Profile
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Meet Valentina, Greenhouse Worker and Brave Single Mother of Five
By Jade Cizeau-Zeenni, Wildlife Works Intern Our profile this week is about Valentina, Wildlife Works Greenhouse worker. Valentina Sera Mwakazi was thirteen years old when she had to leave school to take care of her ill mother. Born and raised in Marungu, Valentina did not have the opportunity to complete primary education. Very young, she got married to a man who was ten years older than her and gave birth to her first child when she turned sixteen. Her husband was working as a driver for the County Government and was able to provide for Valentina and the rapidly growing family of five children. Sadly, Valentina’s world fell apart when…
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Education; Meet Some of Wildlife Works Bursary Recipients
This week, we wanted to introduce you to a few students who got the chance to receive Wildlife Works bursaries and what it means to them. This is Joseph Mboya, an 18 year old student at Moi Boys High School in Kasigau, located in one of our project area. Joseph comes from a single parent family and is the second born in a family of four. His mother works as a farmer and cannot cater for his tuition and his siblings forcing him to stay at home because of lack of school fees. Now at form four, Joseph has been receiving wildlife works bursaries since form one. “Thanks to Wildlife…
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Meet the Female Rangers Protecting the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project
By Jane Okoth In 2011, Wildlife Works opened its doors to its first female rangers who are now part of the 100+ ranger team currently working at our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project to protect wildlife and the environment from poachers and other illegal activities. Since joining Wildlife Works, these conservation rangers have gained valuable insight and experience on how to deal with poachers and other threats. This is their story. Constance Mwandaa “Before I joined Wildlife Works, I was not sure whether I would do what is traditionally seen as a man’s job,” says Constance Mwandaa. Growing up as a child, she enjoyed going on wildlife tours in school. This…
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Simon Kipsang; The Ranger and Co-pilot at Wildlife Works
By Jane Okoth For some, a wildlife adventure may seem like a normal thing, but that seemed an impossible opportunity for young Simon Kipsang. As a young boy growing up in Nakuru County, Simon only learnt about elephants, lions and other wildlife in school. “Since I was passionate about the environment, I would spend time taking care of trees in my homestead and wished that I would one day come face to face with wildlife,” he recalls thinking. As fate would have had it, his dream has come true. Now at 30 years old, Kipsang is a full time ranger and co-pilot at Wildlife Works. When the husband and father…
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Who Makes Your Clothes at Wildlife Works? Fashion Revolution
Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for a fairer, safer, cleaner, more transparent fashion industry. Ask your favorite brands, “who made my clothes?” Wildlife Works has been a fair trade factory for 20 years. We have featured many of our factory employees on our blog. Here are a few more we wanted to introduce to you this week. Agnes Kilunju Meet Agnes Kilunju. She has been working as a Machinist at Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory for the past six years. Agnes is in charge of laying the fabric for sewing as well as packaging. Working at Wildlife Works means security to Agnes, because as a single mother of two she…
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Against All odds: Janet Wanjala’s Determination to Succeed
By Jane Okoth If you happen to pass by Wildlife Works’ organic greenhouses, chances are that you will notice Janet Elina Wanjala. The shy petite woman is always busy; if she is not taking care of the tree seedlings, or harvesting jojoba seeds, she is packing the soil into the potting bags. Janet’s day begins with a 2-hour walk from her home to Wildlife Works, ready to commence her usual duties. On this particular day, she is helping out peeling the mango seeds for drying and replantation. “I take my work seriously, with much dedication and hard work because I find morale and stimulation in it,” she says. According to…
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Son of a Poacher, 26-year-old Fulfills Dream to Become Conservation Pilot
By Jane Okoth Always calm and composed in his demeanor, Daniel Zuma is not your regular character. As a gyrocopter pilot at Wildlife Works, the 26 year old is living his dream and even more impressively, is dedicated to inspiring his community. Being the first born in a family of five, Daniel Zuma has come a long way. He was not born in a wildlife friendly household – in fact, his father was a poacher, who was tragically killed by a buffalo. Daniel came to realize the importance of wild animals, and he wanted to take care of them rather than destroying them. “If I had decided to follow in…
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The Transformation of Ayub Vura; Former Poacher Turned Wildlife Protector
By Jane Okoth Dressed in a smart dark green uniform, Ayub Vura goes about his daily duties as a ranger at Wildlife Works. His morning patrol in the thick bush starts at 7 am in the morning and ends at 4pm in the evening depending on the nature of the day’s responsibilities. Ayub has been working as a Wildlife Works ranger since 2010. However, he is no ordinary ranger because 10 years ago, Ayub was one of the most notorious poachers in the Kasigau corridor region. Ayub Vura wasn’t born into a wealthy family. He grew up with limited education and then found himself with no job, which prompted him…
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Meet Protus Mghendi, Wildlife Works Environment Conservation Ambassador
It’s a scorching hot day in Mwatate, in Wildlife Works’ project area, and the region continues to suffer from the current drought. A group of youth and women known as Malezi Bora sit quietly and attentively on the benches in the open air for a discussion about environment conservation. It is just another working day for Protus Tetweni Mghendi, an Assistant Community Relations Officer at Wildlife Works. The 35-year-old husband and father of one is very passionate about the environment. Mwatate area is similar to many other rural places in Kenya where residents are dependent on charcoal production, bush meat poaching and unsustainable agricultural methods to meet their survival. Deforestation…
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Meet Our Seamstresses for Fashion Revolution Week
Do you ask your favorite brands, #WhoMadeMyClothes? Production at Wildlife Works provides full transparency for our clients and their customers. Meet some of our tailors and learn about their aspirations. Meet MAGDELINE (far left). She’s in charge of quality control at the Wildlife Works Eco-Factory. She has one son who is 3 years old who attends our 100% subsidized Wildlife Works Nursery during the day while Magda is at work. She’s proud of being able to support herself and her child through her salary. On the weekends, she takes care of her 15 chickens at home. Yes, 15! Meet ELPINA. She has been working at Wildlife Works for 6 years.…