The Empowering People Programme (EPP) was initiated out of a strategic restructuring of BirdLife South Africa’s programmes in 2020. BirdLife South Africa recognizes that people and communities are integral to our conservation work. The EPP aims to upskill, empower, educate, and equip communities to be stewards of our birds and their habitats as well as to become primary beneficiaries within the biodiversity economy. The EPP currently hosts three projects: Avitourism, Education and Awareness, and the Wakkerstroom Tourism and Education Centre.