Soysambu Conservancy

Category: Community, Conservation, Education, Rothschild Giraffe, Wildlife | Date: Nov 06 2009 | By: Kate Jennings

Warning: The blog below contains links to some graphic images…

Poaching for the bush meat trade has long been a problem on Soysambu.

Trespassers break onto The Conservancy and set snares - nooses made from lengths of wire, attached to a tree, bush or fence and hung over animal trails (see image below).

The unwitting animal, be it an Impala, Gazelle, Zebra, Buffalo, Eland etc, walks into the snare and becomes trapped. The more it pulls or struggles the tighter the snare becomes, eventually leading to a cruel death by suffocation. The animal is then collected and either eaten, or the meat sold.

Continue Reading »

Tags: Bush meat trade, Kenya, poaching, Soysambu Conservancy

No responses yet

Category: Community, Conservation, Great White Pelican, Habitat Preservation, Ramsar, Wildlife | Date: Nov 05 2009 | By: Kate Jennings

This article written by Beatrice Obwocha appeared in the Kenyan national newspaper The Standard today (5//11/09)

From the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, the shoreline of Lake Elementaita looks like a desert surrounding a small patch of water.

The western and eastern shores of the lake hold little patches of water from hot springs while the main basin of one of Rift Valley’s smallest lakes is turning into a dust bowl.

One gets the impression that they can walk right across the remaining muddy patch that stretches several kilometres.

When strong winds blow, a whirlwind of grey dust sweeps right across the lake whose water levels have declined to less than half a metre deep.

Not even water from the recent rains pounding Nakuru and its environs seem to have made a difference on the lake.

Thousand of flamingos that used to line its shores, giving them a pink hue, have migrated elsewhere as the lake’s water level has declined to its lowest in 20 years.
Continue Reading »

Tags: , Flamingo, Soysambu Conservancy, The Standard

No responses yet

Category: Community, Habitat Preservation | Date: Nov 03 2009 | By: Kate Jennings

Soysambu Conservancy has just entered in America’s Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $$$! The competition is only running for another 5 days so we may be out of the running for the $50,000 major prize, but there are daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period.

The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn’t matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause.We all need to come together and start promoting Soysambu Conservancy to win some money to help conserve this beautiful patch of land.

Each of us has tonnes of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let’s think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why Soysambu Conservancy matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let’s talk about what we can do to win on the Conservancy Cause Wall or by replying to this bulletin.I think we can do it! But it’s going to take all of us.

Check out the Giving Challenge ( www.causes.com ), then visit our cause to see how we’re doing so far and get involved.

You can donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/donations/

Let’s win some money for Soysambu Conservancy!

Thank you

Kate Jennings

No responses yet

Category: Community | Date: Oct 22 2009 | By: Soysambu guest blogger

Kendall Smith recently spent several weeks volunteering in one of the medical clinics on the Conservancy.

As I look back, I am continually blown away by the rich culture and amazing people that I encountered On Soysambu. While working in the clinic, I experienced first-hand the health care standards of rural Kenya. Although a major medical facility is located nearby in the town of Nakuru, most Kenyans who live on the ranch visit the clinic for general concerns. With only one nurse in the clinic, we stayed busy giving vaccinations, prenatal check-ups, administering medication and performing minor surgery.

Although we did not have advanced medical equipment, we were able to treat most ailments or, if necessary, refer patients to the larger hospital. Because the clinic and medications are supported by donations, patients typically paid a small fee for service. Residents were so thankful to have access to medical treatment at Soysambu, even if they had to walk quite a distance or wait for care. On several occasions, the nurse and I walked to local village communities to administer vitamins and de-worming medications.

From this experience I learned how thankful people were to know that others cared about their health. I am so grateful for all the amazing people I met at Soysambu and am continually impressed by their commitment to their neighbors, the
animals and the land.

Kendall Smith, 2010 degree candidate, Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Oregon State University, USA

No responses yet

Category: Community, Education | Date: Sep 11 2009 | By: Soysambu guest blogger

Holly Fagan tells of her experience volunteering at Mbogo Primary, one of the two primary schools on Soysambu Conservancy

Before I arrived in Kenya I spent the last few months raising money for this little school deep in the heart of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. I knew they were in need but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. The dirt floors are rocky and hazardous, the desks are rotten and splintering, there are almost no chairs – even for the teachers - the doors and shutters are falling off their hinges – if there are any at all - and learning resources are virtually non-existent.

