STACY (staff)

Our appointment with Stacy had been fixed for 09:30 hrs. We arrived few minutes past the agreed time at the gates of Karen Connections the friendly guards directed us to the offices of African Conservation Trust, or ACT as everyone around referred to it. We were warmly ushered into a well organised single room office. He is so humble and we wouldn’t expect him to be the guy we were to meet, but yes he is Stacy.

In this well-lit office was a gentleman who was calmly sitting in a corner and a bubbly lady, the two introduced themselves as Peter and Zipporah respectively. Before we could even sit down Stacy was already introducing us to the world of trees, trees and more trees.

One of the projects being undertaken by ACTS and particularly the one supported by global giving is based in Magadi. Magadi happens to be one of the driest regions in the country. With the aid of video and pictures, Stacy took us through what they are doing to keep this region habitable and productive; his message was quite simple and plain “plant trees”.

Stacey is so passionate about trees that we sought to know if he grew up planting trees, to our amazement, he is an American whose first love was working with children in the slums of Kenya, something he is still actively involved in and enjoys doing. Stacey was introduced to Mr. Adam Tuller by one of the Trustees of ACT. That's how his love for trees began. By the number of times Stacy mentions Mr Tuller and how much support they are receiving from him it’s quite evident how pivotal Tuller is to the organisation and his passion for environmental matters. Even though he is quite talkative it’s very easy to notice how a team player Stacy is as he keeps on referring some questions to Zipporah and Peter to elaborate on issues on the ground as he actually refers to him as “The Man on the ground”.

Stacy is so proud of having the local community on board of the project; he sees this as the first achievement of meeting their goal which is self sustainability. From the video clips its easy to see how everyone from school children to old women are involved in the conservation of the environment and this is Keeps a smile on Stacey’s face as this makes him yearn for the next day in Africa as a conservatist.

=============================

ZIPPORAH (staff)

Zipporah is one happy lady. Immediately we got into ACT’s office she gladly offered a cup of coffee and for sure it was timely as it was quite a cold, chilly morning not to mention the location of the office which is basically located in a mini forest and so when they talk about trees we actually understand what they mean.

With an elderly beautiful grin on her face Zipporah does not hide her excitement of being associated with this organisation. Having lived long enough to understand exactly how the Maasai’s men have for a long time looked down upon their women folks, she feels very proud of how this has come of age as it’s so apparent with the current empowerment going on, women in the communities where ACT has had an opportunity to interact with are taking the front in the conservation of mother nature which has a polite way of paying back by giving them the conducive environment to do farming.

This initiative has greatly reduced the rate of malnutrition and dependent of handouts. Excess gotten from the farms is sold hence generating income for the families involved in the project. Zipporah's wish is they could have more support as this will greatly increase their presence and activities not just in Magadi but in Kenya and Africa as a whole. Zipporah is all smiles as he teases Peter on how the Maasai women can now go to work and girl go to school and compete with boys in all aspects of life.

As we leave ACT we promise ourselves to visit Magadi and share the experiences with the rest of the World.

=============================

PETER (Masai elder and beneficiary)

Peter - whom Stacy kept on referring to as the Guy on the ground - is a Maasai elder. Because of his position in the community - a community that respects hierarchy - he is a very important person for the project. Peter is composed and calm, from the looks you wouldn’t expect him to speak much but when starts talking about of the project you realise how much knowledgeable he is of the trees especially those that are suitable for the environment.

Peter is very proud when he sees members of his community embrace the initiative with so much enthusiasm especially when his fellow men in community allow women to go out and work, since time immemorial it has been a taboo amongst the Maasai community for women to go out and work as their place belonged to the Kitchen and child bearing. But since the inception of the project more and more Men are allowing their wives and daughters to go out and work for a living. Peter appreciates that when women are paid, they easily transform their earnings into food and savings for the family. On the contrary, Peter notes that men easily end up spending the same in non-beneficial ways, like drinking.

