They came as children. They are returning as conservation leaders.
In 2025, we set an ambitious goal: to bring 500 Lion Kids Camp (LKC) alumni back to Samburu in 2026 for a series of Reunion Camps. Young people who first attended when they were eight, ten, or twelve years old, and who are now teenagers, young adults, and, in many cases, working conservation professionals. People who grew up alongside lions and other wildlife.
By August 2026, we have run four Reunion Camps, welcoming back 155 alumni. This is their story.
Coming back
Our alumni came from Samburu, Isiolo and Nyeri counties of Kenya. Some had not been back since 2014. Over a decade away from a place that shaped them. Others attended more recently and are still finishing secondary school. However, across all of them, one thing held true the moment they arrived: familiarity clicked back into place.
They got involved in wildlife safaris, lion sightings, and the Conservation Game, ending the day with fireside conversations under the stars. Through all of it, the unmistakable energy of people reconnecting with each other, with the landscape, and with the values that Lion Kids Camp instilled in them years ago.
One alumnus put it simply:
“We are grateful for the chance to reconnect, reflect, and celebrate how far we have come, and how conservation has shaped our lives and careers.”
From Young Curious Kids to Leaders
The numbers tell an impressive story. Across all alumni who attended this year’s Reunion Camps so far:
- 97% say Lion Kids Camp changed how they feel about lions
- 88% are working in, or actively planning, a conservation career
- 46% have already taken on a conservation leadership role
When we compared alumni from our very first cohort in 2014 – now adults – with those who attended more recently in 2021, impact scores were nearly identical. A decade later, Lion Kids Camp alumni are still carrying the lessons of the camp with them.
The impact does not fade. If anything, it compounds.
“LKC taught me the strength of teamwork and courage to lead with compassion and the importance of lions in our community.” – Margaret Nyakabi, Solio
“LKC inspired me to join the wildlife club, and now I am a secretary.” – Lucy Korosian, Leparua
“It has helped me to step out of my comfort zone and believe in myself.” – Linet Wangechi, Solio
155 Alumni. Four Camps. One Movement.
Across four Reunion Camps in 2026, 155 young adults have come home to Lion Kids Camp. They have sat around the fire again. Gone back into the bush. Looked at a landscape they knew as children and understood it differently as adults.
We set out to bring 500 alumni back this year. We are not done yet.
None of this would be possible without the donors and partners who believed that investing in young people from pastoral communities is one of the most powerful things you can do for wildlife conservation. These are not future conservation leaders. They are the conservation leaders of right now, and they are only getting started.
To everyone who has supported Lion Kids Camp and its Reunion Camps this year, thank you.