Yet, the children there are some of the most cheerful, delightful and enchanting children I have ever met. When I first arrived they were quite shy around me because they’re not used to visitors, but their curiosity overtook their unease and I soon had the whole school crowded around me with outstretched hands. I’m sure I shook some of those hands three or four times!

I started off helping out in the Nursery class which was great fun – the children have so little they get quite excited about really basic things such as glue! I’ve also been teaching English and Maths and Science to the older students. There is a huge range of abilities and potential in the classes. Some of the students are very bright and eager to learn whereas others barely speak. It must be difficult to teach such a varied class. When I went to the school one of the teachers, Florence, was trying to teach Classes One, Two and Three. That’s pupils aged five to nine. I took Class Three for her and taught them in the morning. The pupils were so enthusiastic and polite and I really enjoyed it.

I find it difficult to explain how it felt but it was a very good feeling; being able to help the children and communicate with them. I felt “lifted” by the experience, like I had done something really important and worthwhile. It was the most gratifying thing I have ever done and I feel very privileged to have had this experience.

The children need exercise books, textbooks, pencils, rubbers, sharpeners, basic school equipment that they just don’t have! They even need clothes and shoes. The money I’ve raised is going towards next term’s feeding programme. For many of the children it is the only hot meal they get a day and it is only a cup of uji, or thin porridge, but I realise now how much more they need, so I will try to continue with my fundraising.

Tags: fundraising, lunch program, Soysambu Conservancy, volunteering

No responses yet

Category: Community, Education, Great White Pelican, Rothschild Giraffe, Wildlife | Date: Sep 03 2009 | By: Kate Jennings

We’ve had quite a busy time in here these last two months!

In early July we had a group of people associated with the George Mason Uni (GMU) in America come out to see Suganoi House, the site of the Conservancy’s CREATE (Centre for Research, Environment and Arts Teaching on Elmenteita). We had a great time and the outcomes from the two weeks work were really positive. The research centre once up and running will have a laboratory, art centre museum and library, dorm rooms and tented camping, communal dining room, bar and out door recreation area. All this will be available to groups of researchers, artists, volunteers and anyone else wanting to spend time at the conservancy for work or research! A lot of work to be done and funds to be raised but it can all be done! The GMU folk also kindly donated exercise books, mathematic sets, and soccer balls to both the primary schools on the conservancy, Mbogo and Kiboko Primary- all of which were received very well! Mbogo Primary also had a volunteer, Holly Fagan from England, help with teaching some of the older classes as well as games with the nursery school. Holly had conducted several fundraisers at her school in the UK and was able to raise enough money to support the Mbogo Primary porridge program for the remainder of the year. Well done Holly!

In late July we had Gene Rurka, Chairman for Humanitarian Services of Safari Care International (SCI), spend two weeks out here working with the local communities and Soysambu Conservancy on several projects. SCI donated 50 desks and 5 microscopes to local schools, 100 portable stoves to local families. On top of this the big project was installing a 4600L tank water piping to bring water from a bore-hole on the west of the property to the medical clinic at in Elmenteita village. Soysambu Conservancy, SCI and the people of Elmenteita worked hard for the two weeks, digging and burying 5km of piping, installing fittings and erecting the tank and tank stand. It all paid off in the end, seeing the looks of happiness on the locals faces as the fresh drinking water flowed into the village for the first time!

That brings us to August. This month we have 3 volunteers, Kendall Smith has been helping the nurse in the Soysambu Conservancy clinic just near the head office. Shalyn Pack and Allan Turner have been continuing the studies on the Rothschild’s giraffe population. This is helping us to further our understanding of the population dynamics and total number of giraffe we have here – they have confirmed sightings of 42, including one brand new baby! They are also studying the impact the giraffe are having on the acacia trees around the western side of the lake shore- they are stripping bark from the trees which in many cases is ring barking the tree leading to its death. We want to know why this stripping is happening and whether or not it is sustainable to the future of the trees in that area. Alan is also starting to do some monitoring of the lake levels, to get an idea of how fast the water is receding.

