Wildlife Works Blog

Improving on Education along Kasigau Corridor by Wildlife Works

Posted by wlwswp on January 27, 2015 No comments

Education! The key to success in life. The dream begins with the teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes to lead you to the next plateau. But for many rural Kenyan children who are fortunate enough to attend school, poor classroom environments threaten the foundation for learning at a basic level.

Teachers and students face overcrowding. Many schools have classrooms with over 100 students per session with leaking roofs or poor ventilation.

Wildlife Works, through the funds of our REDD+ Project, is trying to change this for as many schools as we can in our project area. Since we founded in 1997, we have been building, renovating classrooms, and making materials for the most needy schools in our protection area.

Most recently, Wildlife Works came to the aid of Wangalla pre-school in Miasenyi village. The children, who used rocks as tables and chairs, endured one rainy season by standing in the one corner of the room that was not drenched from the leaking roof. Wildlife Works’ workshop team focused their efforts on refurbishing the classroom and building 20 desks.

The photos of the smiling children at the handover say it all! Wangalla Pre School kids posing for a photo on there new desks:

We are proud of all the schools we have been able to retrofit in the last 15 years. The following table shows the location, school and projects completed by Wildlife Works in the most recent 2 years, which represent the improved learning experience of over 8500 children.

Year	Location	School/Name	Children Served	Project
2013	Mwachabo	Mngama Primary School	600-800	1 classroom construction.
2013	Mwachabo	Shighadi ya Mwemba Primary School	600-800	1 classroom construction, office and toilets.
2013	Sagalla	Mwambiti Primary School	600-800	1 classroom construction
2013	Sagalla	Kajire Secondary School	300-600	1 classroom construction
2013	Sagalla	Kileva Primary School	600-800	1 classroom construction
2013	Sagalla	Mchang’a Primary School	600-800	1 classroom construction
2013	Mwatate	Mwatate Secondary School	300-600	1 classroom construction, 50 lockers and 50 chairs.
2013	Mwatate	Mzwanenyi Primary School	600-800	4 classrooms renovation
2014	Mwatate	Mwatunge Primary School	600-800	100 desks
2014	Mwatate	Kipusi Primary School	600-800	16 desks
2012	Kasigau	Moi High School	300-600	50 lockers, 50 Chairs and 50 beds
2014	Marungu	Wangalla Pre School	30	1 classroom construction, 1 table, 1 chair and 20 desks.
2014	Marungu	Marasi Primary School	600-800	5 classrooms renovation.
2014	Marungu	Miasenyi Primary School	600-800	4 classrooms renovation
2014	Marungu	Marungu Secondary School	300-600	1 classroom construction

During the handing over of these projects, the parents, teachers, students, community, government and local leaders have expressed their gratitude to REDD+ Project for transforming the lives of the students. Through the effort and support from the community to protect the forest, REDD+ continues to elevate education standards in the Kasigau Corridor region.

Wildlife Works Gives Paul Makau Mwanzia a Chance to Do What He Loves Most

Posted by wlwswp on December 15, 2014 1 comment

Paul Makau Mwanzia, a father of two, has been mechanic at the Wildlife Works garage for over three years now. Together with his colleagues, he works to ensure that the company vehicles are in top-notch condition at all times. Lucky for Paul that repairing broken vehicles is his favorite thing to do because our vehicles get quite a beating in the rough Kenyan bush terrain.

Paul Makau Mwanzia at Wildlife Works’ Auto shop

We caught up with him at the garage to learn what he loves most about his job, what challenges him and what makes him smile. We also talked to him about his work and life before he joined the Wildlife Works ranks.

Paul was born in Kibwezi, Makueni County in 1973. He attended primary school at a local school in his village. Upon completing primary school education, it is the dream of every pupil to go to a good secondary school. Common in his rural community, Paul’s dream to pursue secondary education was derailed by financial constraints. Unlike many of his peers, he resolved to work hard and ensure that illegal gangs or idling was not part of his life. He believes that life is a jungle and everyone has to fight for their future.

Paul Makau Mwanzia and his Wildlife Works’ Auto shop team

On weekdays, he worked at a nearby maize farm and on weekends, he traveled 6 miles each way to contract at a auto shop. Paul used his wages to pay his school fees at Kibwezi Polytechnic where he studied mechanics. He remembers how hard it was to juggle his education and busy work schedule. After graduating from the polytechnic, Paul worked for various mid-level businesses as a mechanic. He eventually opened his own shop, where Wildlife Works brought many cars for repair before asking Paul to join our own auto shop team.

