animal activists kenya
Season Six
Where we raised and donated over KES 1,100,000 to support three of our own youth-led environmental awareness projects, as well as the emergency appeals of three community conservancies in Northern Kenya – helping provide urgent support to rangers and communities facing severe challenges, including starvation.
1,100,000
KES Donated
6
Beneficiaries
Season 6 was a groundbreaking success, with Batian Upadhyaya’s astonishing fundraiser Everest for the Environment raising KES 850,000 along with KES 250,000 raised from other donations. These funds have been allocated to various projects, including – for the first time- our very own Animal Activists Kenya projects. Our first project, the Seashells Project, is an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging sustainable tourism and behavioral change in coastal visitors who pick shells and other marine species off beaches, an activity with substantial ecological effect. Our second project in partnership with MountainFilm, Telluride, USA, is MountainFilm Kenya, an educational tour targeted at Kenyan youth in rural areas with the goal of exposure to environmental conservation. Additionally, follow-up sustainable initiatives are undertaken in our selected schools based on their needs, e.g., sustainable agriculture, library stocking, and rainwater collectionOur third initiative supported the installation of educational signage and eco-benches at City Park, Nairobi, in partnership with Friends of City Park — enhancing environmental awareness and public access to green spaces. In addition, part of the funds went toward supporting rangers and emergency operations at three community conservancies in Northern Kenya — Ishaqbini Hirola, Kaptuya, and Ruko — all of which were facing urgent threats such as starvation, drought, and resource shortages. These contributions helped keep rangers in the field and supported the communities that co-exist with and protect some of Kenya’s most endangered species. Read more below.
Beneficiaries
The Seashells Project.
The Seashells Project is a youth-led conservation campaign by Animal Activists Kenya aimed at reducing the harmful collection of seashells along Kenya’s coast. Many visitors collect seashells without realizing the damage it causes to marine ecosystems, coastal stability, and local biodiversity. This project raises awareness among tourists and the hospitality industry to help protect these fragile environments.
In Season 5, we allocated KES 300,000 towards the project.
This funding is being used for:
• Designing and printing informative brochures for hotel rooms and lobbies
• Installing eco-friendly signs on beaches and public spaces using sustainable materials
• Setting up “Return the Shell” baskets in accessible areas such as hotels and schools
• Running awareness campaigns in partnership with travel companies and coastal communities
By helping visitors understand the ecological importance of leaving shells on the beach, we aim to reduce the pressure on coastal habitats, support marine life, and promote more responsible tourism practices along Kenya’s coastline.
Friends of City Park (FoCP)
Friends of City Park is a membership-based organization focused on conserving Nairobi’s historic City Park, one of the city’s last remaining green public spaces. They work to protect and restore the park’s unique biodiversity, improve visitor experiences, and promote environmental education among the public.
Animal Activists Kenya donated KES 100,000 to FoCP, directly supporting the installation of educational signs and park benches. The signs educate visitors on key conservation issues, such as the dangers of littering and feeding monkeys, while the benches help improve accessibility and enjoyment of the park for all visitors, encouraging responsible use of Nairobi’s precious green space.
Ishaqbin Hirola Community Conservancy
Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy, located in Garissa County along the Tana River, is globally recognized for protecting the critically endangered Hirola antelope, the world’s rarest antelope species. The 72 km² conservancy provides a secure, predator-free habitat for Hirola while engaging local communities in conservation, reforestation, and sustainable livelihood projects like beekeeping and microfinance.
In response to an emergency climate-induced drought, Animal Activists Kenya donated KES 200,000 in emergency relief to Ishaqbini. The donation funded food hampers for both rangers and community members, ensuring rangers could remain on patrol protecting the hirola population instead of abandoning their posts in search of food, while also reducing the pressure on wildlife by supporting local communities through this difficult period.
Ruko Community Conservancy
Ruko Community Conservancy, established in 2008 by the Njemps and Pokot communities, is a 14,000-hectare conservancy located on the eastern side of Lake Baringo. Ruko is celebrated for its “conservation for peace” model, reintroducing the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe back into its native habitat while conserving antelope, birds, and indigenous vegetation through community stewardship.
Animal Activists Kenya has supported Ruko multiple times: in Season 1, we donated KES 40,000, and in Season 5, we donated KES 150,000 in emergency drought relief. Our most recent donation funded vital food hampers for rangers and community members, enabling them to survive extreme drought conditions without resorting to wildlife killings and ensuring rangers could remain in their posts, actively protecting the Rothschild’s giraffe and other wildlife.
Kaptuya Community Conservancy
Kaptuya Community Wildlife Conservancy is a Pokot community-owned conservancy located in Tiaty East Sub County, on the eastern shores of Lake Baringo. Spanning 8,000 hectares, Kaptuya protects diverse wildlife, including elephants, buffalo, leopards, impala, and warthogs, while promoting peaceful coexistence between wildlife and people. The conservancy also plays a key role in maintaining traditional livelihoods like pastoralism alongside conservation.
During a period of devastating drought, Animal Activists Kenya provided KES 150,000 in emergency relief to Kaptuya Conservancy. The funds were used to supply essential food hampers to struggling community members and rangers facing starvation. This ensured that local rangers could remain in the field to continue safeguarding wildlife and that community members were not forced to turn to poaching or harming wildlife to survive during this crisis, maintaining human-wildlife harmony even through challenging times.