Jeremy Lucas Education Fund

Ewaso Lions recognises the critical link between education and conservation. While we firmly hold to the belief that tomorrow’s wildlife leaders must be equipped with a solid education today, we are coming to redefine what a solid education means. We have noticed that formal education in cultural landscapes has had a rather deleterious effect. Instead of empowering children to make informed choices, it has divorced them from their culture and their landscape, instilled a capitalistic mind-set which has led too many scholarship children in the landscape down a grave path of seeking profit over all else, unravelling the gains that were expected for the culture and biodiversity of the landscape.

Set up in 2017, the Jeremy Lucas Education Fund (JLEF) enables young teenagers in Samburu and Isiolo counties in Northern Kenya to have secondary and tertiary education. Each year many of the children who complete primary education cannot afford secondary school fees and all the associated costs such as school books and stationery, uniforms and transport to and from school. Donations raised through this fund will now give these young people a chance to further their education. It will go a long way to improving their lives and their futures. We couple this formal education with a strong internship and mentorship link with Ewaso Lions, ensuring that as they learn, they do not forget their culture, and do not devalue where they came from.

Read more about Jeremy Lucas

Meet our sponsored students

You too can donate and make a difference. Email info@ewasolions.org for more info.

Educating youth, empowering communities, encouraging conservation.

On 28 July 2016 my husband Jeremy passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. Jeremy was a lovely, kind man and part of his legacy was a sum of money with which I have set up this education fund in his name for children in Kenya.

Jeremy loved Kenya – and he especially loved Samburu – the land, the people, the wildlife. And, he was embraced by all the people he met there. Just as he had taken Samburu to his heart – the Samburu people had taken him to their hearts.

With the money raised through the fund I am particularly keen to give young people (mainly girls) a chance to further education. I believe that if you educate a girl today, you empower a woman of tomorrow – and change lives of future generations.

Jeremy was always surrounded by strong women. His mother was a resilient, determined woman. And then there is me and my sister Shivani. Both of us are independent, determined in our respective fields – and know our own minds!

Jeremy liked that and celebrated strength in all the women he met. I think Jeremy would approve of a fund set up in his name – predominantly to give girls a chance to grow, learn, achieve, succeed and be independent.

It is a legacy that he would be proud of.

Shalini Bhalla

Educating youth, empowering communities, encouraging conservation.

Meet the 15 students currently being sponsored

2019 saw Ewaso Lions take on five new students into our programme – a record number for this budding fund. Junior, familiar to most as we have mentored him for many years, joined Maralal High School along with Jacob. Jonathan has successfully joined St. Paul and Peter joined Baawa boys in Maralal. Our first students from a new conservancy, Samuel from IlNgwesi has been settled in at Kirige boys in Meru. Hassan, our first Borana student took the longest journey of all, heading to the prestigious national school, Maseno, in Kisumu. All students are doing well, and we continue to thank their sponsors for providing this rare opportunity.

Our other students are also doing well:

  • Solomon Lenasalia
    from Kipsing completed his secondary school in 2016 and is pursuing a degree in Environmental Management at Kenyatta University.
  • Painoti Letabare
    from Westgate completed secondary school in 2015, helped teach the Mama Simba ladies for a year and is attending Teachers College in north Rift Valley.
  • Saniki Lelenkeju
    Saniki is from Sasaab Village in Samburu. She completed a Certificate course in Tour Guiding and Administration from the Coast Institute of Technology in 2020. She has since been employed as a Guest Relation’s Officer by Elephant Bedroom Camp in Samburu. She has previously worked with Mara Ngenche camp in the same capacity and is a great example of an ambassador for wildlife.
  • Joy Letabare
    from Westgate completed Form 4 at Kisima Girls Secondary School and is studying social work at Mt Kenya University.
  • France Ekidam
    from Loruko village completed high school at Wamba Boys High School. France is pursuing a certificate course in Electrical Engineering at the Samburu Technical and Vocational College in Archers Post. Read more about France here.
  • Eunice Njakunoi
    Eunice is from Ngutuk Ol Muget in Meibae Conservancy. She was sponsored for 4 years of secondary education and is now starting her final semester at Kabarak University where she is studying for a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications.
  • Junior Lekirmui
    Junior is from Westgate Conservancy and completed high school level studies in 2022. In 2023, he has been interning with Ewaso Lions in different programmes including Lion Kids Camps.
  • Angeline Wanjiru
    from Archers Post is in Kisima Girls Secondary School where she enrolled in 2017.
  • Veronica Lolokoru
    Veronica, from Lerata in Kalama Conservancy, is starting her third year at Kenyatta University studying for a BSC degree in Community Resource Management. She has completed a three month internship with Reteti Elephant Sanctuary where she was studying the local community’s goat milk programme.
  • Nicholas Lesootia
    Nicholas, who is from Lorubae in Kalama Conservancy, finished his studies at the Wildlife Research Training Institute with a Diploma in Wildlife Management. He completed an internship with Kura’s Pride during his studies.
  • Hassan Dulacha
    from Nakuprat Gotu Conservancy attends Maseno National School
  • Jacob Lekukuton
    from Westgate Conservancy attends Maralal High School
  • James Mwenda
    from Ol Donyiro Conservancy attends Good Shepard Minor Seminary in Maralal
  • Jonathan Lenairewa
    Jonathan, from Ngutuk Ongiron in Westgate Conservancy, completed his secondary education in 2022 and interned with our Research Department at Ewaso Lions before joining Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology in late 2023.
  • Samuel Ali
    from Il Ngwesi Conservancy attends Kirige Boys High School in Meru

A success story of the Ewaso Lions education programme is Samson Lerosion. Building on this success and using the lessons learnt from sponsoring him, we have developed a programme that has enabled us to support all the students from secondary education to successful careers – all supported by the Jeremy Lucas Education Fund.

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