With the ever-growing pressure on land use and human-wildlife conflict, the future for Kenya’s wildlife is at risk due to loss of habitat.
Here we explain why human intervention is essential to the survival of many of our most iconic species …
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On February 28, 2025, three young conservationists—Noah Sunde, Dan Pere, and Gladys Minis—achieved a significant milestone by graduating with distinction from the Wildlife Tourism College of Maasai Mara (formerly the Koiyaki Guiding School). Their success is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the power of education in shaping the future of conservation and eco-tourism in Kenya.
Their journey was made possible through the Gamewatchers Guiding Scholarship, an initiative designed to provide opportunities for promising Maasai youth who are passionate about wildlife but may not have the financial means to pursue formal training in safari guiding and conservation management. This graduation marks the beginning of an exciting chapter—not only for these graduates but for the communities and wildlife they will help protect.
The Wildlife Tourism College of Maasai Mara located in Pardat Conservation Area, was established in 2005 under the name Koiyaki Guiding School. Each year, the institution enrolls 26 students, equipping them with the skills necessary to become professional safari guides, conservationists, and ambassadors for responsible tourism.
Gamewatchers Safaris has long been committed to community-led conservation, ensuring that local people benefit directly from protecting Kenya’s wilderness. By sponsoring students at the Wildlife Tourism College, we are not just supporting individuals—we are investing in the future stewards of Kenya’s ecosystems.
Through the scholarship program, students receive full or partial financial assistance, allowing them to complete their training and gain industry-recognized certifications such as the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) exams and the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) certification. For Gamewatchers Safaris, the scholarship is more than just education—it is about ensuring that conservation efforts are community-led, sustainable, and impactful. With over 90% of Porini Camps’ staff coming from the surrounding communities, this initiative directly contributes to employment, skills development, and long-term conservation efforts.
Gladys Nabaya Minis: A Trailblazer for Women in Conservation
At just 20 years old, Gladys from Ol Kinyei Conservancy has already defied the odds. As a single mother, she faced financial challenges, but her passion for wildlife and determination led her to earn a Distinction in her KNEC exams and pass her Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) Bronze exam. Gladys did her internship at the Porini Ol Kinyei Safari Cottages to further equip her with practical experience, allowing her to apply her skills in a real-world setting. With her newfound qualifications, Gladys is poised to become a leading female guide, inspiring more women to pursue careers in conservation.
Daniel Pere: A Guiding Light for His Family & Wildlife
As the firstborn in a family of 30, a husband and a father of two, Pere understands responsibility. His dream is to use his guiding skills to uplift his family while protecting Kenya’s wildlife. Despite challenges, he scored 67% in his KPSGA exam and achieved a Distinction in his KNEC exams. During his internship at Porini Mara Camp, he gained hands-on experience, boosting his confidence and preparing him for a future as a professional guide
Noah Sunde: Championing Conservation in Selenkay
Growing up in Selenkay Conservancy, Noah was inspired by expert guides from Porini Camps. With Gamewatchers’ sponsorship, he pursued his dream, excelling in his KPSGA Bronze Exam and KNEC Final Exam. His internship at Porini Rhino Camp strengthened his skills, and now, he is eager to promote sustainable tourism and conservation in Selenkay, ensuring his community benefits from responsible travel.
The graduation of Noah, Dan, and Gladys is not just a milestone for them personally—it is a victory for conservation in Kenya. As newly qualified guides, they will help protect and preserve Kenya’s diverse ecosystems by sharing their knowledge with visitors. Their expertise will ensure that safari experiences remain authentic and deeply connected to local culture while playing a vital role in educating guests on sustainable tourism practices and the importance of conservation. They will also serve as role models for other young Maasai individuals who aspire to work in eco-tourism.
By investing in local talent, Gamewatchers Safaris ensures that the future of conservation is in the hands of those who have grown up in these landscapes and understand their significance better than anyone else.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this program is how every guest staying at Porini Safari Camps directly contributes to education and employment opportunities for young Maasai men and women. By choosing eco-tourism over mass tourism, visitors help fund scholarships, create jobs, and support the protection of Kenya’s wildlife and wilderness areas.
As more travelers seek ethical and sustainable safari experiences, programs like the Gamewatchers Guiding Scholarship prove that tourism can be a force for positive change—benefiting both people and the planet.
