Our Mission

TARA (Trust for African Rock Art) is a Nairobi-based, non-governmental organisation committed to recording the rich rock art heritage of the African continent, to making this information widely accessible and, to the extent possible, safeguarding those sites most threatened by humans and nature.

TARA’s mission is to create greater global awareness of the importance and endangered state of African rock art; survey and monitor rock art sites; serve as an information resource and archive; as well as promote and support rock art conservation measures.

To achieve its mission, TARA works closely with communities where rock art is found and with national/international heritage bodies including the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

TARA is the world’s only organisation dedicated to this cultural imperative, and as such it has received support and recognition from the Ford Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation and the National Geographic Society, among others. TARA’s contributions have been widely acclaimed in scientific and popular media including National Geographic, Time, Natural History, People, and the London Times.