Kulalu ADC

Severe drought school food assistance programs in the Greater Amboseli-Tsavo-Chyulu regions

Amidst shrinking landscapes, it remains a rich, viable habitat for many species of wildlife, especially elephant. The region has endured the most devastating regional drought in decades, without rains failing for more than two consecutive years. This has resulted in a crisis for both wildlife and the regional Maasai communities, with a significant spike in illegal poaching activities and students who are malnourished, fatigued, suffering from illness, and unable to participate in school.

Framed within our larger conservation goal, one of our immediate priorities has been to collaborate with our friends and partners, Richard Bonham from Big Life Foundation, and Angela Sheldrick from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, to implement school feeding programs in the greater Amboseli area and the Tsavo National Park region respectively.

The objective of these programs is to bring sustenance to children in the area and provide relief to families, as well as alleviate poaching pressure, as many of these families have turned to bushmeat as their only source of food and means of survival. At the same time, we have aimed to facilitate higher attendance and energy/concentration levels, while swinging public support—especially among a younger generation—to conservation. Led by our project manager Jessica Mousely, CCF has been warmly received by students, teachers, chief officers, and village elders. Sacks of high protein and vitamin rich grain mix sourced from Soy Afric are distributed following a conversation with teachers, parents, and children on the importance of protecting wildlife and natural habitat. By underscoring that the food is the direct result of support for wildlife conservation, we hope to discourage illegal poaching activities.

The Amboseli-Chyulu region is another area that has been severely impacted by the drought. Illegal poaching activity is at its highest level in decades and, with it, a massive rise in the illegal bushmeat trade. As animals venture out of parks in search of food, they often wander into community lands, where they are killed by humans. At the same time, community farmers drive their cattle into the park and compete with wildlife for grazing space. Many communities along the fringes of the park are facing harsh, dry conditions and life-threatening hunger. Competition between farmers and wild animals for limited water and food resources has placed an extraordinary and unsustainable strain on the ecosystem. Compounding this already dire situation, these same land areas are being rapidly destroyed by the illegal charcoal trade. With habitat loss accelerating, many of these once lush, green landscapes have become desert-ified and are nearing a beyond-reversible tipping point.

It is extremely challenging to convince communities on the fringes of the park not to poach, cut down trees, drive their cattle in the park, and to respect wildlife and their environment while they are starving. However, our school feeding programs here have had an enormous impact, and we continue to expand their breadth and frequency. The children that we are reaching are the next generation that must embrace conservation if we are to preserve our wild spaces for the long term.

CCF is providing food assistance to schools across the Tsavo-Amboseli/Chyulu region

Wildlife & Environmental Talks with Kassala Primary School

Oltukai Primary Students next to their tree

Enkongu Narok Primary archiving their rations

In partnership with Big Life Foundation

Outcome & Outlook:

Throughout the course of the food assistance program, CCF has continued to educate children, teachers and parents that the funding for school food supplementation comes from conservation. In talks and workshops, we emphasize the connection between humans and nature and the need to protect their heritage and the environment by planting trees, protecting wildlife, and preserving wild spaces. We also discuss the negative impacts of activities such as cutting down trees and the charcoal trade, and the role both can play in combating climate change.

The positive impact of the food assistance programs has exceeded expectations. Attendance and academic performance have improved in the schools, and the majority of schools have far exceeded their average attendance for this year. 

Schools are starting to green their surroundings with tree-plantings, as 47 out of the 58 schools supported have now planted trees. Some are setting up wildlife clubs, and others are attracting birdlife back to their schools by installing bird tables. The children's perception of wildlife and their environment is changing from one of passive observation to active protection and preservation, and they have been eager to share their experiences with us in letters and other testimonials. Despite some rainfall in southern Kenya at the end of 2022, more is needed to fully recover and produce enough crops to meet the food and income needs of local communities. Nevertheless, the small amount of rain received did allow for some vegetation growth, providing sustenance for both wildlife and livestock, leading to a decrease in mortality rates. To address the ongoing drought, we have extended the school feeding programs until the end of April, with the possibility of further extension. Furthermore, in January 2023, we expanded our food aid program to include 18 additional schools in the Nasaru Conservancy, in partnership with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Our partners on the ground have shared that the feeding program is proving to be more successful than actually hiring new anti poaching units. The community is realizing the value that conservation has for them. This is the most successful program that has been seen in Southern Kenya to boost coexistence between local communities and wildlife. CCF is committing to not only continue this program as long as needed.