About the Save the Elephants and Elephant Watch Safaris Scholarship Programme
The local communities surrounding Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves struggle to send their children to Secondary School. As part of the community projects, Save the Elephants (STE) supported by Elephant Watch (EW) consulted the local people living around the Reserves. The general consensus was a strong need for secondary education and training opportunities which were non existent, especially for girls. As a result of this, STE & EW have created this fund for education and training for the children from Northern Kenya. It offers them an opportunity to get a proper secondary education combined with hands-on elephant and environmental awareness. This fund is largely supported by guests who stay at Elephant Watch (EW). “The fund has benefited me so much. It has helped me to pursue my education in a secondary school which I did not expect. It has also helped me realize my dreams and set my goals for my future career. My knowledge has been increased and it has caused me to work harder to realize my vision and contribute in helping my family and other people as well as to serve my country. I have now completed my teacher training course. Thank you for coming into my life by catering for my school fees”. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you begin your new relationship with a student.
Please contact:
The Education Officer,
Save the Elephants and Elephant Watch Safaris,
P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
Tel: (25420) 891673, Fax: (25420) 890441,
scholarship@savetheelephants.org
We work closely with local primary schools in the area and select highly motivated intelligent students who come from impoverished pastoralist backgrounds and whose families are unable to afford the secondary school fees. Unfortunately, without a proper education, these students will have little access to higher training or employment opportunities. The local people are now beginning to realize the genuine value of education for their child’s future and are extremely supportive of the STE /EW efforts.
One of our main focuses is Conservation Education and we also encourage students to become Ambassadors of the area and of their cultures. We now have an established project where guests who stay at the EW Camp in Samburu can sponsor students and create personal relationships with them. We select students based on merit, determination and motivation. These students build friendships with their sponsors, and us and stay in close contact through letters and pictures. Sponsoring these young people provides them with a rare and precious opportunity that will change their lives.
So far 21 students have already completed their secondary school education under this programme and most of them are now actively involved in Conservation and Eco-tourism. One, who completed his secondary education in 2005, emerged as the top student in Isiolo District. We have been successful in raising funds to sponsor him through a 6-year Medical degree in Nairobi University.
At present (2009) we have 31 students from the Samburu, Borana, Rendille, Somali and Turkana communities. They come from all over the wild Northern Districts. Patina Lemooli is one of the students who recently completed her education in St Mary’s Girls School in Isiolo. She says,
US $6000 will fund a child for 4 years of Secondary Education, paying for everything from school fees, books, uniforms, mattresses, pocket money, transportation allowances etc (see breakdown below).
Wildlife Conservation Network serves as our support organization in the USA. 100% of the donation made goes directly to Save the Elephants. All donations will be exempt from tax.
Click on the links below to see the names of all the students who have benefitted through our education/scholarship programme
FORMER STUDENTS