The proposals for 2013 are here!

Hello all!

as Christmas approaches, I have been working on the new package of proposals for 2013. Yes! even in 2013 we will save the world, or at least give our small contribution to making it a better place to live in...

I hope you all will like these small ideas, which are the prosecution of things that we begun in previous years. We will again focus on school and university students, on endangered species and on small eco-business activities that contribute to creating jobs and conserving the environment.

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1) Scholarships for primary and secondary school students of the Samburu District, Kenya. The Samburu District is one of the poorest regions of Kenya. For many female and male students, school expenses, are just beyond reach: too many drop off school or never attend it because their families can’t afford school expenses. I propose to sponsor 7-10 students with small scholarships, of about €150 each: this sum is enough to pay school fees for one year. The students will be chosen by the village elders and we will ensure that female students make about 50% of the prize winners.

2) Scholarships for students in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya. The National Museums is the governmental institution mandated to study and conserve biodiversity in Kenya. We will award small grants to University students who are interns of the Museums of Kenya and work on biodiversity conservation in the field. Sammy Bakari works in the Kinangop Plateau, in central Kenya, to preserve the habitat of Sharpe’s Longclaw, one of the most highly endangered species of birds in the world.  Lawrence Wagura is trying to save Taita Apalis, a small bird whose population is down to only 200 individuals on top of a mountain in southern Kenya where deforestation rate has reached 99%.

3) Teaching conservation at Ol Bolossat. George Ndungu is a self-taught Kenyan ornithologist, native to Ol Bolossat, one of the most important sites for bird conservation in Kenya. Ol Bolossat is threatened by the expansion of unsustainable human activities, and one of the main problems is that the local people are unaware that they live in place having such an importance for conservation. George wrote a project to teach about conservation in the schools located in Ol Bolossat area, and I hope we will be able to help him with the funds needed to carry out this activity

4) A land for Njabini! Njabini woolspinning workshop is an eco-friendly business that creates jobs and contributes to the preservation of the highly threatened highland grasslands of Kenya. After years of work with this little grassroots group, we have obtained many results: the quality of their products has significantly improved, the amount of wool purchased from local farmers grew, and the positive impact in terms of jobs created and of grassland conservation is undeniable. The next step that we want to take is an ambitious one: to buy a plot of land where a new, large and modern workshop can be built and the Njabini group can grow further. In 2012, we have been looking for suitable plots of land, and at the same time saving money to raise the sum needed for the purchase of the land. Hopefully 2013 will be the BIG year! We'll keep you posted about this!

5) The Mbara Community Project. Temow, Chopotwo and Kapsor Schools, near Mbara village, in Western Kenya, are three small primary schools where nothing is available. No classrooms, no desks, no playground for the pupils ... With my friend Terry John Hummerston, we want to help these schools becoming a place where young girl and boy pupils can get a real education for their future