Our Story.
The idea for Animal Activists Kenya was born in 2020 while walking on an access road along Lewa Conservancy in northern Kenya. Arjun Shah (aged 12), Batian Upadhyaya (aged 10), and Kaveri Shah (aged 10) were walking along the dusty tracks, taking in the open savannah, when they noticed a motorcycle speeding past—strapped to the back was the lifeless body of a young impala.
That single moment stuck with them. For the rest of the day, there was a heavy, unsettled feeling—a mix of sadness, anger, and confusion. They started asking difficult questions: Why is this happening? Why does it feel like we’re seeing more and more bushmeat? What’s happening to the wildlife?
They began to understand the bigger picture—how shrinking natural habitats were pushing wildlife into human spaces, how fences were cutting off migratory routes, and how poverty forced people to turn to bushmeat simply to survive. It wasn’t just poaching for profit; it was a harsh reality of hunger, desperation, and a broken system where people were being made to choose between feeding their families or protecting Kenya’s iconic wildlife.
But even with that understanding, the sadness remained—the deep fear that if nothing changed, future generations might only hear about elephants, lions, and zebras through stories and pictures. They realized it wasn’t just a story of animals or people, but about coexistence, fairness, and hope for a better future.
That day marked the start of Animal Activists Kenya—a youth-led movement determined to raise awareness, support community conservation, and find ways to help people and wildlife live alongside each other.
What began with a simple goal of raising KES 100,000 quickly turned into something much bigger. We realized that human-wildlife conflict was at the heart of Kenya’s conservation challenges—from crop-raiding elephants and livestock predation to habitat loss and bushmeat hunting. Protecting wildlife could never be separated from supporting the people who lived alongside it. That’s why Animal Activists Kenya is focused on community conservation: empowering local communities, creating awareness, and finding ways to reduce conflict while preserving the wild spaces and animals we love.
We started small—singing nursery rhymes over Zoom calls, running art classes for kids during the pandemic—and from those little beginnings, we’ve grown into an active network of young people fundraising, volunteering, and creating real impact for both wildlife and people across Kenya.
Our Dedicated Team
Arjun Shah
Co-founder, events, web design
Passionate conservationist, musician, and aspiring entrepreneur.
Batian Upadhaya
Co-founder, projects, impact monitoring
Dedicated advocate for environmental justice and political change.
Kaveri Shah
Co-founder, fundraising
Superstar swimmer and triathlete, aspiring mountain guide.
Sandra Nekh
Media, filmmaking, projects
Highly skilled filmmaker. Prominent writer in the Nairobi scene.
Sumaiyah Yakub
Writer, journalist, reporter
Certified conservation biologist and wildlife photographer, aspiring wildlife manager
July 2020
Animal Activists Kenya Founded
Dec 2023
KES 1 million in impact reached
April 2025
KES 3 million in impact reached
July 2025
5-year anniversary!
The Future of Animal Activists Kenya
We’ve come a long way since those first Zoom calls and small fundraisers—but this is just the beginning. Our vision for the future is bold: by 2028, Animal Activists Kenya aims to raise KES 10 million to support grassroots conservation projects, fund community-driven solutions to human-wildlife conflict, and create long-lasting change for Kenya’s wildlife and the people who share space with it.
Our mission is simple but ambitious: to build a generation of young Kenyans who are passionate, informed, and actively involved in conservation. To not only raise awareness but to put real money and resources in the hands of those working on the ground—from conservancies to community groups to schools.
Over the next few years, we want to expand our impact by
- Funding more community conservation projects that reduce conflict and protect wildlife.
- Creating educational programs and resources for young people, especially in wildlife-adjacent communities. (MountainFilm Kenya, The Seashells Project)
- Supporting emergency appeals for conservancies and wildlife charities when crisis hits.
Animal Activists Kenya is proof that age doesn’t matter—commitment does. From KES 100,000 to KES 10 million, from a handful of kids to a national youth network, this is our journey—and it’s only getting started.
KES 10 million
impact by 2028
2,000+ people
reach by 2028
30+ projects