For Noah, Dan, and Gladys, this graduation is just the beginning. Their journey from students to professional guides means that future safari guests may soon find themselves exploring Kenya’s breathtaking conservancies under their expert guidance. Their success is a reminder that investing in people is just as important —if not more—than protecting wildlife, because conservation thrives when communities are part of the solution.
The success of our scholarship program would not be possible without the generosity of those who believe in the power of education and conservation. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to:
Additionally, further support was provided to ensure Gladys Minis and Dan Pere could successfully complete their studies.
Your generosity has helped shape the future of young conservationists, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to protect wildlife and natural heritage. Thank you for making a lasting impact!
Every booking with Porini Camps supports initiatives like the Gamewatchers Guiding Scholarship, ensuring that conservation remains community-driven, sustainable, and effective. Want to experience a safari that makes a difference? Book your stay with Porini Camps and be part of the movement to empower future conservationists.Learn more about our community projects and how you can help here: https://wildlifehabitattrust.org/trust-projects/
Posted on 19th March 2025
By Ivy Vuguza
Expanding Educational Opportunities in Rural Schools with WiLearn Digital Learning Initiative
At Gamewatchers Safaris, our commitment to conservation goes hand in hand with empowering communities through education. The Digital Smart Learning Project, implemented in partnership with WiLearn 4 Life Foundation and funded by the PD Foundation, is a testament to this commitment. By introducing digital learning to rural schools, we are bridging the gap between traditional education and the demands of a modern, connected world.
January Assessment Visit
Early this month, January 7th to 10th, 2025, Wildlife Habitat CEO Naheed Popat, along with WiLearn representatives Roland Diethelm (CEO of WiLearn 4 Life) conducted an assessment visit for the digital smart learning project in the Maasai Mara. They visited five schools in Ol Kinyei and Mara Ripoi, including:
The visit aimed to assess how the digital learning kits are being utilized, identify any challenges, evaluate hardware and software performance, and understand the benefits for students and teachers. WiLearn also hosted training sessions with teachers, ensuring they could maximize the potential of the kits and digital content.
Positive Feedback and Promising Results
The visit was a success, with teachers and students expressing enthusiasm about the digital learning kits. While challenges remain, such as ensuring consistent use and addressing technical issues, the transformative impact on education was evident. The kits have empowered students to go beyond traditional learning methods, offering them access to modern, interactive content that enriches their understanding of the world.
Expanding Digital Learning in the Mara
Last year, we celebrated a major milestone with the inclusion of Nkineji Primary School, located within the Mara Ripoi conservancy community, in our digital learning program. This addition brought the total number of participating schools in the Mara region to five. These schools now benefit from WiLearn 4 Life smart learning kits, which include solar-powered charging systems, MsingiPack servers, Smartviewer projectors, screens, Bluetooth speakers, WiFi modems, and headsets.
These tools are tailored for rural settings, enabling effective learning even in schools without internet or access to the national power grid. In September, teachers at Nkineji Primary completed a three-day training program, equipping them to seamlessly integrate these tools into their lessons.
WiLearn Projects in Selenkay, Amboseli
In addition to the schools in the Mara, WiLearn is also active in Ololulunga Supat and Iloirero primary schools, based in the community surrounding Selenkay Conservancy within the Amboseli region. These two active digital learning projects, further extend the reach of this initiative and exemplify how conservation and education can work together to empower communities.
A Brighter Future Through Digital Education
The Digital Smart Learning Project demonstrates the power of collaboration between eco-tourism, conservation, and community development. By equipping schools with solar-powered digital tools, we are not only empowering students but also promoting sustainable practices. This project, which aims to expand to 10 schools, reflects our belief that Kenya’s youth are the future stewards of its ecosystems. By providing them with access to quality education, we’re helping to shape a generation of leaders who understand the importance of balancing development with conservation.
Teachers from the schools involved in the program have shared their feedback, emphasizing the positive impact of the digital learning tools:
“The use of tablets and projectors as a means of delivering content to learners is excellent, even though they are not enough for the whole school,” says Mr. Danson Shololo from Oloibormut Primary School. “These tools help us engage students in ways we couldn’t before.”
At Ilmonchin Primary School, Mr. Raphael shared, “The projector is the best gadget in delivering content since most learners will participate in learning. Tablets are often used by ECD learners (PP1, PP2, and Grade 1) because they have smaller classes.”
