Anne with Anti-Poaching/De-snaring Team

2. Wildlife Rescues:
• When requested, assist in wildlife rescues for animals with human induced injuries.
• De-snaring patrols report injured animals, or animals caught in snares, to the authorities and assist in their rescue.

3. Community Education and Support Programs:
• Provide support to the schools in the Maasai community by providing text books, sports equipment, teachers’ salaries, water tanks, desks and building materials for new classrooms.
• Conduct wildlife conservation educational programs to children, adults and teachers.
• Employ local Masai to further develop community awareness and support of wildlife conservation initiatives.
• Support local initiatives and training/education programs such as reforestation projects, first aid and medical training, anti-litter campaigns, and art programs.
• Distemper and rabies vaccination program in the Maasai communities. The aim of this ongoing project is to vaccinate thousands of domestic Masai dogs along the periphery of the Mara Reserve. Distemper and rabies, which can be fatal to people and domestic dogs, can also be transmitted to the wild carnivores (lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, jackals), and the beleaguered wild dogs. If the disease did cross over to the wild population of canines and felines, it could drastically decimate their numbers.
• Purchased mobile film unit for environmental educational purposes. AKTF partners with Born Free Foundation who provide a vehicle and driver to transport this unit throughout Kenya, showing conservation films to thousands of Kenyans. This is a very effective, and popular, educational tool.
• Adult education (i.e. basic English, math and reading skills) of team members.
• Pilot Chili Pepper Project – A means to naturally deter elephants from corn fields and reduce human/wildlife conflict issues around the Masai Mara.
• Pilot school feeding program to improve nutrition and learning.

This is a successful micro-finance program. Anne’s friend, Regina Mpatiany, leads the group of Masai women who bead these beautiful and sophisticated bracelets. Anne sells the bracelets in Kenya and in the USA on their behalf for $30.00 each plus shipping, (2009 variable price depending on size) returning all profits to the women.. With their initial profits, the women invested in a grain grinding machine which they use to grind maize into maize-meal (posho), which is their staple food. The women lease out the machine to other members of their community, thus ensuring themselves a steady income. They have also been able to build a small shop to supply basic necessities to their outlying communities. As sales and profits increase, other business opportunities will present themselves, thus empowering these wonderful women and their families.