Paul loves his work because of the quiet and encouraging environment. His favorite aspect of the job is the independence he has to perform his duties through self-management and without authoritative supervision. Paul also enjoys working and living with people from different walks of life through interaction with his co-workers.

Since starting at Wildlife Works, Paul has been able to take good care of his parents back in Kibwezi and most importantly, his wife and children. He has also recently completed studying Auto and Power Electronic at the Voi Technical Training Institute.

Paul Makau Mwanzia truly loves his job.

Apart from the great opportunity that Wildlife Works has given him, Paul is also appreciative of the REDD+ Project that has been able to transform the face of Kasigau. “If we all played our roles at protecting the environment, the world would be a much happier place for everyone,” Paul believes.

We are grateful to have Paul as part of the Wildlife Works team!

Nora Matunda Shares Her Tough Journey to Success

Posted by wlwswp on December 8, 2014 No comments

Nora Matunda, a mother of four, has been a seamstress at the Wildlife Works Eco Factory for over 13 years.

‘’I am passionate and motivated by my work because of the quality products we produce as a team. Our work empowers the community with job opportunity, growth, development and wealth creation for our families,” she says.

Nora has been with Wildlife Works since 2011

Nora grew up in Maungu, a town adjacent to Wildlife Works sanctuary. ‘’15 years ago, Maungu was a very small village with very few people who depended on mostly charcoal burning and bush meat to live, ’’ she recalls.

Growing up in poverty-stricken Maungu provided very little opportunity for young Nora to finish school. Her parents could not afford to send her to high school so Nora looked for ways to make some money and keep busy as she waited for her parents to find funds for her studies.

“I thought about burning charcoal but with the little knowledge I had about the consequences of destroying the environment, I didn’t want to involve myself in this illegal business,” she explained. She decided to work on their farm planting and taking care of the small livestock they had.

Three years later, Nora had something to smile about. Her parents earned a small amount of money from selling some livestock. It was enough to send her to Voi Youth Polytechnic, where she choose to study tailoring and dressmaking.

After almost two years of skills training, she came back to Maungu and got a job at a small tailoring shop. As Maungu village began to expand into a small town, she took an entrepreneurial risk and opened her own tailoring business. At first, she would go door-to-door taking orders. When word got out of her quality, customers started flocking to her shop and piling on the orders!

In 2002, a greater opportunity arose when Wildlife Works opened their eco factory. Nora’s experience made her the perfect hire as one of the first few pioneers to help launch the Wildlife Works’ eco factory. She has since been promoted to supervisor and helps to train new seamstresses.

Nora picks her daughter up from Wildlife Works preschool

Nora was excited for this job opportunity to acquire more skills for career development and felt lucky to benefit from Wildlife Works’ childcare support. “I feel so happy and motivated to work close to my child who attends the free preschool provided by Wildlife Works, funded by the protection of our forests,” she says. Her third child graduated this year from our preschool program.

“I can now meet the needs of my family better than I could being self-employed,” she says. The best advice she would like to give to someone embarking on her career path is to be hardworking, determined and to remember that devotion is the key pillar to success.

The next skill Nora would like to acquire is pattern making and design. Nora is inspired to become an effective designer and to be recognized by all. We are proud to have Nora on our team and look forward to supporting her career as we grow.

Nora and her daughter

A Letter from Founder & President Mike Korchinsky on Our No-Gun Policy

Posted by wlwswp on December 1, 2014 No comments

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our supporters and the viewers of ‘Ivory Wars’ for their outpouring of support and encouragement following the initial airings of the series set at our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya. Elephant poaching remains a serious issue, and we’re glad this opportunity has allowed us to more broadly bring to light its devastating affects.

The Wildlife Works rangers

Since the initial airing, we’ve received some questions about the no-gun policy for our rangers. In an effort to ensure transparency and clear communication about our diligent efforts to keep our rangers safe, we’d like to share some detail about this policy, which has developed as a carefully thought out rationale over 18 years in the field. We consider this to be the best way to be effective at protecting the wildlife in the sanctuary while keeping our rangers and the local community safe.

Our Partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service

The ‘Ivory Wars’ series underplayed the fact that Wildlife Works rangers work side by side with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers who are armed, trained in combat, and who are permanently stationed on our sanctuary. Whenever there is an armed poaching incident, our rangers are trained to avoid any confrontation until they have KWS armed support, and even then they are not supposed to be in harms way if shots are fired.

