Campi ya kanzi wrote today via email:
It is newsletter time, again.
We have quite a lot to update you about.
About the small family
On April 3rd, Antonella gave birth to Jacopo. Little did she know that he - like his father! - likes tits very much: he is breastfeeding every three and a half hours and refuses the bottle!
Antonella has had better days, but she has not lost her smile!...
Lucrezia is being a very nice sister.
The bigger family
In our other big family (the camp and the Trust) we have exciting news too: Ecotourism Kenya has Gold rated Campi ya Kanzi (first lodge in Kenya) and has awarded us with the Eco-warrior award.
We are delighted to have co-won the award with Ol Donyo Wuas. Richard Bonham and Luca have joined forces with their two Trusts, and are coordinating efforts on the ground. We are also extending actions in the entire greater Kilimanjaro eco-system. This award recognizes that working together for conservation pays off both in field results and in public recognition.
We are just at the beginning and we aim to do much more together.
As part of our joining forces, we have started our lion collaring program.
As Simba Project - our compensation program - is now running at full speed (we paid compensation to 160 people on 3rd July, for a total of $7,900), it is crucial for us to understand movements, predation and overall behavior of our lion population.
We aim to do this for the shortest possible time: we do not like to interfere with wild animals. But the collaring and the consequent ability to study lion behavior will provide us with the needed information to come up with the best and most efficient protection policy.
Julie Kirby, President of Maasai Foundation of East Africa, the US 501 c 3 which supports our Trust, was here in May to collar the first lion.
She took these photos.
Part of the funds for the lion collaring are coming from the Condenast publication Domino: we would like to thank them and Edward Norton for the generous donation given to the Trust.
Trust Projects
Last March the MFEA granted MWCT $122,907 to support our 37 game scouts (and 1 coordinator), our 28 teachers (now 32!) and 1 cook and 1 coordinator, our health program, introducing a doctor (SO BADLY NEEDED!) and 3 nurses (and 2 cleaners and 1 watchman).
The grant was covering also the costs for Simba Project, for both compensation of livestock and infrastructures.
Thank you to all of you who have supported MFEA.
The grant covered the salaries of teachers and game scouts for the first six months of 2007: keep supporting MWCT and MFEA to let us carry on with all we are doing.
Three huge thanks:
- to Hotelplan, for financing the building of an entire primary school and teachers accommodation. Project value: $180,000. Construction started.
- to Giacomo Bonomi, for his $27,000 personal donation, for the building of a doctor and volunteer house. Project value is $48,000; we are short of $21,000: anybody willing to help???
- to Jesse Giguere, for pulling together a huge school fundraising (more than $16,000 up till today), to help the Maasai school and the dispensary with infrastructures, including computers and internet access.
We are working on all of these projects and will keep you updated.
Guiding
Samson has really gone a long way: from being a waiter determined to study and becoming a guide, to a silver-rated guide. He passed his exam last March. Let's congratulate him together. It is a very meaningful achievement.
Kapaito, Pashiet and Stefano are currently attending a course run by Willis Okech, a silver level guide, who is going to sit for gold level (first in the Country). We wish to thank Steve Turner of Origins Safaris for facilitating the training.
Campi ya Kanzi is committed to help local Maasai in learning how to communicate their deep knowledge of animals, wilderness and Maasai culture.
We believe the highlight of Campi ya Kanzi is exactly this: be on safari in the very Maasailand where your Maasai guide was born, and to whose conservation he is dedicated to.
USA fundraising and Raffles Safari
Samson and Clare will be in California for fundraising in the Fall.
A fundraising "Night Into Africa" with sundowners and a bush dinner under the stars in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, California, is planned for October 6, 2007. Three Maasai warriors and one Maasai woman from Campi ya Kanzi will attend. It looks like it will be a sold out event. For more information on this event, please contact Clare Corroone at maasai@iwayafrica.com
Luca will be joining Samson in mid October, and hosting a fundraiser in New York.
Cartier and Christie’s are organizing an exclusive dinner party for them: guests of honor will be John Grisham and Edward Norton. Should you wish to join them, please contact Clare at above email address, limited space is available.
