A male-dominated culture has meant that Samburu women rarely get a say in how their society handles big cats, but one project is trying to change that
As it happens, lions – despite the lionesses’ efforts – are vulnerable to extinction. So what might happen if we took a leaf out of the lions’ book and began to allow women to make more decisions?
One Kenyan lion conservation organisation, Ewaso Lions, decided to find out.
A pair of lions (Credit: Karl Ammann/naturepl.com)
Ewaso Lions helps local communities find ways to coexist with wildlife. This is crucial, because one of the greatest threats to lions is humans killing them.
As some of Samburu’s lions live outside formally protected areas, they often come into contact with the Samburu livestock. In retaliation for cattle killed by lions, the Samburu sometimes hunt the lions.
Conservation training (Credit: Ewaso Lions)
The Mama Simba project began when local women went to Ewaso Lions asking to be educated. Mama Simba means “the Mother of Lions” in Maa, the local language.
“The women had seen how warriors in their community were being engaged in conservation through another of Ewaso Lions’s projects,” says Heather Gurd, conservation manager at Ewaso Lions. “They were adamant that they could do just as good a job as the warriors if only they were given the chance.”
A group of Mama Simba participants, February 2016 (Credit: Ewaso Lions)
Samburu women actually spend a great deal of time in wildlife areas whilst they collect firewood, fetch water and look after livestock. This means they often come into contact with animals like lions.
Yet before this project, the women were rarely actively included in conservation activities.
At the Mama Simba school (Credit: Tyrel Bernardini)
Ewaso Lions is educating the Samburu women in basic literacy, numeracy, and wildlife conservation. They also train them in beaded art craft, so that they can diversify their income and not depend solely on livestock.
Since Mama Simba was launched in 2013, over 300 Samburu women have participated in the programme. There is a core group of 19 who spread the word.
A Samburu woman making a beaded lion (Credit: Ewaso Lions)
“Empowerment means that women are given a chance to lead, like men do,” says Ntomuson Lelengeju, a Mama Simba participant.
“Women and men are now getting equal opportunities in terms of resource sharing,” says Noldonyo Letabare, who also takes part.
As well as benefiting the women, the project should also help the lions.
(Credit: Ann Martens)
To achieve this, the women are trained in how to better protect their livestock enclosures from predators. They also learn how to identify carnivore tracks, and tell Ewaso Lions about lion sightings and any conflicts that arise.
A lion (Panthera leo) in Samburu National Reserve (Credit: T. J. Rich/naturepl.com)
It is too soon to tell whether this new project has benefited the lion population. But there is evidence that people’s attitudes towards lions are becoming more positive.
The Mama Simba uniform is bright red (Credit: Kelly Wilson)
“I have changed as a result of the Mama Simba programme,” says Lelengeju. “I now cannot accept people to kill lions.”
“Since joining the programme I have learned to love lions, unlike before,” says Letabare.
The Mama Simba project aims to empower women (Credit: Ewaso Lions)
“We have seen a real change in the confidence and enthusiasm that the ladies have,” says Shivani Bhalla, executive director of Ewaso Lions. “They were once very quiet and shy, never speaking up at any community meetings or talking about wildlife. Now they are vocal about conservation.”
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