Community Project in Kenya
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Poverty: More than 12,000 people live on the edge of the Sanctuary, yet there is little paid employment in this area. Most people are small-scale subsistence farmers, growing maize and a few livestock for food. However, nearly half the population cannot meet their basic food requirements even after spending their entire income on food. Literacy levels here are in the lowest bracket in Kenya with as little as 37% of females having basic literacy. According to government statistics, absolute poverty in this area is as high as 66%.
Droughts: This area is seasonally arid with sunshine almost every day and the average annual rainfall is low and unpredictable. This results in a constant risk of droughts or severe localised flooding. Prolonged droughts over the past few years have made life extremely challenging for both the people and the wildlife living here. Rainfall variability is a problem for both agriculture and health; large areas of farmland are rendered unproductive and the majority of people still have little or no access to clean water.
Human-Wildlife Conflict : Due to the tough climatic conditions coupled with a rapidly expanding human population, this area has one of the highest human wildlife conflict levels, as animals and people are forced to compete for dwindling resources such as space, water and food. Poaching for illegal bush meat has reached a critical level, illegal deforestation for charcoal production remains rife, farmers are poisoning lions to protect their livestock and elephants are coming into contact with people more frequently as they enter farmland in search of food. Rukinga Sanctuary acts as a safe haven for over 50 species of mammal, 4 of which are endangered or threatened; Elephant, Grevvy’s zebra, cheetah and African wild dog. However, it is an ongoing battle to protect the sanctuary’s wildlife and beyond its boundaries there is little or no protection for them.
Community
We have committed to at least a 15-year development and conservation programme based in Rukinga Sanctuary. Over the past 4 years, our projects have helped to improve the productivity of the landscape and provide employment and financial support to thousands of families, as well as contributing to the preservation of Africa’s natural and cultural heritage. We have created waterholes for wildlife, planted thousands of trees and worked to improve the lives of several communities that border the sanctuary by building classrooms, stopping erosion, supplying fresh water to children and supporting a women’s group.
Sustainable development and conservation of wildlife and the environment are inextricably linked and must be tackled together with equal attention to ensure a bright future for this area. With your help we can change the lives of this community forever in just two short weeks.
2012 is also the year of the London Olympics and we hope that this challenge will bring both Olympic ideals and energy to this remote corner of Kenya. We have combined this trip with Peace One Day and the culmination of this epic challenge will be on 21st September to celebrate world peace day in the best way possible – with those people who need it the most.
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