Health Program Update - Kuku Sports Tournament

The third annual Kuku Sports Tournament was a great success!  Hosted in Iltilal, the tournament brought together 285 youth and coaches from Kuku Group Ranch, Nairobi, and Magadi.  This fun-filled, community-building event promotes exercise and sportsmanship while nurturing local athletic talent.  It also provides an excellent platform for health education and advocacy.  The theme of this year’s tournament was “Improving Reproductive Heath, Hygiene, and Sanitation.”  When not on the field, participants learned about the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM).  The tournament was jointly sponsored by the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, AMREF Health Africa, and Shokut Naretoi Community Project (a partner of Dorcas Aid International).

Twelve football (soccer) teams and six volleyball teams participated in the tournament, competing in a total of twenty-six football matches and fifteen volleyball matches.  In addition to the 285 participants, ten referees officiated and crowds of spectators gathered to watch.  The tournament began with a colorful opening ceremony and lasted for three days, with game play following a knock-out structure.

On the sidelines, a health station offered voluntary HIV testing and counseling services.  In the evenings, tournament participants attended health forums in their residential quarters.  One forum focused on female genital mutilation, while the other focused on responsible sexual behavior.

At the end of the tournament, organizers crowned first, second, and third place winners for both football and soccer.  All teams that placed received a trophy.  In the end, however, the ultimate winner is the community.  A Maasai elder hoisted a trophy on behalf of all to represent the importance of this group effort.  Physical activity, good sportsmanship, and health advocacy are essential to the well-being of all young people in Kuku Group Ranch.

MWCT and Absolute Travel Run the New York Marathon!

We are thrilled and proud to announce that Absolute Travel has chosen to join together with the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust this year to run the 2014 New York Marathon!  

The 2013 MWCT Marathon team!

Absolute Travel, named Travel + Leisure's World's Best Tour Operator, has put together an incredibly impressive team of 8 runners (all AT staff!) that will run alongside team MWCT at the beginning of November! 

 Joining from Kuku Group Ranch this year to run the marathon will be MWCT President and Chairman, Samson Parashina, returning marathon participant (and warrior), Jacob, and a fellow local warrior, Phillip!

An incredible amount of thanks needs to be given to Absolute Travel. Your dedication to join in on efforts of sustainability of conservation as ambassadors of of the planet is extraordinary, and on behalf of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and the Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch thank you for joining in to raise awareness and funds for the efforts and programs of MWCT. The outcome will have sustainable lasting benefits to thousands of Maasai and we could not be more happy for our joint action! See you in New York! 

The 2009 Marathon Team in the Chyulu Hills - in 2009 MWCT successfully raised
over $1 million towards Conservation, Health, and Education Programs!

Absolute Travel is extending tremendous outreach in hopes to raise $40 000 for MWCT (incredible!), you can support the 8 members of the Absolute Travel team in their efforts by visiting their CrowdRise page here!

Conservation Program Update - MWCT Rangers Go Digital!

MWCT Community Rangers have been pioneers in working with the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) conservation software for over a year. The implementation of systematic patrol planning, data collection, reporting and evaluation has improved ranger effectiveness significantly. A larger area has been covered by ranger patrols, the relationship with the community has improved, resulting in more information sharing regarding illegal activities and hence leading to a higher number of arrests. At the same time, charcoal burning and forest destruction decreased and poaching activity remained very limited on the group ranch. Elsewhere in Kenya poaching activity has increased tremendously in the same period and forest destruction is still a big issue.

MWCT Conservation Program Ranger Force

Currently, MWCT Community Rangers are further increasing their effectiveness by using Nexus 7 tablets (donated to us by Google) and a specific data collection application. This allows the rangers to improve the quality and accuracy of their collected data and do away with the more time consuming and complicated paper-based system. An easy pictogram based system is used to even allow illiterate rangers to operate the tablet!

Community Ranger utilizes the new innovative application on his tablet!

At this point, one ranger sector is fully trained and the one-week pilot is a big success! Soon training will be organized to introduce the digital data collection system to our entire ranger force. In this way, MWCT remains one of the leading ranger organizations in Kenya when it comes to ranger effectiveness and the use of new technologies!

Education Program Update - the Kanzi Academy is Back!

The Kanzi Academy opened its doors last week for the new school year 2014/2015!

We have the absolute joy of welcoming all children and staff back to school, nestled in the savannah in between the Chyulu Hills and Kilimanjaro!

Class 1 & 3 ready for the new year! 

As usual, we combine traditional teaching using both the UK and International Curriculum to offer the children a broad-based, holistic learning experience. This teaching, when combined with the richness of the environment, provides not only a feast for all the senses, but enables the children to learn experientially and explore their culture, their roots; their lore.

We aim to educate the children as much about the conservancy on which they live, as well as giving them a sense of 'bigger picture'. To be caretakers of our planet is a fundamental message for future living, survival and the integrity of our 'right' to be here.

Already this week, not only have we had some truly wonderful classroom experiences, where the children have shown much responsibility for their own learning alongside a solid work ethic... but we have been out in the wilderness to explore some very unique experiences indeed.

We had the opportunity to visit CCRC, where the rescued 2 week old Lesser Kudu was being loved and cared for. The children had the opportunity to learn its Maasai name feed it, and ask many questions about its future!

Enjoying feeding the lesser kudu!

We have also been lion tracking! With the help of the Conservation Team, we were able to borrow telemetry equipment that enabled us to track and locate Namunyak. She was relaxed and calm and truly a beautiful vision as she lay quietly on the lava, camouflaged by the surrounding bush.

Students of Class 3 eagerly keeping their eyes out for Namunyak!

Inside the school, we have transformed one of our rooms into a dedicated art room. This will be the centre of much creativity and imagination. As always, we will look at different artists, explore different materials and media and 'feel art'. We will also be using different types of music to inspire us... from Tibetan chanting to Bob Marley, as well as burning incense to give us a different, sensual experience to feed our creative energy. We are very grateful for the donation of some spectacular classic art prints to hang on the wall of this new art room.

Enjoying the newly dedicated art room

Finally, we have been fortunate enough to have 4 tablets donated by Google for the children to use right across the learning spectrum. Having such up-to-date technology enables us to app-based programmes to enhance learning!

Innovative learning with the new tablets

Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Karibu tena

Conservation Program Update - Lesser Kudu Rescue

Yesterday, the MWCT Conservation Team was called by Rangers in the field, to hear that a herder boy had found a very young abandoned lesser kudu. We went to the site to examine the case and found the beautiful young lesser kudu walking in the middle of a herd of goats. Unfortunately, the kudu was not in hiding as it should have been, and was out in an open area exposed to domestic dogs, and would certainly not survive the day.

The young herder with the abandoned lesser kudu

Therefore, we decided to take it with us, and we immediately called David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to collect the kudu and look after it appropriately. The vet said they would come to our camp to pick it up later in the week, and advised us to care for the little lesser kudu with 0.75 L of milk per day. Currently the lesser kudu is still at our camp and in a very good condition!

Conservation Manager, Dirk, providing daily milk at CCRC