This positive feedback from teachers underscores how the Digital Smart Learning Project complements the Kenyan government’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). In remote schools, where access to digital tools was previously limited, this project has enabled them to meet the CBC’s requirements, which emphasize the development of digital learning skills. The project’s efficient, solar-powered charging solution for up to 20 tablets at once addresses the significant power challenges these schools face. By providing a reliable way to charge devices and offering a wealth of digital learning content, the project is making a meaningful impact in these schools.
How You Can Help
Your support can make a difference in this transformative initiative. You can learn more about the project and contribute here: https://donorbox.org/digital-smart-learning-project.
Together, we can bridge the digital divide, create opportunities, and build a sustainable future for Kenya’s communities and wildlife.
By Ivy Vuguza
Posted on 16th January 2025
As the sun rises over rural landscapes of Kenya, a silent struggle unfolds in the classrooms of remote schools. For many young girls, their education journey is disrupted by the natural rhythm of their bodies. Absences during menstrual cycles, lasting anywhere from three to seven days, create a stark disparity in learning opportunities between genders. Coupled with the pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation, these challenges cast a shadow over the educational prospects of young girls in these communities.
As part of our commitment to helping improve the communities around conservancies where Porini Camps are located, Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps partnered with PadMad, a social enterprise based in Kenya keen on addressing period poverty, and donated reusable sanitary towels to over 170 girls and boys of Endonyo Narasha Primary School in Narok county, on International Women’s Day 2024.
65% of women in Kenya cannot afford the necessities to manage their periods. This is according to a report from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). These statistics have profound implications for women’s health and more so on their education and overall well-being of school-going girls of menstruating age who end up missing school regularly.
According to Peris Njeri, a dedicated nutrition teacher at the school, a prevalent issue among female students is their frequent absence from classes due to the unavailability of sanitary pads. This recurring challenge not only disrupts their education but also has far-reaching consequences on the academic performance and well-being of these young girls.
“Most of the parents are quite ignorant. They don’t understand the importance of Sanitary Pads so you find sometimes they send the girls to us here in school and the girls are in their periods and they don’t have the sanitary pads or if not so, they retain the girls at home and it becomes quite a challenge, even when the girls come to us after the 3 days, they are quite embarrassed because it’s like everybody knows the reason why they didn’t come to school,” explains the teacher.
“Sometimes they fail to come to school altogether for a period of up to a whole week because they don’t have their pads so majorly they opt to stay at home. And you find that in a day, it becomes quite obvious in a day, you can’t get a full class of girls because almost every day there’s a girl who has missed and it’s quite a challenge to us,” she adds.
The school occasionally receives sanitary pads from the local government. However, these donations are sporadic and insufficient to meet the needs of all the girls in the school. The inconsistency of these donations exacerbates the challenge of ensuring adequate menstrual hygiene management for the female students.
PadMad, a Kenyan social enterprise, is committed to tackling period poverty through the provision of a sustainable solution: reusable sanitary towels. In addition to supplying these eco-friendly pads, the organization offers comprehensive education on Menstrual Health Management and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights to underprivileged and marginalized communities. What sets PadMad apart is its approach to production: the sanitary towels are meticulously stitched in rural Kenyan communities using locally sourced materials, thereby not only meeting a crucial need but also empowering marginalized women through employment opportunities.
“So we work on three pillars. One is education, empowerment and environment. So we have an educational program which we run in schools for boys and girls and community members. And the empowerment, we try and employ marginalized women and some men, so for example incarcerated or ex-cons, incarcerated women, teen mums, etc. as part of our program to manufacture reusable pads. And environmental products are very long-lasting and they’re 100% biodegradable,” says Madhvi Dalal, PadMad Founder and Director.
For years, the organization has partnered with Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps, stemming from research conducted by Gamewatchers. This research uncovered a troubling reality: a considerable number of school-going girls in the vicinity of Ol Kinyei Conservancy were confronted with challenges leading to high dropout rates. Among these challenges was the unavailability and unaffordability of essential items like sanitary towels, compounded by their limited accessibility in nearby areas.