With trees and the involvement of women in the community is, he is aware that the future is bright. Self-sustainability of the community is not elusive as it has been widely conceived in the past. Peter says, "The Maasai goats and cows will have grass to graze on. There will be enough firewood for cooking and even selling."

The most important thing being that the environment will be conserved and food will be produced in plenty due to the nitrogen fixing plants.

Being an elder, Peter is happy that he is imparting knowledge to the future leaders of his community. Through the school outreach program - which is a sure way of leaving a lasting impact and a good legacy - Peter sustains the drive to get involved in the project rather than go for a paying job elsewhere.

"Make sure you visit us and see what we are talking about!" This is Peters parting shot.

Attachments:

• Africa_conservation_trust_evaluation_part1_7_30_09.pdf (PDF)
  
• Africa_conservation_trust_evaluation_part2_7_30_09.pdf (PDF)
  

Thanks to Sopranos actor and filmmaker, Turk Pipken, our video about the Masai women and our vision will be viewed at the Miami Short Film Festival from November 13 – 22. Come and support our program if you are in the area. Over 500 films were screened our film, produced by Turk Pipken, “A Convenient Truth” was one of the 70 films selected.

We have committed 25,000 trees to the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign and we will be planting out an additional 5,000 trees in November. With help from the Masai community, including elders, women and children, 5,000 trees will be planted out alongside the river.

Due to the extended drought we will be planting the trees along the river to ensure that they grow properly. The lack of rain is causing problems for the trees, wildlife, but most importantly, the local inhabitants. Animals, mostly giraffe and baboons, are persistently eating the trees, and likewise, dead animals, mostly zebras, can be found all around the camp.

Yet through all the obstacles, it is the Masai women who have proven themselves most resilient. The come to work, take care of the families, fetch water and even work in the schools. The money they earn goes to feed their families and pay school fees for their children, and in addition, they cater to the needy in the community. We hope to have a fully functioning Women’s Program with 40 Masai women controlling the program by the end of the year. They will be trained in food crop management, water management and agro forestry. Most Masai traditionally do not eat fruits and vegetables, they rely mainly on meat and milk, but they are excited to start growing food crops. I am looking forward to the day when I can share a salad with my Masai coworkers.

There are even conflicts between humans. Many Masai travel days to find water and when they come across our nursery and plant out area there is often a disagreement. Everyone wants to graze their goats on our land, but overgrazing is part of the deforestation problem. To solve this problem, we have set up a rotation for the goats to eat the fodder crops to ensure it is not overgrazed. However, we have not been able to completely solve the water problem. People are breaking the water pipes at night and stealing the water.

To solve this problem we have started our Women’s Program. We will set up 2 community water tanks on our fenced in nursery. Water, through our solar pump, will be pumped to the tanks and then in turn, the water will be pumped to a community watering site. 1 tank will be used for drinking, bathing and livestock while the other tank will be used by the women to grow food crops (beans, greens, tomatoes, melons).

2 hectares will be set aside for food crops, fruit trees and fodder crops for the livestock. Since the area is adjacent to the nursery it will have full security. Most importantly this will provide water and food security for these vulnerable Masai. The women will have a short walk compared to the 3 km walk they make each way every day. Also, the women will be trained in agro forestry and water management to ensure all 500 families living in the area benefit.

The extreme drought is causing problems all across Kenya. As the water supplies are steadily dwindling, people are coming into conflict with one another. Animals continue to die and despite being illegal, loggers continue to fell trees all across Kenya. Yet through it all, our Masai workers have proven resilient. When the solar pump is down, they fetch water with buckets from the river to preserve the trees, however this is very dangerous as many Masai children have died falling down the steep river banks.

The Olika Boarding School has received more trees and is planting our on their compound. The children are excited to see the trees grow tall. One Masai girl stated “I love seeing the trees grow bigger and bigger. The taller they get, it makes me feel like there is a bright future for us.”