Over the course of 18 years, we have had one incident – described in the show – where our rangers were fired upon. In that incident, our rangers were assisting armed KWS rangers in tracking poachers when the poachers set an ambush. As KWS has a shoot to kill policy, the poachers opened fire out of fear for their own lives and sadly this interaction resulted in the fatality of our ranger, Abdi, and the injury of Ijema.

This incident was very early on in the recent escalation of elephant poaching to armed conflict, and as described in the show, it really shocked us. Prior to that incident and for nearly 15 years, poachers were very rare, came from in and around the local community, and typically set snares or used poison arrows. These poachers never threatened our rangers, even when being arrested.

Protecting the Elephant Habitat

Our primary role at Wildlife Works is to work with the community to protect the habitat for the elephants to pass through in their migrations. There are over 12,000 elephants in our ecosystem in Kenya that roam freely without being confined by fences. This huge setting that these elephants call home makes it impossible to know when and where poachers will strike without informants. There are many other anti-poaching units in other sanctuaries or national parks and in some rangers are armed. Even then, gun battles with poachers are very rare because the areas are vast, the location of an attack completely unpredictable and by the time armed rangers respond, poachers are typically long gone.

Rangers across Kenya – armed or not – are all losing elephants at an alarming rate. We believe we fare as well as any, even with larger elephant populations, because we have such a strong relationship with the local communities who inform us of the comings and goings of possible poachers so we can confront them before they recover their stashed weapons, or alert KWS if they are known to be armed.

Addressing the Growing Demand for Ivory

At the current price of ivory, there is a near unlimited supply of young Somalis willing to come to Kenya to risk their own lives and to take the lives of others to make a fast buck. Killing one or two poachers acts as little deterrent; it simply buys a little time before the next team arrives from Somalia, this time bent on revenge as well as ivory.

This is the real story of ‘Ivory Wars’ – that demand in China supported all the way up to the President himself is causing the death of countless young Africans on both sides of the issue, in addition to the tens of thousands of elephants. We believe that without tackling the demand side, this is an un-winnable war.

The main purpose of the ‘Ivory Wars’ show was to elevate awareness, to build a new generation of indignation about the plight of elephants, and to put overwhelming social and political pressure on the ivory markets to crack down. In the meantime, we choose to keep our rangers as safe as possible by:

making our Rukinga Sanctuary the last place poachers think they can get away with poaching because we have the best intel based on the work we do with local communities, so they don’t come in the first place, and
keeping our rangers out of the firing line if and when they do come.

That was always the mission of the Navy Seals: to help us deploy technologies that could further deter poachers and to train our rangers to avoid any more fatal contacts. The producers of the show introduced the drama of the gun vs. no-gun conflict to make the show more interesting to a US audience, though the Kenyan Government was never going to allow the Seals to bring firearms into the country. In doing so, they had to make our own rangers and our management appear incapable to exaggerate the importance of the role of the Seals. While everyone needs help in this ivory war, Wildlife Works is far from incapable, and as the Seals themselves discovered during the month they were there, we and our rangers are in fact very good at what we do.

Once again, thank you to our supporters and viewers for your passion to protect this magnificent species.

Mike Korchinsky
President and Founder of Wildlife Works

Developing Young Global Leaders at Wildlife Works

Posted by wlwswp on September 12, 2014 No comments

We are so proud of our Community Relations Officer Joseph Mwakima, who was sponsored by Barclays to attend the 2014 One Young World Summit and was selected as a Delegate Speaker in the Sustainable Development Plenary Session. Only 36 Delegate Speakers were chosen out of hundreds of applicants.

Wildlife Works’ Community Relations Officer Joseph Mwakima speaking

Watch his inspiring speech:

One Young World is the preeminent global forum for young leaders aged 18-30 and gathers the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The One Young World Summit has already inspired young leaders worldwide to become change leaders of their generation. We are honored to be able to attract and support such talented minds in Kenyan rural communities!

Joseph writes to us about his experience:

I had the privilege to represent Wildlife Works and the Kasigau Corridor Community at the One Young Summit in Dublin as a Delegate Speaker. The Summit was held on 15-19^th October 2014 at the Dublin Conventional Centre and it was attended by more than 1,300 delegates from all over the world. One Young World is an annual international summit that brings together young to discuss different issues that affect us as youth and provide solutions to them.

