In the Southern Rift Valley of kenya between two alkaline lakes ( Lake Magadi and Lake Natron) lies a community called the Loodokikani Masai community in a small village called shompole.

The climate in this region is hot and dry and the land is arid and semi arid. In the region there are a number of schools and our Target was shompole primary school.

The school is in the entrance of the village with their motto being “Elimu Ni nuru” meaning Education is a source of light.

The school has a population of 110 students with 24 of them sitting for their Kenya certificate for primary education this year.

We targeted this school because this school highly depends on the environment one on one. They depend on the Ewaso Nyiro river which was once a permanent river but now seasonal and they depend on it for water to cook in school, clean their classroom, wash their uniforms and even for showering as they prepare to head to school.

They also depend on the environment for firewood to cook in school and in their homesteads.

The resources in this community are shared among the community, and the community being a pastrolist community they also share the resources with their livestock and wildlife.

The students tend to drop out of school because when there’s not enough pasture they are required to move with their cattle in search of pastures, and also the girls are also required to get firewood. On the other hand when the river is dry hygiene becomes a challenge and most students shy away from going to school.

On the very early morning of 25th of May we hit the dusty road to shompole through the lake magadi with two main aims……

1. Creating conservation and environmental awareness and planting acacia trees

2. Providing the students with geometrical sets as they prepare for the end of primary school examinations

We took with us a number of trees that were donated towards the school greening intiative at the girrafe centre by our very kind and environmental loving guests who had visited the centre.

During our environmental session we emphasised on

1. Planting acacia trees as they were the most suitable for the land and understanding the roles of tree in the environment

2. Plucking every invasive species close to the acacia trees

3. Understanding the environment and being a part of conservation

4. We highlighted the environmental challenges and gave a number of solutions that we would implement one after the other.

5. Came up with a system of tree monitoring whereby each student would be responsible for a tree and some even took responsibility for two trees.

On the other hand we provided goemetrical sets to the students so as they would an early preparation on their last primary education examinations

In the Kenyan examination curriculum a construction question is compulsory and Carry’s about 5-10 marks.

Most students leave such questions unanswered because they lack the geometrical sets.

By providing the sets we ensure that the students answer the question that will improve their grades

We wish shompole primary school success in their environmental journey and also in their examinations

Special thanks to AFEW

our special guests at the centre

Mrs. Mary Ranka a teacher at shompole primary.

The arid and semi arid lands ,(ASALS) cover up to approximately 89% of the kenyan land, with many parts of this regions being termed as unproductive.

This land is shared among people (communities), their livestock and a larger part is occupied by wildlife

The arid and semi-arid lands have a great potential that can change the lives of millions, lift up communities and secure prosperity for generations and generations to come, but on the other hand communities living in this areas suffer severe drought which comes with alot of complications including effects on human health and especially malnutrition in children

In order to increase the productivity potential of this areas and help mitigate the challenges faced in the ASALs with most of them being climatic conditions and environmental problems, we have started campaigns to plant tree seedlings and especially acacias.

Why plants trees????? and why should most of them be acacias

In the arid and semi-arid areas the competition of water is very acute and these eco-systems are also very fragile and therefore availability of surface water, ground water and air moisture is usually the limiting factor others being distribution of trees, inadequate rainfall, temperatures, wind and soil quality not forgetting human activities such as over-grazing, unsustainable utilization of resources and defforestation leading soil loosing it’s organic matter and structure hence all it’s nutrients.

It’s is believed that trees give us rainfall and its true they give us rainfall through the process of evapotranspiration

But some trees take up or use more water than they give.

And this makes the acacia trees more suitable as they take in little water and can survive in these arid areas due to the form of their leaves.

These trees will help as wind breakers and this majorly helps in containing the soil fertility since when strong winds blow they carry away soil particles as well as the nutrients in the soil.

Recently girraffe center Under the AFRICAN FUND FOR ENDANGERED WILDLIFE donated a number of trees (acacias) that were send to shompole area in lake magadi region.

Seedlings donated by African fund for endangered wildlife

The Trees are to be planted in the community and with help of schools we are looking forward to plant more trees so as to mitigate the climatic and environmental challenges faced by ASALs

SPECIAL THANKS to AFEW girrafe centre

PHOTO CREDITS : BARBRA MACKRAZ

The olive seed foundation has one major mission and that is to

To inspire the next generation to be critical thinkers and ethical change makers both globally and in their communities

The olive seed foundation works hard to achieve it’s mission by setting new libraries in communities and schools as well as funding libraries.

