The last six months spent on the ground with the rangers, community land owners and tourism staff members of Mara North Conservancy, highlighted a common, persistent commitment from each to provide the highest level of education they can possibly afford for their children. A stark realism has put in check what hopes we had for an improvement in tourism revenues for the end of the year and the end of the safari season. The primary and ’trickle-down’ incomes visitors to the region generate have been terribly depleted and and as households are battling to break even we begin to witness the consequences. 

Greatly reduced class sizes and greatly improved teaching make private school fees of between $250 and $1500 per annum (dependent on location and school year) worth every single cent in future opportunities for these rural kids. Be them vocational or the chance of entering and succeeding in higher education. 

Without exception their parents have been fully committed to their education regardless of myriad hardships a rural East African family can and will face each year. But this has been no ordinary year. The children we have sat with are bright, hard working spirits already fiercely dedicated to their learning. Truly it’s humbling to be around them. 

Now we must match their dedication with our own. It would be a terrible injustice if their small opportunity of a good education is taken from them by these global circumstances and through no fault of their own. 

On the ground we are identifying so many families in need of funding support for 2021 school fees. We are working hard to prioritise and meet these needs fairly and with haste and we are asking for your help in raising $40,000.00 to keep these children learning and laughing in the schools that they love.

As ever with Gratitude,

Conservancy Guardians.