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We’ve begun planning a new and exciting venture utilizing community radio.

Obviously, few people in Kenya have access to the kinds of media that we take for granted, such as cable or broadcast television. However, transistor radios are fairly common. This makes radio a much more powerful tool in these remote areas with a relatively low cost of entry. For about $13,000 USD, solar powered equipment can be purchased and installed, and necessary training completed. The resulting system will be able to reach roughly 8000 square miles (in many areas that means tens of thousands of people).

This will open several exciting possibilities.

First of all, it bring the concept of barazas (community forums) to a new level, enabling much more dynamic and far-reaching communication pertaining to community issues. Additionally, simply adding a phone line at the station will enable informative dialogues between listeners and the KWS or any other group that might utilize the available airtime.

The radio idea had it’s genesis in an interesting coincidence. Lori first discusses the station with RadioActive UK, a UK based charity that has built radio stations in disadvantaged areas around the world. Shortly afterwards, KWS warden Daniel Woodley mentioned (unprompted!) the need for exactly they type of radio station in an informal discussion.

The time was obviously right!

The project will be implemented in a cooperative effort between Amara, RadioActive UK, the Kenya Wildlife Service and a local Maasai group. Installation and training will be completed by RadioActive UK.

You can learn more about the new community radio station by visiting: Voice of Tsavo

Amara Conservation – Our First Year!

Thank you to all who made Amara Conservation a success for our first year. It has always been my dream to be able to make a difference, and I now know how to do that, in the most effective manner, and in a place that is most deserving of our help. Amara is a bridge from those of us in the western world to those of us in the underdeveloped world. What happens in Africa happens to all of us on the planet. Who wants to live in a world that cannot sustain it’s wild heritage?

Now that we have all weathered this test of time, how we can let go of any more of this precious heritage?

Key Accomplishments Of Our First Year:

Rebuild a small school in Northern Kenya, and developed proposals to work with other schools
Networked with key people and organizations in Kenya
Supported important desnaring team in Tsavo
Forged a good working relationship with Sheldrick Trust and AEFF – great people doing important and hard work
Bought the truck for the Maasailand Preservation Trust, thereby securing a very important area outside and adjacent to Tsavo, in the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem.
Sponsored, via donation from a private individual, the care of the rescued baby elephant Burra
Sponsored, again via private donors, the raising of the tiny leopard cub Mtito, who was found in Northern Tsavo.
Established an office and home in Kenya, became a legal entity in Kenya, the U.S. and the UK.

Goals For The Coming Year

It Takes More Than Money: We intend to solicit volunteers and internship programs through major Universities throughout the coming year. The administrative aspects of running an organization like Amara Conservation quickly become more than one can reasonably handle.

Expanded Financial Support: Although it does indeed take, “more than money” to do this sort of work, if we’ve learned one thing in our first year, it is that funding an operation of this nature is a full time job in itself. To that end, we’re soliciting greater corporate and individual support.

Continued Work in Tsavo: This is an especially critical time for the wildlife in Kenya. Although the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) does an excellent job with the funds available, those funds are dwindling, particularly due to lower tourism dollars, and partially to the evolving political landscape.

More Work With The Schools: Helping the people of Kenya preserve their future through education is an involved process that requires first assessing their real needs with community leaders, and then devising plans to implement needed assistance. The only thing that makes this job easy is the eagerness to learn on the part of the children.

Thank you to all!