill sets. United in our goal, To come together to make a difference for Africa’s wildlife and communities.
So together we make tofauti.
Human-wildlife co-existence
Africa is a place of constant battles. As the human population grows at pace, their demand for land is constantly increasing – land for dwellings, subsistence farming and livestock grazing. This means the wild animals who have roamed the land for generations are being forced to compete for spaces they are used to calling their own. Crops are raided. Livelihoods are destroyed. People are hurt. And animals are killed in retaliation. At Tofauti we believe working with the local people is the only way to help humans and animals find ways to co-exist and thrive together.
Wildlife protection
At the heart of Tofauti’s DNA is the protection of wildlife. We appreciate that every area faces its own challenges – from bush meat trade to deforestation, disease from domestic animal interaction to drought, and in the worst cases, illegal poaching. At Tofauti we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all fixes. Instead we go deep into each situation – building the understanding and the alliances to create bespoke, long-term solutions. And we ensure local people are engaged and involved in sustaining them.
Infrastructure and habitat
Protecting Africa’s wildlife is hugely reliant on having the structures and provisions to enable industry in the most remote locations.The need for scout accommodation, road maintenance, water holding areas, electric fencing and crucial wildlife corridors is vast.Tofauti works with trusted partners on the ground to ensure that these crucial underpinnings can continue to be put in place, and that they are planned, managed and measured to the highest standards.
Fundraising strategy and advice support.
