My trip to Kenya last October presented me with many subtle nudges that education was a key strategy to promoting long-term understanding and protection of wildlife and the environment.

I had many important meetings during my trip, but while at Campi ya Kanzi, I had the fortunate experience to meet the founder and a small group of teachers from Naisula School. The group had arrived at camp for just a couple of days to meet Antonella Bonomi, co-founder of <a href="http://www.maasai.com">Campi ya Kanzi</a> along with her husband Luca Belpietro, to learn more about the camp, The <a href="http://www.maasaiwilderness.org">Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust</a>, visit the trust's children and schools, as well as take in a safari or two. In addition, the trip was a planning retreat where important school objectives were discussed for the coming term.

<a href="http://www.naisulaschool.com">Naisula School</a> is a British curriculum-based international boarding school for Secondary education that caters to both boys and girls. It is set on 25 acres in the serene plains of Maasailand near Kajiado, 85 kilometers just outside of Nairobi. The school is based upon the IGCSE system of education with a vision to educate its students to transform lives and communities. A wonderful video on the school can be viewed here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n47Df-8M5gg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n47Df-8M5gg</a>.

Cecilia Muchemi, Executive Director &amp; Founder had read a newspaper story about Antonella and her experiences in founding Campi ya Kanzi, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust and Kanzi Academy for gifted Maasai children. Impressed, the article prompted Cecilia to donate scholarships at Naisula for two students at Kanzi Academy. The students, a boy Lazarus and girl Valentine, were already in attendance at Naisula when Cecilia and the small group of teachers visited the camp.

Amongst the group, one teacher named Patrick Rakiro stood out. Full of life and ideas, I found him to have many interesting perspectives into Kenya’s issues, children’s viewpoints and what steps may be necessary in order to create lasting change to protect the land and its wildlife.

<a href="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SAM_4914.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1136" alt="SAM_4914" src="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SAM_4914.jpg" width="768" height="1024" /></a>

Patrick discussed his experience growing up in an impoverished village in Kenya and how fortunate he was to be sponsored by a married couple in the United States that helped finance his education to completion. This experience helped him realize the importance to give back and to help other Kenyan children have the same opportunities that he had. I was moved by his story and his passion and we agreed to keep in touch to provide updates on the progress of our individual ideas and endeavors. Once back at home, I began to receive emails from him and learned many more interesting facts about his life and mission.

At Naisula, Patrick teaches History and Geography and also participates with the school as the head of Curriculum Development/Implementation and Discipline, as a Boarding Master and a Class Teacher for the Year 9 students.

Outside of activities with the school, Patrick is a member of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=-WPAfs9OnLM.">Communicating Common Ground</a> (CCG), a service and learning program created by Dr. Eddah Mutua-Kombo, a professor from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. From early February to mid-April each year, a group of the university’s communications students meet every-other week with student from three surrounding area high schools to teach them about cultural understanding using dialogue approaches.

Working with the group, Patrick has written essays on “Kenyan Cultural Diversity” and “African Traditional Way of Peace.” Both essays focus on research and reconciliation of the root causes of constant ethnic and tribal clashes in African contests. He is currently working on a third essay entitled “Oil in Turkana Kenya: Is It a Necessary Evil?”

In early February, he was invited by CCG to address the group via Skype at St. Cloud for a keynote speech on “Peace and Cultural Appreciation.” Humbled, he mentioned to me how wonderful it was to see so many students in the room.

In December, and motivated by some of the topics we discussed while at Campi ya Kanzi, Patrick founded “The Helping Hand Program” and set out to raise enough money to send approximately 50 students to primary school at the B.L. Tezza Primary School for Orphans (<a href="http://www.karungu.net/tezza/tezzaen.html">http://www.karungu.net/tezza/tezzaen.html</a>). Now established as an annual fundraising effort each January, Patrick donated approximately $850,000ksh (about $9,700 dollars) to the school and ensured that approximately 40 or more orphans, who were unable to pay for this year’s tuition fees, were able to indeed go to school. This weekend, he is supplying some residual donated funds to pay for much-needed clothes and shoes for the children – something he wishes he had more time and money to accomplish for this year. Already, he has big ideas on what can be accomplished for next.