Joseph in Dublin!

We had different plenary sessions and external break out sessions. This year we discussed issues concerning Sustainable Development, Education, Peace and Conflict resolution, Global Business, Leadership, Governance and Human Rights.

The Event was also attended by high-profile personalities like Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson and others. Having been selected as a delegate speaker for Sustainable Development I had the privilege to tell the world about the work that I’m currently doing and also the programs that Wildlife Works is implementing in the Greater Kasigau Corridor project area. As a Delegate speaker I was supposed to draft a 500-word speech that talks about all that I’m doing to make the world a better place. After many rehearsals I was the first speaker to give my speech to the OYW delegates. This was one of the best presentations that I’ve ever given. I have never presented a speech to so many people.

The OYW created a platform for us to discuss a lot of issues that affect the world. I had a good experience to meet a lot of young people all from all over the globe, young people with different ideas, projects, beliefs, language and experience. It was my first time abroad and I enjoyed every moment that I spend in Dublin. The other good thing that I experienced in Dublin is the good sessions from speakers like Professor Yunus, Sol Campbell, Anthony Jenkins and many others. These sessions gave us the opportunity to discuss in length the role we have as young people and the difference we can create in the world in making it a better place. I remember all the good lectures we had from all the speakers who talked to us. One of the best lectures was from Koffi Annan and Mary Robinson, They talked about Climate Change and the role that we can play in mitigating it.

The other good experience that I had was the socialization and delegate networking sessions. I had the privilege to network with young people from South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and all the other continents. I’ve made a lot of friends from all over the world and this was the best part. We also had the privilege to tour Dublin city, Dublin was one of the best cities that I have ever seen. A city with a lot of young people and a lot of opportunities.

In general the OYW summit 2014 was an amazing experience for me. I’ve learned a lot from it and I will make sure I share it to Kasigau Corridor REDD communities. I thank Wildlife Works and Barclays Bank who sponsored me to attend this very successful event in Dublin.

* * * *

77% of young people feel their country has been affected by extreme weather in the last year – how has climate change affected your country?

In Kenya, there is massive change in rainfall patterns. We rely on agriculture, so when yields suffer so does our economy. Last year, weak rainfall caused food insecurity, with people in NE Kenya dying.

Major floods in coastal towns have destroyed homes and caused loss of life. In my community, there’s significant drought. There’s no pasture for livestock and women and children walk 10km daily to find water. The situation is worsening: last year local farmers couldn’t harvest any crops.

In what ways are you working to combat climate change or protect the environment?

I am a Community Relations Officer at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project. We protect 500k acres of threatened forest, generating 1.2 million tonnes of CO2-e offsets yearly, preserving endangered biodiversity including African elephants and uplifting the lives of 110k rural Kenyans. We work closely with communities to find alternatives to deforestation, i.e. agri intensification to fight food insecurity. Deforestation accounts for 20% of global emissions (more than transportation) so I am proud of my vital role in this landmark project.

In what ways do you contribute to making your business/organization more sustainable?

My job is to educate our community of 110k people about the causes of climate change, mitigation and adaptation measures. Local people don’t know the link between deforestation and climate change, so I help them understand environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Many people in the community are illiterate, so I use various communication methods: theatre (songs and plays); film viewings; youth football; school programs; informal open-air meetings; focussed small-group discussions and others. I simplify the information so everyone can understand.

In what ways are you personally involved in education? *

I educate our community of 110k people about climate change. As many are illiterate, my communication methods include songs and plays.

Our bursary programme ensures local students complete the “8-4-4” curriculum. I vet applicants, decipher their finances, manage our bursary account and monitor students in school.

I’m passionate about education because I understand lacking school fees. I’m a full-time employee at Wildlife Works while simultaneously studying a Higher Diploma in Community-Based Development. It’s tough, but I love learning and working.

In what ways do you contribute to making young people more capable to enter the world of work or start businesses?

I feel responsible for helping young people get the education needed to find work. I do motivational speaking in schools and for youth around the community, helping children realize the value of education.

I run the programme “InSchool”, educating students about environmental and wildlife conservation. Through our bursary programme, we fund school fees and skills like driving so people can start businesses.

I work and study simultaneously to fund my siblings’ school fees. One recently got employed at an NGO.

In what ways have you succeeded in collaborating with other stakeholders (corporations, government, community leaders) to deliver education in your community?