Thank you for your continued support and the Masai women thank you because without you they would not have the opportunity to empower themselves. Your contribution is literally saving lives and changing the outlook for the future for many women and children. Together we can change the world, ONE TREE AT A TIME!

Links:

• Miami Short Film Festival Video
• Gap Inc employees can make a difference!
• Learn more about our Founder, Adam Tuller

Pictures:

• Sopranos actor tours the tree plant out area (JPG)
• Giraffe continue to eat the trees as they step over the fences (JPG)
• Hippos are at great risk due to the drought (JPG)

To date we have planted out nearly 30,000 trees over 35 acres in the desertified lands of southern Kenya. Your contribution is not only changing the Magadi ecosystem, it also changing the lives of the Masai women and girls who have been inspired by the tree planting program.

The Masai girls are subject to second class citizenship, often doing household duties like fetching water rather than going to school. Less than 40% of the children in Magadi attend school and the number is even lower for girls. Other than the many obstacles they have to overcome, they also have to deal with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which we are working feverishly to stop, and being married off as early as 13 years old. Every Masai woman in our photos has been through this process. “The girls here have nothing. Everything is given to the boys so there is no outlet for the girls just to be girls.” Peter Tingai, Masai Elder

However, due to the success of the women working in the nurseries, the Masai girls have been inspired to become conservationist. They see an opportunity to make a living for themselves and not relying solely on the support of men. The women have been excellent role models for the girls and are proving that we can change the way tradition in Africa neglects women. Since this is the first time in the history of the Shompole Group Ranch Masai that women are allowed to work and participate in leadership, the girls want to seize this opportunity and have their own nursery. In this nursery they will plant fruit and vegetables, along with the trees, and likewise, they will have a place just to be girls.

We are confident that we can reach our goal planting out 100,000 trees by the end of the year. Due to the 10 year drought that Kenya is facing, we have had to overcome many obstacles, water, or course, being the main obstacle. The drought is causing animals to die and people to migrate from their homelands. There are also conflicts between herders over the little grazing land that is left. Last month I met a group of Masai that walked for 12 days from Tanzania, just to find water and grazing land for their cattle.

The lack of rain has caused numerous problems within our camp. We have planted trees at schools, clinics, local businesses and participating farmers lands, yet our plant out site has proven most effective. This site is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Unfortunately, the giraffe and baboon easily hop the fence and have been eating the trees. Likewise, farmers want to use the fodder (grass) crops to feed their cows and goats. Fortunately, our Masai workers are used to dealing with human and animal incursions and have been doing an excellent job keeping everyone out.

Check out the new video made by Sopranos actor and filmmaker, Turk Pipkin. This video chronicles how your contribution helps change the lives of Masai women.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f81tLgCYddM

Check us out on Facebook and find more information about our programs on our updated website. Also, this is our inhouse video about our vision and mission for Kenya and the rest of Africa. This video was made when former Global Giving Director, Sheila Leonard made a site visit. You will notice her coming out of the “Manyatta”, mud house the Masai live in. By the way, the Masai women not only take care of the houses, but they also build them from scratch.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PENIn30cQE

Thank you for your continued support and contributions. Together we can change the world, ONE TREE AT A TIME!

Links:

• VIDEO: Empowering Masai women through tree planting

Pictures:

• Masai girls work very hard (JPG)
• Masai women inspire girls (trees are 1 year old) (JPG)
• Masai girls just want to have fun! (JPG)

Kara Wevers is a student who travelled throughout Africa and visited a number of GlobalGiving projects. On March 19th she visited "Reforestation with Masai Communities in Kenya." When asked what she would tell her friends about this project, Kara said "Incredible: You need to see this!"

While I was in Kenya, I met with Stacy Harris of Africa Conservation Trust. At their office, he shared with me the excellent work that they have been undertaking in partnership with the Masai tribe. Together, they are aiming to reverse desertification and create new avenues for income generation by planting fast-growing, soil-enriching trees. I was amazed at how effective their partnership with the Masai people has been, as they train and value them as equals. I saw vibrant pictures and heard real stories of their efforts to marry development in Africa with environmental conservation. I left convinced of the commitment of their staff, the wisdom of their research, and their ability to effectively follow through on their goals.

