Wildlife Warriors

June 02, 2021

Wildlife Warriors

Credit: Ambrose Letoluia

Ambrose has always been interested in photography and so, when he was given some money, his original plan was to build a photography studio next to the house that he had recently built:

“I needed a way to make the money stretch much further and instead I asked a group of Moran warriors from our tribe if they would help me to make the bricks myself and to construct the building. Their physical investment in the building, all their hard work, eventually shaped the future of the building itself.”

Hand-made concrete - Credit: Ambrose Letoluia

"Life took another turn after that, and I found myself acting as guardian to my nieces and a little girl called Neema whose path had crossed mine. She had rescued an owl chick and decided to take it home to her family. Traditionally owls are considered to be very bad luck in our community and her family weren’t pleased about what she had done. They contacted me for help and I noted this little girl’s intense interest in wild animals. Ordinarily, her future was likely to be one of early marriage, childbirth, and animal herding, and so I decided to intervene. With the help of my social media contacts, and the Loisaba Community Conservation Trust, I arranged for her to go to school with my youngest niece and she has been doing very well ever since. It was an emotional moment when we exchanged her shanga (beaded necklace) for a school tie and uniform.”

“This episode planted a seed in my head – wouldn’t it be better to create a Wildlife Resource Centre in my building where local children could come and learn about wildlife?”

Credit: Ambrose Letoluia

“Tom from Loisaba has provided shelving, and through friends and contacts I have been able to source books and computer equipment. Next we need a flat screen television rather than the small computer screen that we are using at the moment, but people are volunteering their time to come and talk about wildlife. We are beginning to set up research projects involving the leopard tortoises which are to be found all over the community in order to develop the children’s interest in protecting and conserving wildlife. However, there is a final twist to this tale…”

Credit: Ambrose Letoluia

“Some weeks ago, I was contacted by the Moran warriors, whose main occupation during their warrior-ship is livestock herding, to see whether I would manage their football team. Of course I agreed to do that. However, I also invited them to come to the Resource Centre to get involved with wildlife conservation. For some this may be their first experience of education and these young men are always at risk of being recruited by criminals for livestock rustling or even wildlife poaching. The Wildlife Resource Centre will act as a useful diversion from these activities and create something far more positive.”