Supporting the local communities through Wildlife Conservation Scholarship Programs Anti-Poaching Sustainable Tourism Student Food Programs since 2007.
Who We Are
The Ol Lentille Foundation is a not for profit, Company Limited by Guarantee, registered under the Kenyan Registry of Companies and governed by Kenyan law. Its directors are Andre Cohen and Laura Yung, the owners of Regenesis Limited, the company that operates the Ol Lentille safari lodge, on the Ol Lentille conservancy.
The Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the 40,000 acres Ol Lentille conservancy, in parallel with supporting the development of the four Maasai and Samburu communities who surround (and own) the conservancy.
Andre Cohen and Laura Yung, Directors of the Ol Lentille Foundation
what we do
This includes protecting the Ol Lentille conservancy from illegal grazing (a major threat, especially during the dry season), anti-poaching, the management of invasive plant species (such as the opuntia cactus) and handling human-wildlife conflict (a key issue driven by population growth around the conservancy).
Our conservation efforts are carried out by a small team of community rangers, hired from the four Ol lentille communities and led by a professional warden.
Our key priority, in line with our four partner communities, is supporting education among the four communities of Ol Lentille, and as a second priority, we support other community needs such as healthcare and water projects.
In education we focus on 4 main areas:
Secondary school scholarships/bursaries for the neediest students: while primary school is free in Kenya, secondary school attracts fees (approx. $500 per year)
Providing school meals to 8 schools (about 2000 students): as government provided school meals seldom reach remote schools
Constructing school classrooms and providing equipment (for example solar batteries) for the schools
Constructing teacher accommodation for teachers assigned from outside the community (who otherwise seldom stay long)
These initiatives, in addition to the direct financial incentives which they receive, give the Ol Lentille communities a tangible return from conservation and tourism.
how you can help
Conservation:
Professional 8-week training program for our community rangers
Acquisition of a second security vehicle
Construction of security roads to access the poacher/encroacher areas
Education:
School meals for 2000 students in 8 schools for 1 week (5 days): $1000
Secondary school scholarship (1 school year): $500 (includes textbooks etc)
Teacher accommodation for local community schools
Class rooms