In 1996, Luca Belpietro and Antonella Bonomi created the pioneer eco-tourism lodge, Campi ya Kanzi, in front of majestic Kiliamanjaro in the pristine Chyulu Hills ecosystem of Kenya. They began the business of Campi ya Kanzi not with personal financial gain in mind, but with the objective of using profits from sustainable tourism to protect and preserve the local ecosystem and to sustain the traditional culture of the Maasai people. They now manage 280,000 acres of Maasailand on behalf of and jointly with the Maasai people who own this land, known as Kuku Group Ranch. Realizing that they would need assistance in order to achieve and sustain their goals for environmental protection, in 2000, they created the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT).

The mission of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is to support the preservation of biodiversity within the Maasai tribal lands of East Africa by promoting conservation, education and health services within the Maasai community. The uniqueness of both equatorial Africa’s grassland ecosystems and the storied culture of the Maasai people face a daunting challenge to survive and co-exist in a sustainable manner. Recognizing that the fate of both rests with the Maasai themselves, the MWCT raises awareness and financial support. Funds support a host of programs designed to conserve the legendary wildlife of the area and to encourage sustainable land practices to benefit the ecosystem, ultimately preserving the traditional Maasai way of life.

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust operates in three sectors: Conservation, Education, and Health.
Trust funds are used to:

• Protect biodiversity and local wildlife
• Provide the Maasai landlords with conservation easement, to create protected conservation areas
• Employ game scouts to monitor and prevent poaching, harvesting of protected trees, and illegal wildfires
• Compensate local maasai who’s property has been damaged or lost due to predators and wildlife in general
• Award merit scholarships to worthy students
• Assist children whose families are too poor to send them to school
• Build schools
• Provide school supplies and resources
• Employ teachers
• Build dispensaries
• Employ doctors and nurses
• Provide medical supplies and equipment for the local community and dispensaries

 

 

 

 

Maasai - Wildlife Conservation || Lion Collaring in Kuku Group Ranch || Maasai Schools and Education || Maasai Health Care and Medical Aid
How to Help the Maasai and the Wilderness || Site Map

Secondary Navigation
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: Protected Conservation || Game Scouts || Simba Project || Management of Grazing || Introduction of Wildlife || Unsustainable Farming

LION COLLARING IN KUKU GROUP RANCH: Introduction || Techniques || Types of Collars || The Conservation Value || The Scientific Value || Benefit || Animal Handling

MAASAI EDUCATION: Teachers || Maasai Schools || Maasai Scholarships || Guide and Catering School || Water and Electricity

MAASAI HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL AID: Dispensary || What We Would Like to Do

HOW YOU MAY HELP: How to Help the Maasai and Wilderness