Lion Kids Camp has been transformed. When we launched in 2013, we squeezed 15 eager children into basic shelters, taught under the shade of Acacia trees, hired vehicles, and dreamed of the day we could reach more young people across northern Kenya. The energy was always there. The space to grow, not quite yet. Today, that fully upgraded Camp can reach more than 375 young people every year. And that is just the beginning.
That day is here…
After more than 200 days of construction, our revamped Lion Kids Camp is now open and everything we hoped it would be. The upgrade was not just about building new structures. It was about building capacity: the physical space, the infrastructure, and the foundation to grow a new generation of conservation leaders from the communities that live alongside lions every day.
Before and After
The scale of the upgrade speaks for itself. Where we once hosted 175 children annually, we can now welcome 375. Where we ran 7 Camps a year, we can now deliver 15 Lion Kids Camps annually. It is more than double the reach and more than double the impact. This year alone, we are hosting 15 Lion Kids Camps, 3 Warrior Camps and 10 Reunion Camps, bringing back 500 alumni.
Before the upgrade:
- Basic shelters, limited facilities
- 7 Camps per year
- 175 children annually
© Jane Wynyard
After the upgrade:
- 15 Lion Kids Camps + 3 Warrior Camps + 10 Reunion Camps planned this year
- 375 children annually
- New mess hall and learning area, a fully equipped kitchen, tents with shading and proper bunk beds, a solar-powered system, and water storage through 12 tanks
Built to Last, Built to Learn
Every element of the new Camp has been designed with the children in mind. The new mess hall and learning area give young people a proper space to gather, eat, and engage with conservation concepts no longer under the shade of a tree, though we will always love those Acacia trees. The kitchen means meals can be prepared safely and at scale. The tents with shading, bunk beds, and solar power mean children can sleep comfortably and stay connected to learning even after dark. And 12 water storage tanks mean the Camp can operate consistently through the dry season.
More Than a Camp
Lion Kids Camp has always been about more than a week in the bush. It is about planting seeds in curious young minds from communities that share land with lions, elephants, and wild dogs. Children who attend Lion Kids Camp go home with something different: a deeper connection to wildlife, a sense of responsibility, and the beginning of a conservation identity that can carry through into adulthood.
With the upgraded Camp now able to host more than one Lion Kids Camp a month, that pipeline has been widened. More children. More communities. More new conservationists.
Since the new Camp opened, we have already welcomed children for three Lion Kids Camps, and one Reunion Camp, and the energy has been extraordinary. The Camps are fuller, the learning spaces are better, and the young people of northern Kenya are arriving ready to engage.
Images by Simatwa Ngachi and Ewaso Lions
