Local youth stand beside the newly installed signage for the future Amara’s Tsavo Community Center.

In the heart of Tsavo—where the sun commands the landscape and the red earth tells stories of resilience—something remarkable is taking shape.

What began as a quiet vision—a hope to transform a vacant piece of land into a sanctuary for leadership, learning, and environmental action—has officially broken ground. Thanks to a pivotal USD 1,700 contribution from our supporters, the dream of Amara’s Tsavo Community Center is no longer just an idea on paper. It is rising—quite literally—from the dust.

Laying the Foundation for Change

If you were to stand on the site today, you would feel the shift in the air. Under the leadership of Jacob and Nick, our team has worked tirelessly to clear the land and define the boundaries of what will soon become a hub for innovation, learning, and community connection.

Jacob and Nick on-site, overseeing the ongoing PET bottle wall construction to ensure every “eco-brick” is perfectly placed.

We have already reached our first major milestone—our Micro-Goal. Visible signs of progress now mark the site:

• Official signage confirming the center as a recognized and active community project.Members of the local community help put up the sign for the future Amara Conservation Center.
• The first “outdoor classroom”—a large shaded meeting space currently under construction. This structure will host Wildlife Club activities, leadership sessions, and community dialogues, providing a vital refuge from the Tsavo heat.

Turning Waste into a Sanctuary

The team hard at work filling bottles with fine dust—a labor-intensive process that forms the foundation of our sustainable construction.

We are now entering one of our most ambitious phases: the construction of The Living Hall.

In Tsavo, plastic waste continues to scar an otherwise extraordinary natural landscape. Discarded PET bottles persist in the soil for generations, disrupting soil microorganisms and degrading the local ecosystem.

As we began assessing the problem, we realized something powerful: Tsavo does not only have a waste challenge—it has an untapped resource.

From waste to walls: A completed section of our PET bottle construction.

We plan to lead a targeted clean-up along a well-known plastic dumping corridor on the Mombasa–Nairobi highway, with the goal of collecting more than five tonnes of plastic waste. From this effort, we will use 3,000 PET bottles to construct a community hall using eco-brick technology.

Women, elderly and youth filling bottles with fine dust. We are ensuring our builders have the proper respiratory gear to stay healthy while they work.

By filling these bottles with soil to create durable building units, we will permanently remove nearly half a tonne of plastic from the environment—while transforming it into a space for learning, dialogue, and leadership.

Collected plastic waste, packed and ready to be transported to the center.

Protecting the Builders Behind the Walls

Local Women  assisting in filling bottles with soil to create eco-bricks.

This work is demanding and hands-on. Filling bottles with dry soil generates significant dust, and much of this labour is carried out by local women.

Our commitment to sustainability extends to people—not only the environment. A dedicated portion of our funding will provide high-quality respiratory protective equipment for the women filling the bottles with dust and the masons constructing the eco-brick walls. We are determined to build a healthy environment without compromising the health of those who make it possible.

Transporting the completed eco-bricks to the site, ready to be turned into the walls of the community hall.

Water: The Heartbeat of the Nursery

A green sanctuary cannot exist without water

Our site sits above a shallow water table, making it possible to dig a 25-foot well. This well will serve as the foundation for our Indigenous Tree Nursery, a central pillar of the center’s environmental mission.

Once the well is completed and fitted with a manual pump, our Wildlife Clubs will begin cultivating native tree seedlings to support local reforestation efforts and combat deforestation in the surrounding communities.

Through this work, young people are learning that they are not only residents of Tsavo—they are its guardians.

Building with the Earth Beneath Our Feet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-VeF8uh_U

Sustainability is not a slogan at Amara’s Tsavo Community Center—it is built directly into the walls.

Alongside our eco-brick construction, we are using Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSB). Conventional brick production relies heavily on firewood, accelerating deforestation. Our manual ISSB press allows us to use soil directly from the site to produce strong, sun-cured blocks.

This approach offers clear advantages:

• Carbon-neutral production – no firewood is required.
• Improved thermal performance – helping keep indoor spaces cooler in Tsavo’s extreme heat.
• Long-term durability – structures designed to serve the community for generations.

The Journey Ahead: Why Your Support Matters Now

Together, we have already demonstrated what is possible. In a short time, a vacant plot has become an active construction site—and a growing symbol of what community-led sustainability can achieve.

We are now entering the critical “Water and Walls” phase.

Our next goal is to raise USD 5,000 to support:

• the completion of the well,
• acquisition of the ISSB manual press, and
• installation of a small solar system to power daily operations at the site.

Every contribution is an investment in a cleaner environment, stronger community infrastructure, and a more self-sufficient future for Tsavo.

Will you help us turn red dust into a green future?

Join the journey and support the build:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=D3ABTEZ34Y7E4

Nana Grosse-Woodley was born in Germany, moved to Kenya at the very young age of six years old and made Kenya her home by choice. Nana is a published author (“Tsavo Trilogy” www.tsavotriology.com and “Mtitos Weg in die Freiheit” https:/www.luebbe.de ), as well as a published photographer (National Geographic for kids, the Swiss Magazine ‘DU’, and the German ‘Spiegel’ to mention only a few) and she is a member of the international photo agency LAIF (www.laif.de).

Conservation has been the major part of her life for more than 20 years. Nana lived in different parts of Tsavo National Park (East and West) for 15 years, has vast experience of engaging with international donors, as well as corporate and government actors and she has worked with local communities in both Kenya and Tanzania.

The successful rearing, weaning and reintroduction of a male leopard cub into the Northern Area of Tsavo East National Park, as well as the reintroduction of a female leopard from the Nairobi Orphanage resulted in a deep understanding of leopards.

Conservation of wildlife and habitat has grown into a passion and Nana continued to further her knowledge resulting in several certificates in wildlife management and a diploma in zoology.

Nana believes that successful conservation of wildlife and habitat requires a community-centered approach, can only succeed in the long run if men, women and kids can fully engage in and benefit from conservation and livelihoods initiatives. Adequate and competent conservation can only work with and through the cooperation of local communities living alongside wildlife.

Nick Oketch has six years’ experience in the nonprofit and volunteer sectors. He is inspired to fight for and advance gender equality, youth development, and sexual health rights. Nick’s work entails youth rights advocacy and capacity building for young women and adolescents and environmental conservation initiatives. He is currently an International Associate, Wagner College New York, 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship fellow; UNLEASH Lab 2017 SDG Talent, Women Deliver Young Global Leader, Johnson and Johnson Global Fellow, and YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa alumnus. Nick is also the Co-founder of the Paradigm Youth Network Organization in Kenya, an organization aiming to break the culture of silence on sex and sexuality among young people ages 13-24. He holds Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and a certificate in Global Health from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States.

Given a choice, young children will usually choose to be in a natural environment. They want to be outdoors, in the fresh air and sunlight, barefoot, surrounded by grass, trees, and flowers, hearing the birds and the wind, playing in water with sticks and rocks. If you ask most grade school children what is their favorite part of school, they say outdoor recess.

When children spend time outside where they can run, jump, climb, swing, swim, and play and are happier. We all know that children thrive in the outdoors. Yet we often forget how much the environment can affect a child’s mood and behavior. When children spend too much time inside breathing stale air, hearing the hum of all the lights, electrical appliances, and the television, playing with plastic toys, eating foods that contain artificial coloring and preservatives, they get cranky and disagreeable. At Amara we work to involve kids and get them excited about outside activities such as planting trees, game drives, and just interacting with the wild world.

Providing our children with nurturing environments is more of a challenge in today’s world than it has ever been. Many children do not live in homes with yards and gardens to explore or in neighborhoods where they can spend hours playing outside. Even the children who do live in such places often have so many scheduled activities that they have very little time to spend in their yards and gardens. Many children are spending more of their time inside buildings than outdoors at earlier and earlier ages. When children are in school, unless they participate in outdoor sports, they spend most of their time inside. Let’s nurture our kids to love their surroundings!

In our efforts to reduce waste, we have often heard people say that the “real” problem is the people who throw their garbage on the sidewalk and out their car windows. Of course, we agree that we should change this behaviour, but the truth is that littering is not the only problem. We need to change the entire system because the plastic and other trash that floats in the world’s oceans actually, some do decompose and release potentially toxic substances into the water. Plastics are estimated to take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, depending on the material and structure. Additionally, how fast a plastic break down depends on sunlight exposure. Like our skin, plastics absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, which breaks down the molecules.

First, much of the litter items we see—aluminium cans, straws, plastic bags, etc.—are lightweight and easily blow off of garbage trucks, landfills, and off the tops of recycling and trash cans. How often have we seen overflowing bins with trash spilling over onto the sidewalk? These items are also easily transported during rain events, when rain carries them downstream and into watersheds, usually ending up in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Therefore, even items that are properly disposed of find their way into local neighbourhoods and critical habitats alike.