I have a strong relationship with every local organization and governmental department.

I collaborate closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure the right students are sponsored through our bursary programme. We share targets and timelines to avoid duplication and to help students get the best service.

I work with many NGOs. I run film viewings with Amara Conservation to educate people on the environment. I collaborate with World Vision Kenya on agricultural education, plus local charities, women’s and youth groups.

How could One Young World help further your education initiative?

I believe that through OYW I can create a powerful platform to share issues concerning youth and education.

I will learn how other young people who come from different parts of the world view education and what they have done to improve access to it.

When I return to Kenya, I will try as much as possible to share the experiences, information and knowledge I get from OYW with my fellow young people and the larger community.

You can follow Joseph on Twitter @jaymwakima

ASOS INVESTS IN THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN COMMUNITY, PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR BOTTOM LINE IS

Posted by wlwswp on August 5, 2014 No comments

ASOS Africa’s line is not only inspired by Africa but is also produced in Africa. ASOS has been working with our production partner, cut-and-sew house SOKO-Kenya, for over four years now. The international fashion company’s commitment to working in Kenya (and in other sustainable ways) has paid off; sales from their green line grow with each collection, which has allowed ASOS to invest deeper in their supply chain community.

As a result of ASOS’s continued orders, SOKO-Kenya was able to expand their small coast-side factory into Wildlife Work’s production site in the Kenyan bush located between Tsavo East and West National parks. With our combined resources, we are able to better support both our clients and our surrounding community. Seeing the impact of their orders to sustain jobs in a poverty-stricken area, The ASOS Foundation became interested in donating to the Kasigau communities to maximize their benefaction in 2013. With the help of Wildlife Works’ and our deep relationships with our community leaders, ASOS has been able to effectively and directly put money into areas of most need.

Bughule polytechnic

The ASOS Foundation’s first donation totaled Ksh 124,755 (US $ 1,430) and was put towards the renovation of Bungule Youth Polytechnic (BYP) in April 2013. The money was designated primarily for the renovation of doors, roofs, windows, door locks, wall paintings, as well as workshop equipment. A later donation of Ksh 1,227,280 (US $ 14,000) was then allocated for the building of office furniture and beds, construction of a water tank, installation of electricity and electrical wiring, and teachers’ salaries. These renovations were essential to providing a safe and comfortable environment for the students and teachers to further their education goals.

The ASOS Foundation then provided Ksh 224,825 (US $ 2,580) for the construction of 50 chairs and 50 lockers to the Bughuta Secondary School

The biggest donation, however, went towards the construction of the Kula Kila Rock Catchment in Kasigau location. For this project the ASOS Foundation donated Ksh 5,777,269 (US $ 66,200) for the excavation of the site, construction of catchment walls and a 250,000 liter water tank! This project has been an incredible success and will result in a great improvement for the life of the communities.

Kuli Kila water catchment funded by ASOS Foundation

Water is a very scarce resource in this semi-arid environment, but through the new water catchment, communities are able to harvest the rainwater for use in dry spells. During this year’s rains, the tank has already filled up twice, and we hope it will continue to do so. The latest donation representing the most direct investment in their supply chain in Kenya, was to SOKO’s own charitable trust to open the ASOS-Foundation-sponsored new Stitching Academy, which opened its doors in Maungu in June 2014.

ASOS Foundation Stitching Academy with Soko-Kenya

With an ever-increasing need for qualified seamstresses, the Stitching Academy is a sewing training facility that offers a 2-month training course to 10 people at a cost of Ksh 3,000 (US $34.00). The curriculum has been designed in-house and will provide students with the technical skills required for the garment manufacturing industry hence improving students’ chances of securing employment and/or setting up small enterprises of their own.

ASOS Foundation Stitching Academy

SOKO put the word out amongst the local community earlier this year and held numerous interviews in May. Twenty-four men and women attended this recruitment process, amongst which SOKO selected the first 10 students. SOKO held an official opening ceremony on the 19th June at the Stitching Academy’s site in Maungu, together with three official visitors from ASOS. Joanna Maiden, SOKO’s founder and Director, is extremely excited about this new project and sees this as having an empowering impact on the local communities. It is planned to hold four courses per year, with the next course due to begin in September this year. We applaud ASOS for producing against the tide of fast fashion. Their sustainable supply chain strategy has proven to align with their profit goals and their customers are responding.

