Defending Ancestral Land Through Pastoralist Advocacy
PINGO's Forum is a coalition of over 50 Indigenous People’s organisations working in Tanzania for the rights of marginalized Indigenous pastoralists and Hunter-gatherers communities. It was established in 1994 by six pastoralists and hunter-gatherers organizations in their struggle for land rights.
Since then, they have continued to support Maasai communities to defend their ancestral lands and challenge land-grabs through legal mechanisms and international advocacy. They actively documented the forcible relocation and abuses of Maasai communities in Ngongororo and supported affected communities to seek justice.
Profile
Grants:
2025: $150,000
CJRF Region:
East Africa
Why Pingo?
PINGO’s Forum will engage over 6,300 Indigenous people directly and more than 760,000 indirectly, with a strong focus on women, youth, and people with disabilities from pastoralist and marginalized communities in Northern Tanzania. Their work integrates an intentional focus on gender equity, community feedback, and learning spaces to support climate justice dialogues, rights-based training, legal advocacy around conservation-linked land issues, and data-driven campaigns to challenge harmful narratives and amplify Indigenous voices in demanding climate justice.
Photo courtesy of Pingo’s Forum