Even when plastic trash is properly disposed and goes to its intended destination, it still causes problems. Plastic that is sent to landfills mixes with organic waste, which causes plastic residues to leach into the soil and groundwater. Conversely, plastic that is sent to an incinerator is burned, which emits toxic fumes into the atmosphere and decreases air quality.

We have also had many partners and community members tell us that they do their part for the environment by recycling their plastic. As commendable as recycling is however, it is simply not enough.

The life cycle of disposable products and the harm that comes with it is much more than meets the eye. First, petroleum must be extracted from underground, much of which is located under critical habitats. Then, materials must be hauled in trucks—which emit pollutants and carbon dioxide— to processing plants, which require energy and water to transform the raw materials into products. The finished products are then transported hundreds of miles to their place of use, where they are typically used for about 20 minutes or less before being thrown in the recycling bin. From there, the items must be hauled once again to a recycling facility hundred or often thousands of miles away to be transformed once again, which requires even more energy and water, before being carried yet again by truck or barge to another destination for use. Even with recycling included in the cycle, the whole process destroys habitats, emits pollutants and greenhouse gases, spends energy, and wastes water.

Thus, the issue is not just with certain people and their behaviour; the issue is that there are just too many of these plastic items in the first place. By eliminating these items from our daily routine, we curb their profitability and thereby reduce and ultimately stop their production. The surefire way to prevent litter, groundwater contamination, air pollution, and harm to marine life is to get rid of single-use plastics from the start.

Sauti Ya Pori (Voice of the Wild), our Amara new radio program, is spearheading efforts to use radio to promote conservation efforts on many important topics.

Radio is a social medium, fostering participation and engagement, in people’s own home languages. Even if social-distancing measures are in place, individuals can engage in meaningful community participation by calling into the radio station to have their say, while also listening to fellow community members. Who needs a phone package, when you have radio? Radio is free. Always and forever. This is an important consideration during pandemics, where lockdowns prevent people going out to earn a living that would pay for data services.

Analogue radio may seem like an old-fashioned way of getting a message across to hundreds of thousands of people. But when you’re working in one of the poorest and most conflict-ridden parts of the country and the message focuses on saving one of the world’s most iconic animals from extinction, then radio remains a key tool for conservationists.

Programs are broadcast in local languages – whether it’s nutrition information for mothers, medical updates for health workers, how to avoid a viral infection during an outbreak, conservation farming for farmers, or school lessons for children. Taking advantage of the benefits that radio can bring as a strong and powerful channel for spreading news and information.

From early 2021, broadcasting on Sifa FM Radio Voi, we have talked about different topics. From environmental-related themes like deforestation, climate change to the activities which people around protected and unprotected areas carry out on daily basis not forgetting challenges they go through. Radio is democratic as it reaches the rich and poor alike. Educated. Uneducated. Young. Old. Every tribe, every region, each gender and ethnic group.

We are working with local focus groups for feedback, and to continue assessing the impact of this exciting project.

Funded by a grant from the Disney Conservation Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society, we are continuing this program into 2022. It is broadcast every Thursday both on FM and online! If you speak Swahili, please have a listen!

Choosing a soul mate is not an easy task. Many things are factored in, with the potential mate required to meet a set of minimums for consideration. Even if it means traversing rough terrains, climbing hills or descending steep valleys and slopes, the mission of pursuing a soul mate largely depends on a strategy invested in preparation.

Courtship behavior in birds is one of the most fascinating. Both males and females may be choosy about their mates. Usually, it is the males who attempt to attract females by showcasing prowess in displays. They do so by wearing striking and attractive plumage and even singing out fine tunes to lure their potential mates.

If positive, females reciprocate by firmly standing ground and not moving away. If not interested, they fly off.

Females need to ensure they pair with quality and strong males. The females keenly look at several details before arriving at a decision. Males in good shape who have attained the right breeding plumage are often better placed to win over the females. Higher intensity and frequency of displays give more attraction to the female. Males with previous mating success or experience often edge out new entrants.

The quality of the territory defended by males also determines the decision of the female. A neatly constructed nest in the best location wins the heart of many females to call it home.

Choosing a soul mate is not an easy task. Many things are factored in, with the potential mate required to meet a set of minimums for consideration. Even if it means traversing rough terrains, climbing hills or descending steep valleys and slopes, the mission of pursuing a soul mate largely depends on a strategy invested in preparation.

Courtship behavior in birds is one of the most fascinating. Both males and females may be choosy about their mates. Usually, it is the males who attempt to attract females by showcasing prowess in displays. They do so by wearing striking and attractive plumage and even singing out fine tunes to lure their potential mates.