Africa Conservation Trust also has another innovative project working with coastal communities to rebuild and protect coral reefs. They hope to add another project aimed at wildlife conservation. They are definitely providing a valuable service to the country of Kenya.

Sopranos actor and filmmaker, Turk Pipkin visited our camp in Magadi last week. Turk was able to get excellent footage of our Masai women how they work and the effect their incomes have on their families and community. He was accompanies by Global Inventures President, Deepak Kamlani and his staff. Everyone was impressed at how the "Women Effect" really works. The women get their salaries and the majority is used for taking care of their families, thus making your contributions go even longer. Anise Kamlani simply stated "This is the greatest day of my life"!

We have added another Masai woman to our staff, giving us a total of 4 women working. This feat is one of a kind in the Masai community and promted Turk to want to make a video about how the impact of women in rural communities working makes an even greater impact on the community. The Masai women have demonstrated that they are more than capable of doing a "man's" work.

ACT, Turk and Deepak were entertained by the Kramatian Masai school, a school that plants out our trees. We all decided to assist the school by sending the boys and girls to a festival in Nairobi, in which they will compete against schools all across Kenya. Wish them luck!

We have planted out hundreds of new trees in the community, with thanks to a partner lending us their landcruiser. Getting trees to the locations is an obstacle, but thanks to our new partner we will be able to plant out even more trees during the summer months.

We also attended the Africa premier of Turk's new movie "One Peace at a Time" It was a great film and the special guest was President Obama's sister, Auma Obama. Turk was so impressed with our Masai women that he has vowed to return and film a full half documentary on the Masai women in our nursery. Also, he is creating a special 4 minute film for GlobalGiving which you will be able to see soon.

Likewise, our trees continue to grow fast especially since we have had some unexpected rains. Trees planted only a year ago, now reach nearly 20 feet. Turk is 6' 7'' tall so we have made a new term for measuring trees, we call it a "Turk". If the tree is one Turk tall it is doing well, but if it is 2 Turks tall, it is doing fantastic.

Thank you for all your continued support and contributions. Your are truly making a difference in the Masai community in southern Kenya. Masai women now have more incomes to get their children to school and clinics, but most importantly, they are becoming independent as far as feeding their families. With over 10 million people in Kenya starving, this is an amazing feat.

Pictures:

• Turk in the plant out area where trees are over 20 feet (JPG)
• Turk filming the Masai children (JPG)
• Masai students entertain our guests (JPG)

Thank you for your continued support and donations. Until April 28th, Global Giving will match 50% of your donation, so now is the time to really make your contribution count. Help make a difference in the lives of the Masai women and children.

We have added another school to our program and with it another 500 children. This gives us a total of 3,000 plus Masai children working to change the environment. You can help by planting a tree for each child.

The nursery continues to grow with over 100,000 seedlings germinated and will be ready to plant out shortly. Your donation will help us plant trees in the schools and clinics and ultimately, we can begin to combat global warming and assist the local Masai at the same time.

The women have taken great strides in leadership. 7 Masai women have been recently trained in leadership and we have 3 full-time women working in the nursery. When you support the women you support the entire family. Also, the Masai women have proven themselves to be great workers, even sometimes better than the men.

The wildlife are slowly returning, thanks to the latest rainfalls. However, since there was a 3 year drought, the rains are simply not enough. We have embarked upon several endangered species and we are hoping that by supporting our tree program we will also be in position to ensure the endangered Grevy's Zebra do not go extinct. There are very few left in the world and a herd of them are on our camp. Thanks to your support we are saving the environment, humans and even animals on the verge of extinction. It is amazing how planting trees can change the world!

