The Sarara Foundation
Investing in Indigenous People. Protecting biodiversity. Fighting climate change.
OUR MISSION
The Sarara Foundation is working to protect the 850,000-acre Matthews Forest Range, located in the heart of Northern Kenya, the wildlife and Indigenous Samburu who call this land their home.
The Challenge
70% of Africa’s wildlife exists outside of National Parks and Reserves.
Most of Africa’s remaining biodiversity is co-habited by wildlife and Indigenous Peoples. Preserving this biodiversity is key to turning around the climate crisis, as these areas are major carbon sinks.
The cycle of poverty in Indigenous communities is deepening due to rapid urbanisation, loss of indigenous identity, biodiversity loss, irreversible loss of species, critical watershed damage, and climate change
80% of the world's remaining diversity is protected by just 6% of the world's population, all of whom are Indigenous Peoples.
The Landscape
In the northern frontier of Kenya, in the heart of Samburu, lies Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, an area of 850,000 acres of wilderness in the Mathews Range - a critically important watershed for Northern Kenya.
Namunyak Conservancy is home to 23,000 nomadic Samburu pastoralists, Kenya’s 2nd largest elephant population, Kenya’s largest population of Reticulated giraffe, as well as endangered Grevy Zebra, hyena, kudu, lion and leopard.
Our Impact and Programs
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Education
Sarara developed a first of its kind Nomadic Montessori Education system to access difficult to reach communities.
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Healthcare
Sarara has pioneered a mobile health clinic specialising in Paediatric and Maternal care reaching over 1,100 mothers and 3,000 children a year.
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Enterprise Development
Sarara develops enterprise models that empower individuals, primarily women to generate their own income.
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Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Sarara actively supports the management of 39 orphan elephants housed at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.
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Returning Wildlife
Sarara has overseen the return of a free ranging population of near 6,000 elephant to the Mathews Range.
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Endangered Species
Sarara oversees the protection of the largest herd of Reticulated Giraffe in Africa numbering over 480 individuals.
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Capacity Building
Sarara promotes self governance, capacity building and leadership training at a community level.
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Employment
Sarara supports the employment of 75 wildlife rangers, 16 eco rangers, 25 administrative staff, 60 elephant keepers
The Sarara Foundation sincerely engages the indigenous Samburu community to preserve their cultural independence and build economic strength through smart planning and local leadership partnerships.
Milk Mamas en route to sell fresh goat milk to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
The Sarara Foundation operates across three key pillars
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The Sarara Foundation is heavily investing in a sustainable and opportunity-rich future for the next generation of indigenous communities of Northern Kenya.
We offer critical support to a historically underserved society through:
→ World-class, culturally relevant education from infancy to young adulthood
→ Healthcare service focussing on paediatric, maternal and deep trauma interventions -
Sarara’s conservation approach focuses on human environmental impact and human-wildlife conflict.
Special emphasis is placed on managing the effects of rapid population increase and resulting issues with pollution, biodiversity, natural resources and wildlife.
Our work includes:
→ Rangeland Restoration through re-seeding and re-greening programs
→ Supporting Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, located in Namunyak Conservancy
→ Wildlife returning and monitoring
The Samburu tribe has lived side-by-side with a healthy, robust environment for many generations; our core role is to offer support in navigating a rapidly modernising and fast-paced world where traditional wisdom is often forgotten. -
Through sustainable enterprise development and key partnerships, we endeavour to empower the indigenous Samburu community through economic stimulus programs.
Our programs include:
→ Milk to Market program where Samburu women sell excess goat milk, not required by their families, to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
→ Beadworks program involves over 50 women who produce beaded items sold in the Sarara Eco Lodge’s tourism shop
→ Sarara has built three eco lodges wholly owned by the community surmounting to fifty beds, which currently employ 125 people from the local community,
Through building self-sustainability and economic empowerment the Samburu can safeguard their cultural heritage, the land they call home and biodiversity which they share it with.
“The Samburu tribe has lived side-by-side with a healthy, robust environment for many generations; our core role is to offer support in navigating a rapidly modernising and fast-paced world where traditional wisdom is often forgotten.”
SUCCESS STORIES
News From The Sarara Foundation