If positive, females reciprocate by firmly standing ground and not moving away. If not interested, they fly off.

Females need to ensure they pair with quality and strong males. The females keenly look at several details before arriving at a decision. Males in good shape who have attained the right breeding plumage are often better placed to win over the females. Higher intensity and frequency of displays give more attraction to the female. Males with previous mating success or experience often edge out new entrants.

The quality of the territory defended by males also determines the decision of the female. A neatly constructed nest in the best location wins the heart of many females to call it home.

When we think of birds we imagine the few creatures that have actually mastered the art of flying. But it may surprise you to know that there are more than 60 species of bird alive today that cannot fly, but the majority do. Flight is the most defining and distinct way of feature in birds, which places birds in a fascinating world of their own. Varying from species to species, each exhibits a different flight style and wing shape.

For instance, hovering is achieved by beating the wings more or less horizontally, balancing the forward thrust by a wind gust as seen in Pied Kingfishers etc. Seabirds like gulls and albatrosses employ gliding. Pelicans and cranes fly in V-shaped formations, while vultures, storks and large birds of prey use thermals to soar in the sky.

But how do they beat all the odds to do this? Different forces act on a bird’s body enable it to fly up and remain airborne. These forces include gravity, lift, drag and thrust just like planes. Flight offers birds an incredible advantage, it allows them escape predators, travel large distances and hunt. However, there is one obvious down-side to flight; it requires an incredible amount of energy. Flight also places restrictions on how large a bird can grow and how much it can weigh.

Birds may swap the advantage of flight to develop other abilities. One good example of this can be seen in penguins. By evolving as skilled divers and swimmers they can reach a rich source of food, fish, from deeper waters.

Gravity keeps us on the ground. It is the force that pushes down on the bird and is the first force that a bird in flight interacts with during take-off. To overcome it, birds create lift and thrust by flapping their wings, making air flow over and under them.

Birds have evolved over the years to adapt to flight. For starters, they have thin, hollow bones. They have no teeth, so no heavy jaws. Birds have light but strong feathers. They lay eggs rather than give birth to live young. Birds have rapid and efficient digestion. Their overlapping feathers give them a perfect streamlined body shape needed for flight.

These beautiful creatures have managed to conquer the gap of distances and explore the aerial spaces with ease, having confidence in their wings and feathers.

Donkeys have been sorely underrated as significant contributors to the process of development. There are currently a good number of donkeys everywhere across the world, with half in Asia, about a quarter in Africa. Within these countries, donkeys are most often used for transport and agriculture, yet their social and economic benefits frequently go without recognition.

Donkeys remain a central part of life in many rural areas throughout Africa, supporting people’s participation in sectors ranging from agriculture and transport, to tourism and construction.

The donkey is a multi-purpose animal, able to carry out a wide variety of tasks under very limited circumstances. Donkeys are fast learners, surprisingly strong (they can carry loads about half their body weight), resistant to many diseases, have a long working life, require little water, and are easy to manage. Most importantly to many animal owners in developing countries, donkeys are much cheaper to purchase than oxen, horses and other animals used for working purposes. Further, they are able to withstand heat and dry conditions, but have difficulty with cold and wet climates, making clear their importance in developing nations like Kenya.

While traditional agricultural practices in many countries have changed considerably as a result of modernization and globalization, donkeys still play a central role improving the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers. Their roles differ from country to country and farm to farm, but in general, donkeys help increase farmers’ productive potential and positively contribute to their well-being.

In addition, recently more women have access to ownership of donkeys, which they use to fulfill household needs that are otherwise very difficult to accomplish. Since women are able to contribute more to the family unit, they are experiencing increasing status within traditional family structures.

Yet despite the donkey’s vital economic importance to people, the prospect of immediate income, and the threat of theft, have many households considering their sale. A few years ago, donkeys roamed freely across the country, nibbling at grass, awaiting their next call of menial duty. Now, they’re being driven to abattoirs in droves. Animal rights activists in Kenya say that over the last year 100,000 donkeys were slaughtered at abattoirs given the high demand by China. Many are being stolen, and some killed illegally by poachers and passed off as beef in a local market, where eating donkey meat is considered taboo. Numbers are just coming in, as this is a new problem to us in Kenya, since the Chinese got permission to open the donkey butcheries.

This devaluation of donkeys by the process of modernization has sorely limited the donkey’s potential, all in the name of keeping up to date in a globalized world. Will the day of the donkey ever come?