“The reason why we are supporting the school with this is to reduce the number of girls that drop out as a result of a challenge faced due to lack of sanitary pads in the school, in the community, and there is nowhere to buy them around. So usually when they are on their period stage, then they opt to go away from school, and finally they are just married and go off,” said Ol Kinyei Conservancy Senior Warden Simon Nkoitoi, during the donation.
The donation event held on International Women’s Day 2024 aligned perfectly with the theme of the year: ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress.’ It championed gender parity by educating both girls and boys on menstrual health, emphasizing the importance of equal access to essential resources for all.
“Well, we’re trying to aim to solve a big problem. So basically we’re trying to bring dignity into this whole, to make sure that the girl child can continue to go to school and if she is, then she can then maybe go for employment, peer-to-peer, and have that kind of elevation in whatever she is wanting to do and then maybe she can empower herself, empower family and the community to make sure that we really try to bring in dignity to the whole community,” said PadMad Director, Madhvi Dalal.
The director of PadMad emphasized the significance of involving boys in the conversation to cultivate understanding and eradicate period teasing and stigma.
“So today we have 170 girls and probably an equal number of boys who have benefited from the program, but to date we’ve impacted more than 61,100 girls and more than 50,000 boys. Educating the boy child is not even a question anymore. We need to do this. The reason why is because they are part of our community. They need to understand what is happening to girls. Girls need to also know that they feel safe peer-to-peer. And there are so many other consequences. Teen pregnancy, there’s so much education which goes with it. So they realize they are all in this community together,” explained Madhvi.
The event encompassed educational sessions for both girls and boys, featuring demonstrations on the proper use of reusable pads. The session concluded with pupils being taught affirmations aimed at boosting their self-confidence. The students gleaned valuable lessons from the session.
Solomon Kibelekenya, a student who participated in the sessions, shared, “Nimejifunza kama ni mwenzako ama wewe ni mvulana na umekuta msichana, hiyo damu imeingia kwa nguo zake si vizuri kumchekelea na si vizuri kumdharau. Ni vizuri kwenda kuambia mwezake ama marafiki mwenye anaweza kumsaidia” (I have learned that if you are a boy and you’ve seen a girl who has soiled her clothes, it is not good to laugh at her or look down on her. It’s good to go to her fellow female student or her friend who can help her).
Amina Kiok, another student at the school, expressed, “Nimegundua kuwa ukipata period ni mzuri kwako kwa sababu ukipata MP utapata watoto” (I have realized that getting your period is good because it is a sign that you will get babies in the future).
The school expressed gratitude for the donations, stating that they will supplement the assistance received from the local government. Furthermore, the girls will no longer need to spend at least Ksh 100 each month on disposable pads, which contribute significantly to pollution due to their high plastic content and improper disposal. Instead, they have received reusable sanitary kits, which are eco-friendly alternatives.
“We are very much grateful because they’ve come to us when we really needed their help. We’ve been waiting for government donation and has not yet come so it was quite a challenge since we opened school. We are very much grateful to Padmad and Porini, they’ve been of great help and we are going to hope and pray this won’t be the last time. They’ll keep coming so that we can help the girl child in our area,” said Teacher Njeri.
“We are very happy and the school is very happy that they received that number. These sanitary pads are reusable, they can be used for up to five, six years as opposed to the normal plastic which is disposable and they litter all over and they fill up our toilets and now these ones are reusable. They can be washed and now they can be reused again,” added Nkoitoi, representing Gamewatchers and Porini Camps, during the donation event.
PadMad has also in the past distributed sanitary towels to other schools within the Ol Kinyei Community including Oloibormurt and Kishermoruak Primary school and this was the first time, the pads were being donated in Endonyo Narasha Primary school. In Selenkay Community, PadMad distributed this important kits to three schools including Iloirero, Lenkisem and Iltuleta primary schools in 2022.
Your support can make a significant difference in combating period poverty. Madhvi emphasizes that donations and raising awareness are crucial steps towards ending this pervasive issue.
“People can support these projects through, obviously, donations in any currency, but also to bring in awareness, to make sure that they’re spreading positive things about menstruation and just to have dialogues in their homes and men but also to bring in awareness, to make sure that they’re spreading positive things about menstruation and just to have dialogues in their homes and men talking to their daughters about this,” said PadMad Director, Madhvi.
