Segera Rhino Sanctuary
Central Laikipia is perfect rhino country and was once home to thousands of rhinos before the species was decimated. Positioned at the geographical heart of Kenya, the Segera Rhino Sanctuary will become a vital gateway to a large-scale initiative to create an interconnected area of private and community conservancies, government parks and formerly abandoned lands to become one of the largest rhino sanctuaries in the world as part of the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion Plan (KRRE), where rhinos can safely return to Central Kenya’s vast savannahs. We believe that this vast new Rhino Sanctuary will create and safeguard a complete ecosystem for significant populations of rhino and other endangered species, a win-win for Kenya’s wildlife, communities, and future.
Tree of Life Reforestation Initiative
The long-term effects of deforestation have a critically negative impact on the ecosystem, affecting not only plant and animal life but also the well-being of human communities that rely on the fertility of the land for their prosperity. As efforts to restore forest cover gain full momentum around the world, we embarked on an initiative to replenish deforested land here on Segera Conservancy through the Tree of Life Reforestation project. We aim to grow three million trees by 2030. This will be East Africa’s largest reforestation project on a private conservancy. The first phase of the planted forest in 2020 formed the shape of a rhino, which highlights the importance of conservation and biodiversity. At only $1 per tree, every donation makes a real difference towards protecting Kenya’s biodiversity for the future, and everyone can take part.
School Development and Bursaries
Through the support of donors over the years, the ZEITZ foundation has helped grow the footprint of education in Laikipia by educating over 2000 thousand children across our local communities. We support 6 schools from Pre-Primary (Early Years Learning) to Senior Secondary School levels. Our initiatives include various projects, including the construction of new classrooms and toilet blocks, along with comprehensive renovations and repairs to enhance learning facilities. We have also donated essential learning supplies such as desks, school uniforms, and books. A bursary program is in place to assist bright students from disadvantaged families around Segera Conservancy. We firmly believe that education is transformative and a key driver of sustainable development, even as we create a brighter future for the next generation.
The Laikipia Learning Centre
In our quest to increase access to education, knowledge, and awareness on Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce (the 4Cs), we have expanded the scope of the Vocational Training Academy for Permaculture to a bigger vision – now referred to as the to as the Laikipia Learning Centre. This multipurpose facility will serve as an education centre for both adults and children from Segera’s local communities. Plans for this center are still in development, with a local eco-conscious design firm hired to complete the architectural plans. This multipurpose facility, housed in a repurposed airplane hangar, will provide training in a wide range of topics such as conservation, culture, and sustainable commerce.
Sustainable Water Management
Recognizing the challenges that the landscape has faced and continues to face from intermittent rainfall, we began construction of a large water storage dam along the Segera River with a potential capacity of 603,107 cubic metres, making it possibly the largest in East Africa. Significant progress has been made in the core trench of the dam, with excavation completed and reinforcement works in progress. Despite the magnitude of the project, we expect to complete construction in early 2024, once two silt traps and associated infrastructure are completed. We believe the dam will secure the future of the rhino population, other wildlife and the ecosystem.
SATUBO Kindergarten
By transforming the age-old tradition of beading into a financially viable enterprise, the SATUBO Beading Group (which stands for and symbolises the unity of its members from different ethnic groups; SAmburu Turkana and BOrana) empowers women, preserving their culture and promoting commerce by offering them an opportunity to earn independent income and financial freedom. To further support this initiative, the ZEITZ foundation has built a SATUBO Kindergarten, giving the women more time and freedom to pursue their handicraft, while their preschool children are safely cared for nearby.
All Women Anti-Poaching Ranger Academy
In 2019, we launched East Africa’s first All-Women Anti-Poaching Ranger Academy and 27 female rangers have now graduated from the academy on Segera, having undergone intense selection processes, months of holistic training and field exercises. With advice from Damien Mander (Founder of IAPF) and lead by highly qualified instructors, training includes Patrol Tactics, Conservation, Community Engagement, Tracking, Drill, Law & Arrest, Canine Handling and First Aid. Rangers are also encouraged to act as mentors in their communities, empowering other women, sharing their education and promoting dialogue as a primary driver for peace, intercultural understanding and preservation.
If you are interested to support or contribute towards one of these projects, you are welcome to make a donation or contact us for more details.