A Letter from Our Head Ranger

Posted by wlwswp on July 21, 2014 1 comment

ELEPHANT POACHING STILL HIGH

Elephant and rhino poaching has recently been declared a “national disaster” in Kenya by former head of Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) Richard Leakey. The magnitude of poaching has reached terrifying levels and poachers are operating with outrageous impunity, backed up by an extraordinary network of organized crime.

Unfortunately the Kasigau Corridor has not been immune from this increase in elephant poaching. Whilst the year started relatively calmly, March and April saw a significant rise in poaching incidents, totaling 30 elephants by mid May. The worst incident to date saw six elephants shot dead on Dawida Ranch, four of which were youngsters not bearing tusks. A further three elephants were lost on Amaka Ranch in March. This indicates the indiscriminate nature of killing that the poachers engage in, as well as the ruthlessness of the individuals involved.

To combat this, Wildlife Works has been working closely with KWS and other official organizations to tighten security in the area. We have increased patrols and security measurements significantly. In particular, we have drastically increased aerial surveillance throughout the project area thanks to the support of an additional aircraft pilot. Weather permitting, Keith Hellyer, a Canadian conservationist, has been lending his time and the use of a gyrocopter to patrol the 200,000 ha large project area and beyond at least twice a day. This helps the security team to locate illegal activities, carcasses or charcoal camps early on and respond accordingly.

Furthermore, Wildlife Works has also employed six additional wildlife rangers from the surrounding communities in order to increase manpower. The new recruits have already been orientated with Wildlife Works’ security operations and they have all been posted to the various ranger camps where they are taking up their patrol and surveillance responsibilities. Wildlife Works continues to be committed to the protection of wildlife and will do everything in its power to prevent the further slaughter of these majestic animals.

A LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY FROM OUR HEAD RANGER, ERIC SAGWE

Dear Readers,

I wish to express my personal and sincere gratitude to all of you who have helped make the Kasigau Phase I and II REDD+ Project a success for the past few years! Despite the challenges we are facing inside the project area, especially regarding a recent escalation in poaching incidents, my ranger teams are working tirelessly with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to ensure the culprits involved are caught and remain in police custody, so that justice can be served. In the first five months of 2014 alone, we have lost 30 elephants to poaching. Whilst this is a shocking figure, let me assure you that we are using every measure, in conjunction with KWS teams operating in various ranches, to ensure that we have intensified security in terms of patrolling and monitoring.

I still admire our ‘no arms’ policy, since it serves to deter violent confrontation. I wish also to bring to your attention that elephant poaching is increasingly carried out using sophisticated weapons, as well as poisoned arrows. I kindly urge community members to share with us any information, however seemingly small, which they might have regarding the menace so that we can channel it into the relevant authorities, especially KWS.

I wish to honorably recognize all members of the community who have responded to our call to protect our wildlife and surrounding environment. As a result, we have witnessed a drastic reduction in charcoal burning, with the exception of a few ranches in the Project Area. Whilst some cases remain unreported, I would like to highlight that community feedback is happening more and more with assistance from the Wildlife Works community outreach team. I encourage all community members to help in the protection of the environment and wildlife, which is possible through our hotline: +254 (0) 727 957 482.

I would like to take this opportunity to salute all members of the community for their effort in helping us to achieve our goals. Conservation is for us all, it does not belong to only one party, and requires the involvement of everyone. Let us keep our heritage safe for the future; our beautiful environment is a valuable resource, which must be preserved.

I am also happy to report that we have increased our ranger force and now number approximately 120 wildlife rangers, all of whom are patrolling the project area on a daily basis. Around twelve of these are operating on the hills and land corridors. Three quarters of my ranger team are members of the community who were selected during the 2010/2011 recruitment exercise. I understand that not everyone who was present at this selection was recruited, and I would like to inform community members that there will be further opportunities for employment following the expansion of the carbon project. Being part of the ranger team is a highly sought after position however, and realistically we are not able to offer positions to all young applicants. Our recruitment process offers a fair way to select individuals who are suitable for this physically and psychologically demanding work.

Thank you all,

A Grand Leap Forward for the Chyulu Hills Redd+ Project

Posted by wlwswp on July 14, 2014 No comments

Wildlife Works has done it again! We completed yet another Project Design Document, for the new proposed REDD+ project in the Chyulu Hills!

The Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project (CHRP) is a multi-partner initiative designed to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation, restore biodiversity and create alternative livelihoods under the United Nation scheme of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). It is located in the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, southeastern Kenya and stretches over an area of 410,533.84 ha. Its main geographic feature is the volcanic Chyulu Hills mountain range, from which the project derives its name.

