Wild animals are a treasure and pride of every nation. They should exist naturally in the wild and be free from hunger and thirst, pain or injury, discomfort, fear distress, and able to express their normal behavior.However, they are the source of food and income for poor communities living near protected areas who kill them in very inhumane and painful manner.We are protecting these animals by educating children and unemployed youths who will in turn get employed and cease from relying on them.
Lack of education and skills to enable people living near national parks earn income from employment or enterprise results in killing wildlife for food. Bushmeat is their food and source of income. Wild animals continue to suffer from pain of being killed in inhumane ways, and at the same time their population continue declining. Since most of the communities are poor and their children have not had an opportunity to go to school, the cycle of poverty and killing wildlife continues.
The Africa Conservation Education Fund program, through the Africa Network for Animal Welfare will offer scholarships to 50 children annually from poor families living near Tsavo East national park in Kenya so that they are able to ultimately get employment and hence have alternative income. In addition, 50 youths who are unemployed will access vocational trainings to able them start enterprises for income generation as opposed to killing wild animals. 50% of those trained will be women.
All children going to school will be mentored to ensure they ultimately gain meaningful employment. Further, unemployed youths who are sponsored to learn specific skills will be supported to start enterprises. In the long run, communities will be empowered financially and with knowledge to taking care wildlife hence being agents of conservation in Kenya and other African countries.