This month the CEO Kat Combes house became an animal shelter when we had an injured flamingo named Nekundu (swahili for pink) living with us for a short while. Nekundu had flown into a power line and damaged the nerve in her right leg, so she was unable to stand. She had also had some damage to her left wing. The vet and flamingo expert weighed in with their knowledge, and we fixed Nekundu a delicious mix of bread, spinach and lake algae. Sadly despite all our TLC Nekundu died after five days.

So for now we are all keeping busy catching up on office work. We have been getting a little bit of rain each day the last week or so. Hopefully it will keep up as the lake is drying up at a rather alarming rate. All the pelican chicks that have just hatched need the water as a barrier from predators.

Tags: community projects, Lake Elmentieita, Soysambu Conservancy, volunteers

No responses yet

Category: Community, Education | Date: Jun 11 2009 | By: monicanjeri

Mbogo Primary School is located right in the middle of Soysambu Conservancy and most of the pupils have to walk a long distance, up to two hours, to school everyday with nothing to eat at lunchtime. To help the children, Soysambu Conservancy has started a school lunch programme that now provides hot porridge for all the pupils.  The parents take turns to cook and serve the porridge every day.   Soysambu Conservancy Staff, Sarah Omusula and Monica Njeri supervise the lunch programme.    The children enjoy their lunch in whatever shade they can find   Volunteer teacher Victoria keeping the  Nursery Children company                On behalf of the children of Mbogo Primary School we thank Westhill Park School UK and Tammy Quartermass for their generous donations and the enormous difference it has made to the pupils.           Soysambu Conservancy is now appealing for more donations to continue this beneficial Supplementary Food Programme which will help the children through their lessons.      

Tags: children, fatigue, lack of concentration, Primary School Food Program, starvation

2 responses so far

Category: Community, Conservation | Date: Mar 02 2009 | By: gvetch

This guest post is written by Josephine Walker a Princeton University undergraduate who spent five days studying community conservation at
Soysambu with Paula Kahumbu and Dino Martins.

Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment.

Over the course of our stay at Soysambu, we had the opportunity to meet and talk to people from many different neighboring villages, including groups of Maasai and Turkana women.  We had arranged to meet with both groups at the same place and time, but when we got there the Turkana women had not yet arrived.  When they showed up, they stood apart from the Maasai, and the two groups eyed each other warily.  Both groups were decked out in traditional ceremonial garb.  The Maasai women were adorned with wide beaded necklaces and draped in red patterned cloths.  The Turkana were dressed in more Western looking skirts and button down shirts, but covered them up with stacks of necklaces and beads strung across their chests.  They wore headdresses of yarn and beads, although one woman’s was made of zippers.

A Maasai woman, Agnes with her daughter Sarah

Turkana Women
After we finished asking the Maasai about how they felt about the Conservancy, they moved away and the Turkana women stood in their place to answer the same questions.  Despite differences in the languages they speak and the clothes they wear, both groups are facing the same problems: lack of access to water, employment, and education for their children.  The two groups live near to each other just outside the border of Soysambu.  The Turkana and Maasai women walk between 10 and 20 km to the same water source to fetch water, and carry it home in 20 liter jugs on their backs, a trip that takes the whole day.  Their children go to the same school, a one-room schoolhouse which serves 70 children.  As a result of overcrowding, the children must take turns studying, in two hour shifts.  Since the start of the community outreach program at Soysambu just a few months ago, the women have been allowed into the Conservancy to cut firewood, which they may use themselves or sell.  Some of the men have been hired as casual workers for construction or haymaking.  This is an excellent change from the past, when community members trespassed in order to graze their cattle or poach, and were often arrested for it.  Soysambu is in the process of building a better relationship with their neighbors, but there is still much to be done to help these communities help themselves improve their quality of life.

Despite the hardships they face, the women were energetic and wanted to dance for us after we finished our discussions.  The Maasai women went first, the whole group moving their bodies in synch and singing in a call and response style.  The Turkana songs were rhythmic because the women stomped their feet as they danced.  At first, the two groups went back and forth in a sort of dance-off, but the music was infectious and the women were soon dancing along to each other’s songs in a big crowd.  The women grabbed our hands and pulled us in, and we could no longer stand as observers of the merriment.  Dancing together, I felt a connection to these women that was much more personal than that between interviewer and interviewees.  The women welcomed us to their celebration and the two groups welcomed each other.  The heat of the early afternoon beat down on us, but we all celebrated our different lives in one dance, together.