Pictures:

• MASAI GIRL PLANTS A TREE (JPG)
• 6 MONTHS AND TREES REACH 10 FEET TALL (JPG)
• HELP ENDANGERED GREVY'S ZEBRAS (JPG)

Jambo (Hi/kiswahili):

We are honored that Global Giving has chosen us as a feature project from April 4-28th. During this time Global Giving will give a 50% match on any donation up to $5,000. This is a great opportunity to get some extra mileage out of your donation.

"Give a Little Green" is designed to help projects like ours raise additonal funds to plant more trees and to combat global warming. If you would like a tree planted in Kenya in your honor please make a donation to stop deforestation and tell your friends that we all can make a difference.

Our third group of visiting Global Giving staff just left for the USA. We were able to help these grad students from George Washington University with their transportation and site visits.

Thanks to the recent rains our tree planting program is growing. We now have 30,000 trees planted out and the fodder crops (grass for cattle) is beginning to grow in completely. Even fruit and vegetables are being grown under the cover of the newly forested areas. This is an exciting time for the local Masai as they can now see the benefits of all the hard work that goes into planting and taking care of trees.

Women and children are enjoying the benefits of new trees and plants. A third woman has been hired full-time in the nursery. They have proven that they are equal or even better than the men. When a woman receives a paycheck she takes care of the entire family, thus we are actively seeking to empower women through our program. An empowered woman means an empowered community.

However, we are still in need of proper irrigation to fully accomodate the 3800 Masai who live in the desertified lands of southern Kenya.

Thank you for your assistance and your contributions. Your donation makes a big difference in the lives of the local Masai. Without trees and water, these Masai will have to relocate to another location. The climatic changes have forced rural Africans to migrate, but due to your generous contributions, the Masai in southern Kenya are staying grounded due to the reforestation and irrigation efforts of Africa Conservation Trust.

Make a donation today and for as little as $1 you can have a tree planted. Let's save the environment ONE TREE AT A TIME!

Pictures:

• GLOBAL GIVING INSPECTS REFORESTED AREAS (JPG)
• MASAI GIRLS PARTICIPATE IN TREE PLANTING (JPG)
• MASAI WOMEN ARE BEING EMPOWERED (JPG)

It has been several months since we have had rain, but fortunately, the skies opened and the rain began to fall. Much of the wildlife which has been dying off have begun to return, including the lions. The 25,000 trees we have planted were beginning to wilt, but the rains have revived our nursery. Also, the local Masai have become experts in gathering water so the rain has made everyone happy!

We are currently working with the Kenyan government to build a series of 5 small man-made lakes which can catch the rainfall overflows and will enhance our ability to develop the Masai community.

Water has always been our biggest obstacle so your donations are helping bring clean water to a community where women literally walk miles each day to get water.

We hosted Global Giving, Marc Maxson and Michael Nolan, this week and had a very successful workshop here in Nairobi. It is always our pleasure to look out for Global Giving employees when they visit Kenya. Global Giving has helped us sustain our project over the last year, especially after the devastating post election violence in 2008 which nearly caused us to shut down all our nurseries.

Thank you for your help in brining water to the Shompole Group Ranch Masai in southern Kenya. Your donations are changing lives, especially for the Masai women who carry a great burden of fetching water. With your continued support we will be able to provide proper irrigation for rain water harvesting and ultimately, the Masai will have a long-term solution to their water problem.

Pictures:

• Wildlife is dying due to a lack of water (JPG)
• Zebras flock to new water hole (JPG)
• Planted out trees have sprouted to over 12 feet in 10 months (JPG)

Thank you for your continued donations and support. Through your kindness we have been able to employ 8 full-time Masai warriors and we have assisted over 2500 Masai children. Currently, there are over 30 Masai men and women who work as casual laborers and thus, our program is assisting the local Masai community by generating incomes around the process of growing trees.

All our Masai workers wanted to wish Global Giving and its supporters Merry Christmas! The visits by Global Giving staff and supporters over the past year have really made an impact in the lives of the Shompole Group Ranch Masai of southern Kenya.