Chyulu Hills

The Project Area comprises a great diversity of ecosystems, ranging from montane cloud forests to grassland savannah. A large variety of charismatic wildlife roams these landscapes, including populations of the increasingly threatened African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the critically endangered Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis). This wildlife has been living alongside traditional communities for generations. The Chyulu Hills also present a locally and regionally important water tower, which provides much of the surrounding landscape, as well as the coastal city of Mombasa, with a water source. This is just one example of the many ecosystem services the Chyulu Hill area performs.

The black rhino, a critically endangered species, lives in the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem. Image captured by a camera trap from Big Life Foundation.

However, the area is under threat from being converted to a non-forest state due to unplanned agricultural expansion and unsustainable extractive practices such as charcoal burning and the collection of wood to make cultural artifacts. A major goal of the Project therefore, is to protect this vitally important ecosystem by providing economically viable and sustainable alternatives to its destruction.

The CHRP aims to generate benefits in the areas of climate, community and biodiversity under both the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standards. Its specific climate related goals are to prevent the emission of 28,122,572 t CO2e over the project’s 30 year crediting period by stopping deforestation, forest degradation and grassland conversion. This will be achieved largely by employing forest rangers, bolstering employee motivation, creating alternative income and employment opportunities, and supporting stricter environmental law enforcement. Furthermore, it aspires to restore degraded forest and grassland areas, which will increase the quantity of sequestered carbon from woody biomass and soil. The establishment of tree nurseries, reforestation programs and other afforestation/reforestation (A/R) efforts are examples of some initiatives, which will be undertaken to this end.

Community outreach. Photo by Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

The Project will also generate substantial community and biodiversity co-benefits. New and sustainable livelihood opportunities, such as direct employment, alternative income generating activities (IGAs) and initiatives to stimulate investment in businesses will be designed to reduce pressure on the environment while significantly increasing community well-being. Additional programs will address food security, improve health and education facilities, as well as raise environmental awareness. Biodiversity co-benefits will be achieved through greater protection of the ecosystem predominantly by means of increased security, improved monitoring and bolstering wildlife-compensation schemes.

Conservation education at Chyulu Hills.

The CHRP’s uniqueness lies in its eight constituent partners, each of which contributes specific and invaluable expertise. Whilst some partners have long-standing, ground-based operations within the landscape, other partners offer more technical, political and governance expertise. The eight constituent partners include: Big Life Foundation, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International and Wildlife Works. Together with the traditional landowners, this CHRP implementation team presents an exceptionally strong partnership, which will ensure the successful execution of the project’s objectives.

Wildlife Works completed the Project Design Document in June 2014, which is now open for public comments on the CCB website until 27^th of July. All comments, positive remarks, constructive criticism or simply suggestions, are welcome.

Please visit: http://www.climate-standards.org/2014/06/25/chyulu-hills-redd-project/.

Wildlife Works Marks World Environmental Day With Town Clean Up and Climate Change Education

Posted by wlwswp on July 7, 2014 No comments

At this year’s World Environment Day, some of our employees at the Wildlife Works Kasigau base station put down their tools and left the offices to commemorate the day with the community at Kamtonga, a small village located in Mwatate about 50 kilometers from our station. Those who attended the event included the head community Relations Officer, Mr. Laurian Lenjo, Mrs. Emily Mwawasi and Joseph Mwakima (both working in community relations), and the agribusiness manager, Mr. George Maina.

Community members and pupils gather at the Kamtonga Primary School for commemoration of World Environment Day.

From the moment we arrived in Kamtonga, it was very clear that we could not have chosen a better place to commemorate the 2014 World Environment Day. The Mwatate community has been one of our major partners in the implementation of Phase II of the REDD programme, and we found an eager audience waiting to mark the day that was themed, Raise your Voices Not the Sea Levels. Young school pupils and aged grandparents sat side by side with the youth.

As with every other occasion we have to interact with the community around us, we took the opportunity to pass on the conservation message that we have been preaching since we started operations in the Kasigau region 17 years ago. The theme for this event was to educate the audience about rising sea levels.

From the puzzled look on many faces, it was clear that not many had heard about the rising sea levels but when one of the speakers mentioned the possibility of Mombasa being submerged in the next 20 years, any lingering doubts started to vanish.