We are offering tickets for an East Coast and a West Cost raffle: 1 ticket will sell for $180, 5 tickets for $170 each, 8 for $160 each and 10 tickets will sell for $150 each.
Prize for each raffle is a fully paid safari of 9 days/8 nights (international flights excluded).
West Coast raffle prize is 4 nights Ol Seki (Maasai Mara) and 4 nights Campi ya Kanzi.
East Coast raffle prize is 4 nights Rekero (Maasai Mara) and 4 nights Campi ya Kanzi.
Feel lucky? Contact Clare to buy MANY tickets!
MWCT wishes to thank Campi ya Kanzi, Rekero (www.rekero.com) and Ol Seki www.olseki.com for generously supporting the raffles.
Safari humor
A friend of us just sent these questions about Kenya, which were posted on a Kenyan tourism portal and were answered by the website owner. We share them with you!
Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Mombasa to Nakuru - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only two thousand kilometers....take lots of water.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Kenya? Can you send me a list of them in Nairobi and Mombasa? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about Koala Bear racing in Kenya? (USA)
A: Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific.
A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe which does not...oh forget it. Sure, the Koala Bear racing is every Tuesday night in Koinange Street. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is north in Kenya?(USA)
A: Face south and then turn 90 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Kenya? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Do you have perfume in Kenya? (France)
A: No. We don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Kenya? (USA)
A: Anywhere where a significant number of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Kenya where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Kenya? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Kenya who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca, which is where YOU come from. All Kenyan snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q: I was in Kenya in 1969 and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Mombasa. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will probably still have to pay her by the hour.
Q: Will I be able to speek English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.
All our best,
Luca, Antonella (with Lucrezia and Jacopo), Samson, Clare, Stefano and all the Maasai of Campi ya Kanzi
P.S.
Keep supporting our efforts and we will keep accomplishing a lot together.
See here below what your donation will do.
What your money will do:
A donation of… can…. for…
$100 Pay the salary of a kindergarten teacher 1 month
$120 Pay the salary of a game scout 1 month
$215 Pay the salary of a teacher 1 month
$350 Pay for a set of books for an entire class 1 year
$500 Pay the salary of the coordinator of the Trust 1 month
$600 Buy a hand held radio for the game scouts Ever
$750 Pay for a pupil at secondary school 1 year
$1,440 Pay a game scout for 1 year 1 year
$2,300 Pay the salary of a doctor 1 month
$15,500 Cover for the entire payroll of the Trust 1 month
And more money can….
$6,000 Build a waterhole to draw more wildlife and elephants into the reserve
$18,000 Buy a second hand Land Rover for helping the dispensary and the scouts
$35,000 Run Simba Project for a year
$45,000 Yearly fee for the Maasai landlords to establish & then maintain a conservancy
$75,000 Create and maintain a black rhino sanctuary (for 1 year)
The Maasai Foundation of East Africa (www.maasaifoundation.org) is a US 501 c (3) nonprofit corporation that has supported the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust with grants for wildlife conservation, medical and educational projects. Your donation will be directed to the sector, project or program you choose.
Checks may be mailed to:
The Maasai Foundation of East Africa
P.O. Box 1413
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
USA
Credit cards:
Go to www.maasaifoundation.org
Wire transfers may be sent to:
The Maasai Foundation of East Africa
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
20 E Carrillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Account number 01 07 45 90
Routing number 12 22 20 593
Donations may be made in Kenya to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust:
Transfer USD using MT103 through:
American Express Bank Ltd.
New York, USA
SWIFT : AEIBUS33
Fed Wire Routing No: 124 071 889
For the Credit of:
Commercial Bank of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya.
SWIFT : CBAFKENX
Account : 731141
For further credit of:
Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust
Commercial Bank of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
Account in $: 240 74 021
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
Campi ya Kanzi
PO Box 236 Mtito Andei, 90128 KENYA
Tel/Fax +254 45 622516
Sat phone +88 2165 1103557
email: lucasaf@africaonline.co.ke
web site: www.maasai.com
Reservations:
Sarah Williams, Luca Safari Ltd.
Tel: +254-720-461300
Fax: +254-62-32095
email: bookings@africaunlimited.co.ke