With over 25,000 trees already planted out and nearly 100,000 seedlings ready to go, we expect to make 2009 the best year ever for the Masai. Since the Magadi region is completely desertified, we are excited about the opportunity, with your assistance, to reverse these deserts and to change the lives of some of the poorest people in the world through our tree planting program.

With your help, we can combat global warming, empower women, generate wealth for traditionally poor communities and bring back the beautiful Kenyan biodiversity, including the wildlife, by planting 100,000's of trees in 2009.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Africa Conservation Trust staff in Kenya.

Pictures:

• Lions have returned to Magadi in big numbers and regularly sleep (JPG)
• Water tapped from the river keeps our trees nice and green. (JPG)
• Masai children benefit the most from our tree planting program. (JPG)

Finally, it has rained in southern Kenya. After experiencing a 3 year drought, the Magadi area has finally received rain. However, the rain was only a temporary blessing. Within hours the water was completely dried up and the area turned back into a desert. Thus, the urgent need for reforestation to regenerate the soil in order to allow plants and trees to grow properly.

The local Masai cheered the rain and it was mere coincidence that we had a Global Giving supported, Peter Edwards, who travelled all the way from Washinton DC to Kenya to check out our tree planting program. He was impressed and we were thankful to have his presence, especially since the rain followed him to Kenya.

We have planted out 25,000 trees within the local community. Schools, clinics and local farmers have flocked to receive trees. We can already see the diffence Africa Conservation Trust is making in less than 6 months. In 6 months our trees stand over 10 feet tall. In 3 years they will be ready for harvesting, thus the local people will have energy security as they will have fuel to cook their meals.

Our 2 Masai women working full-time in the nursery have proven themselves more than capable of doing a man's work. Since it is unusual for men and women to work side by side in the community, it has been good news to hear that the women are not only capable, but are actually doing a better job than the men. We always knew the women could do an outstanding job. We hope in the near future to have a tree planting program exclusively for the women.

Thank you for your continued support. We at Africa Conservation Trust are grateful for the opportunity to change the lives of the people vulnerable to climate change in southern Kenya. Global Warming is devastating the region, but with your continued support we can help alleviate Climate Change, One Tree at a Time!

Pictures:

• 10 FOOT TREES IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS (JPG)
• MASAI WOMEN MAKE EXCELLENT WORKERS (JPG)
• PLANTED OUT TREES ARE HEALTHY AND STRONG (JPG)

Thank you for your continued support of our reforestation program in Kenya. The Masai children have taken a keen interest in conservation. With over 3,000 children and 7 schools involved, we have been able to plant thousands of trees within the schools.

The Masai children are being trained on how to take care of their land as they are the future inheritors of this program. They have become actively involved in the tree planting, thus we are able to reach more and more people in the community.

Their enthusiasm for conservation has been overwelming. Thus, through the children, we have been able to reforest more lands in the desertified area of Kenya. They are proving that they are the future and that they will help combat global warming around the world by being good stewards over the land they live in.

Pictures:

• Masai girl plants trees (JPG)
• School kids get excited about conservation (JPG)
• Masai boy is all smiles! (JPG)

Our mission is to provide a solution to desertification in Kenya and combat Global Warming around the world.

This mission requires the generation on a large scale of alternative sources of fast growing trees, thereby turning the deserts of Kenya into forests.

We train and enable forest communities in Kenya to understand and adopts conservation as a part of their daily practice, and thereby become forest guardians.

Our training of the Masai has let to the germination of 75,000 trees in our nursery. 5,000 trees have been planted out in the community. 30 Masai, including 6 women have been trained in leadership. This is the first time Masai women have been involved in leadership. 7 Masai work full time in the nursery and 7 schools have received trees for planting out.

Visit our website and see how we are combating global warming by reforesting Kenya.

Thank you for your support!

Pictures:

• The trees are growing fast in the nursery (JPG)
• School children planting trees (JPG)
• Life is hard for children in the desert (JPG)