Wildlife Works Rangers lead the procession to the communal cleaning of Kamtonga Primary School.

Joseph Mwakima gave a concise explanation of the rising sea levels phenomena to an audience that was very eager to listen. Laurian backed it up by explaining how everyone has a role to play in ensuring that we mitigate such an occurrence. Other speakers also echoed the same concerns.

Some of the other issues that were addressed at the event included the persistent issue of child labor in Kamtonga which draws the majority of its income from sisal farming, mining of precious stones and other supporting businesses. Pupils from the Kamtonga Primary School recited heartrending poems about how their peers are vulnerably recruited into the mines and sisal plantations and end up dropping out of school. Our community outreach team members have been doing in-school outreach campaigns to educate students on their rights. Several government administrators, including the town’s chief have made promises to crackdown on any businessperson who were found abusing children’s rights.

School kids reciting a poem about the Child labour.

After these important discussions, everyone armed themselves with latex gloves and joined in a communal cleanup of the small Kamtonga town. Plastic bottles and bags that littered the town were collected for appropriate disposal.

The event hit a climax with the planting of more than 100 trees in Kamtonga Primary School. The Wildlife Works greenhouse supplied all the tree seedlings for free. 30 trees were planted by the various guests in attendance and assigned to pupils who will be taking care of them. 70 tree saplings were left to be planted by the pupils and teachers later on. We have already received confirmation from the headmaster that the remaining seventy trees have been planted and are thriving!

Pupils of Kamtoga Primary School set a heap of plastic bags and other debris on fire.

From left: Community Relations Manager Laurian Lenjo, Head Ranger Eric Sagwe and Community Relations Associate Joseph Mwakima join the community cleanup exercise at Kamtonga Town.

We are grateful for the Kamtonga Community for hosting us during this special day and for giving us an audience. If we can all take action now, we can effectively mitigate the effects of climate change. It all starts with you and me, and the Kamtonga community!

The chief with the school kids planting a tree around the school compound during the event.

May Grace Kanini Wambua Rest in Peace

Posted by wlwswp on June 30, 2014 1 comment

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Grace Kanini Wambua, who worked with us at the Wildlife Works factory for two years. We deeply appreciate the dedication she put into her work with our company and into the community’s commitment to conservation. Although she was young, she lived a full life and provided a good life to her two young daughters. The illness that took her life in just 2 months was not able to be diagnosed. Below is the eulogy that was presented at her funeral by Monica, one of our nursery school teachers. We send our blessings to her family.

* * * * * *

A light has gone out, without so much as a flicker, and all we are left with is the precious memory of how brightly it burned and the warmth it gave us.

Grace’s appreciation of the simple uncomplicated things in life was reflected in her lifestyle. She was very simple and reserved.

Although Grace enjoyed a quiet life, which revolved mainly around her family and her work, it didn’t prevent her from living life to the fullest. She had always worked hard all her life, often more than one job at a time.

Grace was much more than a mother to her children. She was someone you could really trust and rely on, someone you could talk honestly and openly to, knowing you would be neither judged nor criticized, and you could count on her support whatever the problem.

Grace joined Wildlife Works Eco Factory on April 16th, 2012 as a machine operator. She specifically worked with the overlock and straight machines. She was very keen in her work making her the ideal person to work with us on our major client orders. Her contribution to Wildlife Works Eco Factory was magnificent and her time was very much appreciated, not only by the people she worked alongside, but the entire Wildlife Works family and her Maungu friends.

Grace became sick on April 7th, 2014. She complained of severe backpains which later affected her spine and soon her legs became paralyzed. She sought for medical care in Mombasa but her illness turned acute and she had to be transferred to Nairobi for special treatment. Grace succumbed to her illness in Bagadhi Hospital while undergoing treatment and passed on June 6th 2014 at 3pm. It surprised us to learn that she died on her birthday. She left behind two beautiful young girls.

We can’t even begin to imagine the grief and devastation that Grace’s family is bravely facing at the moment. It’s at such times when we are at our lowest ebb that we need the bosom of our family. We help and support each other and in time, the veil of mist and numbness gradually disappears. WE see a light at the end of the tunnel, we step out and we look back, thankful that despite their own grief and sorrow, we had someone to lean on when our own strength failed us. I know Grace would be very proud to see how her family are supporting each other at this very difficult time.

Grace will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and loved her.

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Wildlife Works Marks World Environmental Day With Town Clean Up and Climate Change Education

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