Needless to say, Patrick is a man of manifest, a champion of change, and supporter and protector of the children and the natural world of Kenya. It is an honor that he believes in me as much as I believe in him. And now together, we have partnered on a project that seems have created something spectacular – a group of children who are empowered to create a change in the world around them.

This new project, called the “Wildlife Conservation Student Group” or WCSG, is a joint, collaborative effort between Patrick and myself that intends to inspire Secondary age school children to defend and protect Kenya’s environment and wildlife.<span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: center; font-style: italic;"> </span>

After Patrick returned from Campi ya Kanzi, he thought it might be interesting to poll his students with a question. “Given a choice, which do you think is more important real estate or wildlife?”

Most, if not all of the students answered real estate.

It was a shocking revelation to Patrick (and of course to me when we discussed it) and at once Patrick knew that wildlife deserved a place in the student’s curriculum. With much thought, he found an appropriate outlet in forming an afterschool club originally named the “Wildlife Group” which is now known as the WCSG after some strategy and planning around the group’s intentions.

There are important points to make here. Naisula students are educated children. They are not considered kids that come from economically challenged families. And they are not impoverished kids from the bush unless they have received a scholarship. Most have attended formal schooling all the way from Nursery, through Primary and now into Secondary school at Naisula.

Having the experience to work with educated kids directly has taught me something vital. It is simply not enough to send children to school. We must also teach them about the value of wildlife and what that value brings not only to them as an individual, but also to the wealth of their community, their specific country and the world.

Naisula is an excellent example of well-educated children who were not yet aware of the value of the wildlife that surrounds them everyday and a critical threat to that wildlife that would rob them of their cultural heritage and for the Kenyan students, their natural birthright.

And so because of this, Patrick and I have set out to help them understand the issues that some of these species are currently faced with and perhaps what they can do about it.

As an exercise one day during a Skype call, I asked the children to look outside that classroom window and take in what they saw. There were zebra, ostriches, warthogs, many birds and other wild creatures within their view. I asked them to consider that most American children have to go to a zoo to see the animals they see everyday, right outside that window, and importantly, theirs were in their natural environment. Animals in America and in other places around the globe are behind bars, in cages, or are in enclosures that are not native to their genetic and natural understanding.

The students were very quiet.

“I believe that every child in America would like to have what you have, the ability to look outside the window and see these animals freely roaming everyday” I said. “These animals need your wisdom, your energy and your care. They are yours to defend and protect, not only for yourselves, but also for all of us around the world. Will you connect your hearts to your voices and speak for them?”

And I believe they answered that question with a resounding yes because indeed they have begun.

This small afterschool club is growing quickly – from just 9 students in the beginning of January, to 46 students by the end of that month, and as of last week approximately 113 students with word that have a few more to add.

The group is naturally forming leaders and sub-groups based on ages and understanding ability. We have been able to account for the students by school year as follows:

Junior Group: Year 7 &amp; 8 (11-13 years of age) = 21 students; Year 9 (14-16 years of age) = approximately 60 students and now are largest group; Senior Group: Year 10 &amp; 11 (17-18 years of age) = 32 students.

WCSG is under the direction of Patrick and myself along with help and assistance from our wonderful cohort and friend “Professor George” who teaches English and Literature at Naisula. Professor George has proven himself not only a faithful attendee to our discussions, but also a miracle worker when it comes to our Internet connectivity needs. Many thanks are due to him for keeping all of us connected during our weekly Skype sessions.

An informal pilot project, we Skype each week to discuss assignments that are provided by me for the students which include videos, specific articles, materials or news stories that are forwarded to them via email. We also spend quite a bit of time conducting question and answer sessions so that the students may ask and debate certain facts or ideas and concepts.

