Alternative livelihoods for Ex Poachers, Kenya

Dear Supporter, 

In August 2014 GVI made its way back to the beautiful red sands of Tsavo. This time we were asked by our partners Tsavo pride, to work in a new village Ndiliau.

Just like the surrounding villages in Tsavo, Ndiliau used to be a community of poachers and charcoal burners, now they are trying to make a new life for themselves. Although it may sound simple to stop illegally participating in the bush meat trade for a safer alternative livelihood, but life in the bush can be difficult, lack of rain leads to water shortages and with few good schools in the area quality of education is often low, meaning sometimes an alternative livelihood seems impossible.

That’s why Tsavo communities need our support, we give them ideas for alternative income and show them new skills they can utilize for a happier and healthy lifestyle. This is also where your donations come in, with your support we can give the communities that first push to change the way they live their lives for the better.

This August we were back with some of our favorite people, the Tsavo pride rangers. The rangers are an amazing group coming from communities all over Tsavo these ex-poachers now risk their lives protecting their land from poaching. It’s a dangerous and difficult job, hiking for miles through the bush, tracking, often, armed poachers. That’s why it’s wonderful to be able to give something back to this group.

The community of Ndiliua have recognized the ranger’s good work and have given them a plot of land within the community to call their own.

Two years ago Tsavo pride rangers were given a donation of all sorts of vital equipment from this GVI trained the rangers on GPS, binocular and camera use, the tools they need carry out their voluntary work. The land is a big breakthrough for the rangers to be able to establish themselves somewhere and finally a safe place for their equipment. For one week GVI came to assist the rangers in building an earth bag store room. This way of building is just as it sounds, bags filled with earth make very good bricks.

Earth bag construction is an excellent way of building, not only is it environmental friendly its easy and affordable. The GVI volunteers demonstrated to the rangers how to build using these simple materials, after a week the rangers had the skills to make these structures themselves. Together with GVI the rangers built a store room, this is now pride of place for all the equipment the rangers use.

The store room is just the beginning for the rangers, they hope to expand their land making an office for themselves and a place where they can become an established group.

On behalf of the rangers we would like to thank our supporters who continue to donate to this worthy cause.

Thank you!

GVI Kenya 

Links:

• http://www.gvi.org