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FOC Kenya

FOC Kenya Community Conservation Programme

Elliot Morley in Masai Mara October 2003 - Eliot Morley, the British Environmental Minister visited the Masai Mara in Kenya. During his stay, the Minister, who is a keen wildlife enthusiast, visited schools in the FOC education programme, met the scouts of our wildlife protection patrols and visited FOC's forestry units.

"Friends of Conservation is committed to working with local peoples to develop and promote a balance between their needs and those of the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and eco-systems".

Overview

Friends of Conservation (FOC), was founded nearly 20 years ago, in 1982. During the past 20 years, its main focus has been located in the greater Masai Mara region, south-west Kenya, one of Africa's most popular tourist destinations. Until the end of 1999, FOC worked both inside and outside the Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR), with projects inside including an ecological monitoring and habitat protection programme, and a black rhino monitoring and surveillance.

With increasing human pressures outside the Reserve, FOC realised the need to develop its activities in response to the changing local situation. With the support and interest of local communities FOC now focuses on three main components of its programme: Conservation Education, Kenya Conservation Education & Forestry Programme (KCEFP) and the Rhino Protection Support Programme. The aim of these programmes are to assist local communities in conserving their land, wildlife and natural resources, while addressing their development and economic needs. The FOC agenda currently includes:

  1. Educating and training local communities; both adults and school children in utilising their environment as a natural, renewable resource for economic benefit
  2. Promoting and supporting reforestation, reducing the consumption of fuelwood and promoting energy-saving products
  3. Income generating initiatives with local communities: tree nurseries and woodlots, bee-keeping and beadwork
  4. Educating tourists and tour operators to respect Kenya's fragile ecosystem for the benefit and enjoyment of others
  5. Taking a pro-active role in protecting endangered species and their eco-systems and working with all parties to promote conservation
  6. Undertaking monitoring and research of free-ranging black rhino populations adjacent to the Reserve and supporting the Tsavo East National Park's management authorities to protect and monitor their rhinos

Friends of Conservation's fieldwork is currently managed from the FOC Conservation Centre at Talek, our Community Conservation and Education Centre in Kilgoris and our Forestry Centre in Aitong.

FOC Kenya's Programme can be broken down as follows:

  1. Education Campaign
    • Schools Education
    • Community Education
    • Tourist Education
  2. Community Based Environmental Management
    • Natural Resource Management - Forestry Programme, Energy Programme
    • Wildlife Management - Naikarra and Olderkessi
    • Land Management - Niakarra and Olderkessi
  3. Rhino Protection Support Programme