We are excited to announce the first two students sponsored by Ewaso Lions, Samson and Edward. These bright boys completed primary school at Lpus Leluai here in Westgate Community Conservancy. We are sponsoring them to continue their education at a highly ranked secondary school in Meru. Under the Ewaso Lions sponsorship, their tuition will be covered for 4 full academic years.
Students here often finish primary school but lack the funds to attend secondary school. Families are struggling more nowadays to send their children to secondary school after the severe and prolonged 2009 drought, which killed most of their livestock. Normally, parents send their children to school by selling a few cows to pay for fees and uniforms. However, at the end of 2009 most families in the Westgate area had no livestock left.
We work closely with Lpus Leluai Primary School and I have known the students for many years. We have involved them in our trees project, Kenyan Kids on Safari and more recently on our Simba Stories book. These children are bright and take these education opportunities seriously. They know that to be able to go to school is a privilege for them and they don’t waste these chances.
Samson and Edward were selected because of their diligent study ethic, their high school marks, and their keen interest in wildlife issues. Edward was the head boy in Lpus Leluai and Samson was the boy with the highest marks over the last few years. He is also our main artist in our Simba Stories book. After their primary school results came out, both boys realized that their families were unable to send them to secondary school.
Ewaso Lions students, Samson and Edward, with their mothers.
We are so grateful to Christina Tsantes, Kathy and Trey Vinson, Nina Fascione and Steve Kendrot for providing funds for their secondary school education.
Ewaso Lions recognizes the critical link between education and conservation. Tomorrow’s wildlife leaders must be equipped with solid education today, empowering them to make informed choices to tackle the challenges facing Africa’s wildlife and people.
We wish Samson and Edward all the best at their new school and we will be monitoring their progress closely.