Alexandra Lynn Hollombe
Alexandra's HER Planet Earth Kenya Trek 2019
Fundraising for CI
Story
On Oct 1st, I will be joining a team of self-funded women from HER Planet Earth to embark on a 100km hike through Kenya's remote Matthew's range. We will aim to be the first all women group to complete this hike on foot.
All of this will be in support of and to raise awareness for CI's conservation, community and anti-poaching work in northern Kenya.
I believe that the best way to support environmental conservation is to educate and empower women in local communities to implement peace & security programs, establish resource management practices, and to develop sustainable businesses linked to conservation. CI has been doing incredible work to empower women in its community conservancies in northern Kenya to take on top-level positions - radio operators, rangers, chairwomen, elephant keeps, drivers and peacekeeping ambassadors - opportunities that are normally not open to local women.
Through scholarships provided by the conservancies, girls are able to access primary and secondary education, and women can get loans & financial training to embark on entrepreneurial endeavors to build sustainable businesses.
To date, CI has been working with the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) to establish 35 of these community conservancies across northern Kenya. Prior to and after our trek, we will be visiting two of these conservancies - Lewa Wildlife conservancy, an exemplar success of rhino conservation; and Retei Elephant Sanctuary - to see first hand the type of projects that the funds we raise will be supporting.
Each participant in this expedition will be paying for our own flights/accommodation/food so that every dollar we raise will go directly to CI's conservation programs. Below are some examples (in USD) of what your donation will go towards:
a female ranger's salary for a month - $241
a female elephant keeper's salary for a month - $230
a girl's school bursary for a month - $83
two-day beadwork training workshop for 30 women - $550
the costs associated with taking care of an orphaned elephant (milk, shelter, feed, vet etc) for a month- $1667
Equipping solar panels for an outpost - $10,000
Establishment of a new community conservancy - $250,000
Please donate generously as every dollar counts towards empowering local women who will then work towards preserving northern Kenya's beautiful land and species.
Thank You!