About the Save the Elephants and Elephant Watch Safaris Scholarship Programme

The local communities surrounding Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves struggle to send young people to secondary school. Save the Elephants (STE) and Elephant Watch Safaris (EWS) consulted the local people living around the reserves, as part of their community projects.The general consensus was that there was a strong need for secondary education and training opportunities, especially for girls. It was decided that efforts would be directed to providing bursaries. As a result of this, STE and EWS have created a fund for education and training opportunities.

We work closely with local primary schools in the area to select young, highly motivated students for secondary school scholarships. Most of these children come from impoverished pastoralist backgrounds where their families are unable to afford the secondary school fees. Unfortunately, without a secondary school 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 secondary education on their child’s future and are extremely supportive of the efforts of STE and EWS.

 One of our main focuses is conservation education and we encourage students to become ambassadors of the area and their cultures. We have now provided the opportunity for a person to sponsor a student from the surrounding area and to create an extremely personal relationship with the individual. We select students based on merit, determination and motivation. These students build new friendships with their sponsors and stay in close contact through letters and pictures. Sponsoring the secondary school education for these young people provides them with a rare and precious opportunity that will change the rest of their lives.

We now have 25 students that are being sponsored from the Samburu and Borana communities. Patina Lemooli is one of the students who is currently enrolled in St Mary’s Girls Secondary School in Isiolo. She says, “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 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 other people as well as to serve my country. Thank you for coming into my life by catering for my school fees”.

Eight students have already completed their secondary school education and most are now actively involved in conservation and eco-tourism.

US $6000 will fund a child for 4 years of secondary education, paying for everything from books and uniforms to mattresses and transportation allowances. If you are interested in sponsoring a child (or children), please do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you begin your new relationship with a student.

To Sponsor a Child, please contact:

Arnold Rapango, Education Officer,

Save the Elephants and Elephant Watch Safaris,

P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya

Tel: (25420) 891673, Fax: (25420) 890441,

education@savetheelephants.org