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2004/05 Project News |
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I am so pleased to be able to contact all of you with recent news. Our work in the areas of conservation and education is ever more intensive and inspiring, and I'm anxious to bring you up to date. Most recently, we have been successful in moving the lion cubs orphaned in Northern Kenya, to a specially constructed facility center where they can prepare to return to life in the bush. Amara donors, with partnership with Wildize Foundation in Colorado, have made it possible to prevent the cubs being put to death or sentenced to a life in captivity, and after so many months in a dark and dank cage, the cubs are now situated on Mugie Ranch, in a beautiful boma, sleeping under the stars as lions are meant to do. They are hearty and strong, and I have great hope for them; they do stand a good chance to make it in the wild. We continue in our commitment to educational projects as the absolute best use of our resources and capabilities. To that end we participated in a unque new project in the Tsavo area in October 2004.
After a month of film showings in local schools and communities, we were asked by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to assist with a new program to address the Bushmeat Crisis resulting from poaching activities that take more than 500,000 animals/year just in the Tsavo area. We were privileged to work with three people from the KWS, two from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, two from the Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum and a Public Health Officer. We traveled to six areas identified as poaching 'hotspots', holding community forums in each location to help people identify and understand issues that surround this controversial, destructive activity. The Kenyan people who conducted the seminars are deeply committed and knowledgeable, but they desperately need assistance to disseminate their knowledge and to make it understood. This activity was a first in terms of collaboration between all of the groups involved. In every community (and believe me, some of them were very disinterested initially) the response was overwhelmingly one of concern, and interest in learning how to make a difference for themselves and the future-- we left every place abuzz with new ideas, energized for change, and requesting more information. What we heard from community members in the poaching hotspot areas is that they do want to change behaviors that are causing harm, but they lack information on how and why to do so. A fundraising goal in 2005 will be to provide resources to develop and distribute information about practices that can help protect and conserve the environment without sacrificing economic stability. It's easy to assume that people who are poor and have to struggle to live do not have time to care about "conservation" - but that is not true. I see it every day. People who live close to the land HAVE to care about it because it sustains them. And they need powerful educational tools to change old practices when they become destructive.
Amara is still a small organization, but with the help of our donors and volunteers we are also growing, and growing stronger. The wild world is in serious jeopardy, and if we can help, we must. To all who have contributed to our work, and all those who will, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I promise you we will do everything in our power to continue!
Fondest Wishes,
Lori Bergemann
Executive Director