Ewaso Lions has always put local people at the centre of our lion conservation programmes.
- We believe the long-term survival of lions and other carnivores depends on reinforcing the modes of coexistence that have existed for generations, and working with people to adapt to new changes. Our conservation work engages all groups of people in the area, working in Samburu, Isiolo and Laikipia counties.
- As we do so, we work to reclaim the sense of ownership over wildlife, and their story and place within our landscape. For too long, local people have been made to shun or downplay their cultural connection to their wildlife. Ewaso Lions aims to do the opposite, creating a new sense of pride over their landscape.
Warrior Watch
- Samburu warriors have long been neglected in wildlife conservation, despite their important local knowledge of wildlife issues. We engage warriors and train participants to collect data on wildlife sightings and respond to community issues like livestock depredation. We teamed up with the Africa Educational Trust to launch a new curriculum, offering the warriors classes and a leadership role in their communities. Together, we are creating a network of wildlife ambassadors in northern Kenya.
Mama Simba
This programme, designed by Samburu women, provides a platform for traditional women to reclaim their place as the owners and protectors of wildlife. Through environmental literacy, lion habitat recovery activities, engagement and awareness work on coexistence and culture, women are re-engaging in conservation in northern Kenya.
Bio-Infrastructure
This is our proactive approach to ensuring wildlife needs are taken into consideration as mega-infrastructure takes centre stage in northern Kenya. Ewaso Lions and Grevy’s Zebra Trust initiated a collaborative project in 2018 to ensure community and non-governmental participation in the decision-making process as the infrastructure is designed and built, and monitor and mitigate the impacts of the LAPSSET project to harmonise infrastructure development with wildlife needs.
Lion Kids Camp
5-day immersive camps are designed to engage with and inspire a new generation of wildlife conservationists in Kenya. The programme gives school-going and herding children the chance to experience and learn about their country’s wildlife through interactive experiences, combining safaris, drama, classroom education, and conservation-themed games.
Kura’s Pride
In 2019, Ewaso Lions launched a programme to address the challenges communities and domestic dogs face in the Samburu landscape. The programme known as Kura’s Pride (named after Ewaso Lions’ famous first dog Kura), leads to healthier dogs and less human-carnivore conflict, reduced disease transmission to wild carnivores and an overall healthier balance between people, livestock, wildlife and the environment.
Education
The Jeremy Lucas Education Fund provides sponsorship opportunities for promising students lacking the funds to continue their studies. Students’ tuition is covered for the four full academic years of Kenyan secondary school and university/college. Our model also ensures that after the students complete tertiary education, we work with them to build their careers.
Warrior Watch
Warrior Watch is Ewaso Lions’ anchor project. The programme builds on the warriors’ traditional protection role by increasing their ability to mitigate human carnivore conflict. The Warriors serve as a network working across multiple communities, informing herders of lion presence so they can avoid certain areas, averting depredation