Traditionally in Kenya the olive seeds we’re used as medicine to cure not more than one disease hence boosting the immune stystem of the people and making people strong The olive is used as medicine even up to date.

And so is the olive seed foundation that strengthens the minds of the youth through reading and adding knowledge thus creating strong foundations, and naturing talents among the youth as result of the impact of reading and understanding

As we know reading involves understanding a written language and responding to the authors message. Therefore when one is reading, one is thinking, predicting, questioning, evaluating and defining and re defining at the same time.

It’s is said that if you want to hide anything from a kenyan, put it in a book.

Why is it so????????? It is because the reading culture in Kenya is very poor and you ask yourself ” why is the reading culture in Kenya very poor”

Maybe Sometimes it’s because of ignorance, people prefer doing other things apart from reading, but sometimes we lack the reading materials or they are in adequate.

On the months of March and April 2019, the olive seed foundation took special interest to establish a library in Mara Leadership girls that would be accessed by the entire community.

On the 15th of April, barbra(oliveseed foundation), jack (active conservation), joy (active conservation) prince Harris (olive seed foundation $ friends of Masai mara) mercy (wildlife clubs of Kenya) molline (head mistress Mara leadership) did our final shopping of books at the book center in galleria that were to be ferried to Masai Mara for the launching of the library.

The launching was successful and now the community at talek including other school can have access to book of various categories including

1. Conservation books

2. Kenyan curriculum books including setbooks

3. Swahili story book

4. Wildlife books

5. Field guide books

6. Inspiration books( several authors

7. Comic books

8. Religious books

9. Art books

10. Geometrical sets

By setting up of this library. It will indeed boost the reading culture in Kenya as well as add knowledge to the youth in Kenya in making the world peaceful and sustainable

Special thanks to

Olive seed foundation.

Mara girls leadership school is a primary school located in talek (Masai mara). The founders of this institution have a strong belief in leadership and especially of the girl child and therefore the school was founded for three major reasons

1. Providing primary education and graduatiio for the most talented girls during the most sensitive years of primary education (standard 6, 7 and 8).

2. Providing an opportunity for higher education for all students that graduate from “MaraGirls”

3. Creating community role models through enhanced personal leadership-skills and life-skills.

Since the school is located in one of the worlds richest wildlife biodiversity regions, mara leadership girls is also keen on environmental and wildlife conservation participation as well as education.

With assistance from the wildlife clubs of Kenya and base camp foundation it was a great opportunity to interact with the young primary girls to highlight some of the environmental challenges faced in their neighbourhood and the possible Solutions to these challenges

We thought this would be a teaching session but to our surprise it was a long interactive session since the girls had adequate knowledge of the environment and solutions came from within us…

Among the problems we highlighted were

1. POLLUTION AND MOSTLY PLASTICS.

Masai mara being on the destinations that receives a huge number of visitors. The level of pollution is also high, the plastics do not only affect the soil and rivers but also animals are at a risk of consuming them thus leading to death and reduction of wildlife species

2.THE MARA RIVER.

the mara is widely known for the crossing of the wilderbeast migration and also a habitat for alot of acquatic Flora and fauna as well as a source of livelihood to both the animals and the community.

The sad but true news is that the Mara river is facing a lot of of threats right from it’s source and this is because of defforestation.

3. LITTLE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CONSERVATION.

It’s is the community that’s feels the direct impact when things go wrong in conservation. Some of the destroyers of the environment may not be from within a particular region and therefore they have no sense of conservation at all……

If we lose the wildlife at Masai mara the visitors we receive will move to another destination with very few caring about what will happen next to the Mara, and we will lose tourism which also has a positive impact to our communities both directly and indirectly

We made an agreement that It is up to the community to stand up and fight for their heritage.

We came up with solutions and promises that…..we will be on the front line to participate in clean ups and also preach about disposal of waste…

We will plant as many trees as we can at the slightest opportunity we get

And we will hold various interactive sessions of wildlife and environmental conservation talks.

Our biggest hope is to get wildlife warriors from this institution as well as leaders who are passionate about nature

On the very same day we planted trees that we were donated to us by base camp and crowned the day with a word of prayer

Special thanks to

Mara leadership school

Wildlife clubs of Kenya

Basecamp foundation

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton