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Missing 6-year-old Boy Found Alive by Wildlife Works Rangers
By Jane Okoth When 6-year-old Harisson Olui was sent to collect firewood, he never imagined the unthinkable would happen. When we visited his home, the young boy was shaken. This is because he had been missing for four days, lost in Rukinga sanctuary, stuck without food or clean water and certainly scared for his life. His discovery was a conclusion of a thorough rescue operation comprising of Wildlife Works rangers, the aerial surveillance team and his community members. Harrison comes from a pastoralist community in Msharinyi location, part of Wildlife Works’ project area. According to his mother Upendo Natengene, eight children including Harrison had gone to collect firewood in a…
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Women Learn How to Make Sustainable Charcoal
By Jane Okoth The reliance of charcoal and firewood as a primary source of cooking for most households puts immense pressure on indigenous trees, which are destroyed to accommodate energy needs. The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area is no exception, as residents are dependent on trees for charcoal and firewood. UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Following this objective, Wildlife Works has developed sustainable charcoal using pruned branches from indigenous trees, which prevents the destruction of the trees and avoids traditional charcoal production methods. The project is based at Mackinnon, approximately 35km from our Head office in Maungu. Wildlife…
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A Day in the Life of a Research Scientist at Wildlife Works
By Jane Okoth At Wildlife Works, the Biodiversity and Social Monitoring department plays a huge role in monitoring and reporting on the impact of the REDD+ project on biodiversity and communities living in the project area. Benard Amakobe, a Research Scientist at Wildlife Works gives us an insight into his typical working day at the department. Amakobe specializes in monitoring biodiversity impacts through conducting research and recording data. “My work procedure is a bit unusual. It would be a big bore if i were to do the usual 8:00 am to 5:00 pm stuff,” he says. Amakobe grew up in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, which has a population of…
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Wildlife Works Rangers Rescue Lion from Poacher’s Snare
By Jade Cizeau, Wildlife Works Intern Jade spent a day with Wildlife Works rangers and witnessed the rescuing of a lion from a poacher’s snare. This is her story. It all began as a ranger patrol day in Rukinga. Early in the morning, Wildlife Works’ Head Ranger Eric Sagwe drove down to camp to pick up the rangers who were on duty for the day. All ready in their uniforms, the rangers jumped at the back of the green Landcruiser ready for their patrol “Rangers daily patrols are crucial for conservation”, explained Eric. There are 103 rangers dispersed in various camps based in different locations within the project area. They…
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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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Wildlife Works Partners With Zooterra to Build Women’s Capacity in Vertical Farming
By Jane Okoth Women’s empowerment and equality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and is integral in ensuring that women are not deprived of their basic rights and opportunities. In order to achieve this goal, Wildlife Works has been working with various organizations to invest in women and respect their self-determination. Recently, Wildlife Works partnered with Zooterra, a habitat conservation digital firm that allows anyone to invest in nature conservation through digital tokens called terras, which use geolocation and satellite imaging technologies. Thanks to this partnership, two women’s groups in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project received funds to start a vertical farming project. Celestine Ighombo is the…
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Mentoring Students in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project
By Jane Okoth “If you hear about Wildlife Works, what is the first thing that comes to mind?” asks Fred Ouma, the Principal of Mzwanenyi Secondary School in Mwatate. “Bursaries,” one of the students quickly answers. “We have also partnered with Wildlife Works for a tree-planting program where they supply us with indigenous tree seedlings,” he adds. Mzwanenyi Secondary is a mixed boarding school located in Mwatate, one of Wildlife Works’ community locations. The school has a population of 178, with the majority of students coming from the surrounding area. Mzwanenyi Secondary is one of the many schools in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project area that has benefitted from Wildlife Works…
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Capacity Building Programs for Women and Girls in the Kasigau Corridor
By Jane Okoth At Wildlife Works’ offices in Maungu, two women’s groups recently visited the project for a day of mutual knowledge sharing. As part of the visit the women were shown different departments including the eco-factory, soap factory, and printing factory, among others. After the tour, they all gathered at the greenhouse for a quick discussion with our Greenhouse Manager George Thumbi, after which the group received a demonstration from our greenhouse team on how to make a vertical garden. Women and girls living in our project area face a lot of challenges that are linked to gender inequality and cultural barriers. The United Nations Sustainable Development goal 5…
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Where are the Gaps in Conservation Finance?
The rate of magnificent biodiversity loss and rampant destruction of our natural forests that accelerate climate change are now too severe to ignore. If we have any chance of saving ourselves from the most devastating effects of climate change, financing the protection of our natural places needs to scale up quickly. Wildlife Works’ founder Mike Korchinsky spoke on a panel to discuss the gaps and opportunities in conservation finance at Stanford’s Natural Capital Symposium. This panel reviewed the evolution of conservation finance, explored what’s not working and more importantly, what is working and what other innovative models have potential to reverse the negative trend. The panelists: – Marilyn Waite Program Officer,…
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Boosting Reforestation Efforts in the Kasigau Corridor
By Jane Okoth In a tiny village, Juliana Karisa stood beside her house in anticipation as she watched a canter truck accompanied by Wildlife Works’ greenhouse team make its way through her compound. After a courteous greeting, she proceeds to direct the team to where the tree seedlings are located. The greenhouse team then loads the seedlings one by one into the truck under the close supervision of Greenhouse Supervisor Willy Kanyeki. Juliana and her family is one of hundreds of beneficiaries from the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project who have received cash in exchange for tree seedlings. In an effort to boost reforestation efforts in the region, Wildlife Works regularly…