Ol Donyo Lodge

The Big Life Foundation has facilitated the establishment of two primary schools and one boarding school on Mbirikani Group Ranch, providing education to over 300 students per year.

In addition, the Foundation has constructed classrooms and renovated facilities for other group ranch schools as well.The Big Life Foundation also sponsors 20 government-certified teachers’ salaries annually.

The Mbirikani Community Game Scouts’ 158 full-time, community game scouts are employed by the The Big Life Foundation. Each scout is in uniform and is trained, linked to headquarters via radio communication, equipped for camping and patrols, and receives vehicle support.

These men are deployed in various operating units to combat poaching activities, resolve human-wildlife conflict, keep river systems flowing, monitor lion movement, and facilitate the trusts’ Predator Compensation Fund.

Chyulu Black Rhino is supported by the The Big Life Foundation. It is a dedicated rhino unit of 65 fully equipped and armed rangers who work in close collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service rangers.

Their mandate is to protect a rare and highly-threatened group of black rhino, one of the very last breeding populations living outside of protected sanctuaries in Kenya today.

Best evidence suggests the present, local rhino population to be between 14 and 18 individuals. Three successful births were recorded in the past three years.

The protected sanctuaries in Kenya contain less than 600 black rhino and do not represent an acceptable, long-term solution for the species if rhino cannot survive in the wild.