The Maasai women on the left are joining in with the Turkana’s dance and I am dancing too, which made filming difficult…

e

Josephine with Turkana Women

One response so far

Category: Community, Conservation | Date: Feb 24 2009 | By: gvetch

This is a guest post from Sam Borchard of Princeton University who has been studying community conservation at Soysambu for 5 days as part of an undergraduate conservation course taught by Paula Kahumbu

Enjoy and please feel free to comment.

Eco-Tourism and Poverty

On our first day at the Soysambu Ranch we were given a tour of a brand new ecotourism resort being built on one of the hills of the conservancy.  A series of thatched roof private cottages already dot the hillside, and more are currently under construction.

Huts

Although this resort is still a ways away from completion, some idea of what the final product may look like can be seen in a similar ecotourism area just down the road.  Here the same thatched huts are filled with stunningly beautiful furniture, and are surrounded by luxury facilities including a pool, restaurant, and bar.

Eco-Hut

Ecotourism is often touted as a way to bring money in to an area and improve the lives of local people.  Visitors to these resorts pay 11,000 shillings ($140) per night, money which ideally would trickle down to those in the lowest depths of poverty.  Later that afternoon we had a chance to visit and speak with just such a community – a group of Maasai women and children living on a small patch of land outside the conservancy.  The men in the group had left to find better grazing land for their cattle, and would likely be gone for a month or more, leaving the women with no animals and no source of income while they were gone.

Maasai Kids

The bare degraded landscape and uneven, ramshackle homes stood in stark contrast to the beautiful cottages on the hillside we saw earlier that morning.  None of the Maasai women spoke English, and only one spoke Swahili.  Of the thirty children we saw only three were enrolled in school, the others having been forbidden by their fathers.  One of the women said to us, through a translator, that without education they would be nothing.

I began to wonder how on earth these people could be helped by the creation of the lodge – breaking from their pastoralist culture to work at the lodge would be difficult, and the chance of them getting a job there without knowing English or Swahili is almost zero.  Capitalizing on tourism opportunities by selling beadwork and other goods is also impractical – although they live only a few kilometers from the resort their settlement isn’t easily accessible by car, and most tourists don’t enjoy going out of their way to look poverty in the face.

The unfortunate truth is that the problems facing these communities are far too complex to have easy solutions, and the hope that ecotourism alone can lift them out of poverty is fanciful.  However there is some good news – with a mindful focus on community improvement, outfits like the future ecotourism resort can be a piece of the solution.  One of the last things to come up during our discussion with the Maasai women was the fact that the resort, even though it has yet to generate any income, is paying for six of their children – four girls and two boys –  to attend a boarding school.  It may be a small start but at least it’s a move in the right direction.

One response so far

Category: 1, Community, Conservation, Education, Great White Pelican, Habitat Preservation, Ramsar, Rothschild Giraffe, Wildlife, endangered species | Date: Jan 31 2009 | By: soysambuconservancy

Students at Mbogo Primary School on Soysambu have begun writing students at Lincoln Elementary School in Mundelein, Illinois in the USA. It was quite the project. Artist Michelle McCune brought the letters out when she came on safari in late November. Sarah Omasula, our Community Education director began working with the students and teachers at Mbogo Primary School which is a short hike from the Conservancy’s head office. Charles Muthui, the Conservancy’s Community and Wildlife Manager introduced the programme.  Bro Jenkins, a former school teacher in Nairobi assisted Sarah with handing out the letters and over two days helped with everything from handing out biscuits to explaining what a Pen Pal friend meant. One of our new rangers filmed the project with very old video camera. He took some amazing footage which  compiled into this very amateur video. It really shows the enthusiasm and hard work to complete the letters. These children came off their school break, donned their uniforms (those that were fortunate to have hand-me-downs). Many walked quite a distance on two separate days. I hope you enjoy the video and  wish to give to their school needs such as food, water, desks, supplies, uniforms, building repair, power and so much more!

Tags: Artists and Education, Community, Community Outreach Kenya, Conservation Education, Education, Kenyan Students, Pen Pals, Wildlife

No responses yet