Dear Friends,

I would like to make an appeal for the COLOBUS TRUST, which is a non-profit conservation organization based in Diani Beach, Kenya. For over a decade our mission has been, in close collaboration with other organizations, to promote the conservation, preservation and protection of forests in our surrounding areas, as well as primates but in particular the endangered, gentle monkey, the Angolan Black and White Colobus (Colobus angolensis palliates).

Our main source of income is from volunteers who come and spend time at the Trust and of course echo tours from the many tourists who visit Diani. However, due to the political situation following the December 2007 elections, all our volunteers have cancelled, and there are no tourists to participate in our echo tours. The subsequent financial downturn has necessitated in drastic cost cutting such as limitations on the use of our Trust vehicle – a vital everyday asset – severe food restrictions affecting our community of caged vervet and sykes monkeys which are from the ex pet trade.

The Trust faces a bleak immediate future. Paying the wages of our very dedicated 10 Kenyan staff members at the end of the month is our number one priority. Most of our projects such as forest conservation, assisting with the kayas (sacred forests), good woods projects (ensuring wood cavers use the correct type of tree for their carvings), maintaining Colobridges, fighting and educating people on pet trade, etc., have been put on hold due to lack of funds.


We are appealing to you all to help us with donations, however small, to help us survive these hard times and not to have to make the final drastic decision of closing the Trust down. For more information please do check our web site at www.colobustrust.org

The Trust is the beating heart of conservation in the South Coast of Kenya. Please give this plea for help your fullest consideration. A positive response will help us to continue with our work and also “make the Colobus smile”. From all of us at the Colobus Trust and from the Colobus themselves a big THANK YOU.


Luciana Parazzi Basile
COLOBUS TRUST - TRUSTEE