[caption id="attachment_1138" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]<a href="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_20140114_201849.jpeg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1138" alt="Patrick with members of WCSG" src="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_20140114_201849.jpeg" width="1280" height="960" /></a> Patrick with members of WCSG[/caption]

We have already achieved some amazing milestones within less than two months:
<ul>
	<li>Our group member numbers continue to increase each week as the children share their experiences and the importance of caring for wildlife with other students at the school;</li>
	<li>On a recent field trip, the students were quite concerned with encroachment of a real estate development within the limits of a sanctuary park they were visiting. This was key as these were the same students who had previously stated real estate was a priority for them;</li>
	<li>Desire to participate in more field trips to garner more understanding of the issues Kenya faces;</li>
	<li>Requests for industry experts to come to speak the group at Naisula. The group is also committed to promoting the speaking events to the remainder of the student population and help to guarantee an audience of approximately 160 children for those interested in discussing in sharing knowledge with the group;</li>
	<li>Two of the students planned to visit national parks during this week’s mid-term break – one specifically mentioned wanting to go to The Sheldrick Trust mud-bath viewing to view the elephant orphans;</li>
	<li>One of our Senior group members has indicated that she intends to become a wildlife conservationist;</li>
	<li>They have a strong desire to create a video Public Service Announcement (PSA) after viewing the recent WildAid call to action videos for decreasing demand of rhino horn and elephant ivory in Asia.</li>
	<li>We have secured our first wildlife conservationist speaker for March.</li>
</ul>
These are very early milestones, but hugely important ones. They indicate understanding of key pieces of information, how that is relevant, and that this group is interested in really learning. More importantly, we are at that critical juncture of taking awareness to action – an elusive step that can be fueled by inspiration.

Information leads to learning. Learning leads to awareness. Awareness leads to action. Action leads to change.

[caption id="attachment_1143" align="aligncenter" width="640"]<a href="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Best-moments.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1143" alt="A fun moment on field trip to Paradise Lost (Kenya)" src="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Best-moments.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a> A fun moment on field trip to Paradise Lost (Kenya)[/caption]

I cannot begin to tell you how excited Patrick and I are about what these kids might do or how more they will want to get involved. I can only say that it is best not to predict greatness because you might limit the result of what these kids can do.

It is also very important to state that we are not imposing an agenda or global concept with these children on wildlife. Patrick and I are dedicated to presenting the facts, the news, actions of governments around the world, and the relevant statistics to the children and to ask them how they interpret that information. What do they conclude from it? What are the positive and negatives? What needs to be done? How can change be accomplished? How do they feel they can be involved are do they want to be?

As project leaders, we want to empower the children to have enough information so they can make their own informed decisions. And when they as a group make those decisions, to support their conclusions and the actions that they decide is important to take or not to take. This is not about getting a group of kids to do what we want them to do. It is about empowering these kids with the ability to understand important issues, take in all sides of an argument, make informed conclusions and then feel confident enough to take appropriate action if they choose to make a difference.

In addition, it is our job to connect the group with the people and organizations making a difference and help to inspire these kids to do the same. How fortunate they are to be surrounded by some of the world’s top conservationists, photographers, political activists, and wildlife management organizations. They are indeed a very lucky group of kids.

In December of last year, I filed trademark applications for naming conventions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for an organization that would help foster and fund projects such as this. We are currently awaiting our approvals and once received, will be making decisions about profit or non-profit corporation formations. In the interim, our group indeed has a wish list and should you be able to help us with it, we would be so very grateful. Please contact me directly at <a href="mailto:elizabethalkhas@yahoo.com">elizabethalkhas@yahoo.com</a>. Asante sana!
<ul>
	<li>Camera and Video Recorder;</li>
	<li>Laptop (with latest version of Windows 8) for Kenya Project Leader;</li>
	<li>Distance Learning Expert Kenya (technical setup and development);</li>
	<li>Video Production Company Kenya (PSA development);</li>
	<li>Speakers and Speaking Topics (we currently have a speaking schedule in development); speakers interested in traveling to Naisula to address the school directly;</li>
	<li>Donations or discounted for National Park or other sanctuary visits;</li>
	<li>Sister classroom or classrooms in the US that might be interested in connecting and partnering with our group endeavor;</li>
	<li>Any ideas or other items you might feel is pertinent for our group to learn, understand or have.</li>
</ul>
It is appropriate to close this post with the definition of Naisula which means means “something beautiful” in local dialect. I believe we are in the midst of creating something quite beautiful with these kids. And I look forward to posting here about our progress as we grow each week. Until next time!

[caption id="attachment_1142" align="aligncenter" width="640"]<a href="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/fun-time-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1142" alt="Paradise Lost (Kenya)" src="http://elizabethalkhas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/fun-time-2.jpg" width="640" height="480" /></a> Paradise Lost (Kenya)[/caption]

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