Your contribution will directly impact the lives of young girls by providing them with reusable menstrual kits, offering long-term solutions to their menstrual hygiene needs. These kits, consisting of liners, pads, and holders, are not only eco-friendly but also durable, lasting up to five years.
Join us in making a difference by supporting our community projects. Together, we can ensure that every girl has access to the resources she needs to manage her period with confidence and dignity. Learn more about how you can get involved by visiting our website: https://porinisafaricamps.com/join-hands/
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to acclaimed wildlife photographer Alison Mees and her generous friends for their donation of £550 towards the reusable pads. Your support is deeply appreciated and will make a meaningful difference in the lives of young girls.
Let’s work together to create a world where period poverty is a thing of the past. Thank you for your support!
Our Porini Giraffe Camp in the new Mara Ripoi Conservancy (Masai Mara) is one of the few safari camps with women safari guides …
Everlyne Siololo is from the local Maasai community whose land is in the Ripoi Conservancy and is a guide with Gamewatchers.
We’re committed to growing the number of community ladies that are part of the Gamewatchers family and we are also sponsoring ladies at the Wildlife Colleg
We were delighted that the UK’s The Guardian newspaper recently featured an article regarding the importance of the increasing involvement of Maasai women in their communities – you can read the article here: The Guardian online
A Maasai women group from the Greater Maasai Mara region in the former Ol Kinyei Group Ranch has benefit from a 3,000-litre solar-powered milk coolant donated by the World Wide Foundation for Nature(WWF) with funding from the German government in partnership with Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps.
Dubbed “Ol Kiwu Self-help group” the 18-member group received the milk coolant as a result of leasing their land out for wildlife habitat conservation and tourism. Land which today constitutes the 18,700-acre Ol Kinyei Conservancy. 15 out of the 18 group members are Ol Kinyei landowners.
The coolant, officially launched on 30th April 2022 at Endonyo Narasha, is aimed at providing an alternative income to the Maasai women who will sell their product to commercial milk suppliers at a better price thus improving their livelihood. The Maasai’s life is largely centered on cattle herding and this project will enable them to increase the income they receive from the same cattle.
WWF has installed a total of 56 solar panels to power the milk coolant. Speaking during the launch of the project, WWF Kenya, Sub-landscape Coordinator, Samson Lenjirr said that the WWF is committed to improving the livelihoods of people who commit their land to wildlife habitat conservation.
“This is a purely 100% funding from WWF Germany and what we call the BMZ II that is through the Federal Ministry of Corporation through WWF and majorly what this has done is to ensure improvement of livelihoods that touches more on the people directly but of course with an inclination in wildlife conservation,” said Mr. Lenjirr.
In addition, Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps paid for the piping for water and provided a loan to the women group to enable them to pay rent and for a security personnel among other things before they start making a profit from the project. Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps Managing Director, Dr. Mohanjeet Brar, says that the project is important as it helps landowners reap greater benefits from setting their land aside for wildlife conservation.
“This is an area where there is no other milk cooling plant so what happens is that during the time that the cows have produced plenty of milk, there is no market for it. So, often the milk gets wasted, and they are not able to access higher prices. However now with the milk cooling plant in place the women will be able to actually buy from the surrounding community members, so people will have access to sell their milk at all times and they can now sell in bulk to commercial companies like Brookside,” says Dr. Brar.
Kenya’s largest milk processor, Brookside Dairy Limited has already visited and shown interest in purchasing milk from the cooling plant.
Ol Kiwu Self-help group Chair lady, Kileku Ene Sholo, who is also a landowner expressed her gratitude to the WWF and Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps for the project saying that she now sees the importance of wildlife conservation.
This is something amazing because today we are with donors who have brought a project great as this. We thank you very much because you have brought us something very important. Something that most people would only dream of having. And now whenever I see this milk coolant, I will be thanking the wild animals,” said Shololo.
Over the years, Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps have participated in various projects to provide benefits and amenities for communities that live outside the conservancies including providing bursaries and scholarships, digital learning, set up of predator-proof bomas and deterrent lights, toilet construction, beekeeping and more. Learn more about our community outreach projects and how you can be part of it here: https://www.porini.com/about-us/supporting-communities/
WWF Kenya and Gamewatchers Safaris have been working closely with local communities and stakeholders in mitigating against human-wildlife conflict, habitat management, and securing existing rangelands while at the same time improving livelihoods.