The Maasailand Preservation Trust

We formed the Maasailand Preservation Trust in 1992 Our Trust’s prime task is to deliver a significant and effective outreach programme to our local Maasai community.

The Trust is chaired and run by Richard Bonham who ensures that there is effective delivery within these communities. The Trust is one of the longest serving and most successful trusts in East Africa and delivers significant benefits to our local communities so that their lives are enriched and that the linkage between community upliftment and a prospering wildlife population is maintained.

Part of the reason why this community has dedicated 70,000 acres of their land as a core conservation area is because of past Trust successes and because we have formed a new company that has 4500 Maasai shareholders. Every Maasai household on our group ranch will be paid out twice a year by the Trust.

Predators and lions in particular are regularly killed throughout the whole of southern Kenya, yet here at Ol Donyo Wuas the predator numbers are increasing because of the good work of the lodge and the Trust. We include our Maasai neighbours in community outreach programs that pays compensation for cattle and stock losses due to predators. School upliftment, a fixed based health centre and mobile clinics are some of the other projects that the Trust oversees.

Amboseli/Tsavo Game Scout Association scouts are involved, primarily, with the prevention of poaching in the area, working in tandem with our bloodhounds. The scouts help protect small-scale farmers from crop raiding wildlife. The human/wildlife conflict has become a primary issue in Kenya. This project is a success when combined with the overall impact of the Trust and the area free of poachers increases year after year.
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Chyulu Rhino Project: The Maasailand Preservation Trust, and KWS rangers, together with other organizations, is responsible for enhancing security and monitoring the endangered Chyulu rhino for their protection, probably the last remaining population of wild black rhino in Kenya today. Re-forestation Project: There is a tree nursery in Mbiriakani Village concentrating on the replanting of indigenous trees in the area.

Education: As a priority the Trust has already constructed six classrooms all with teaching aids. We plan to start an environmental education program dealing with land degradation and problems associated with pastoralism marginal areas. Mbirikani Group Ranch Mobile Clinic and Health Centre was established by the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases and to help uplift the general health of the community. This is funded by a private United States foundation and is based in Mbirikani village but also visits communities living further afield.

View the 2006/2007 Maasailand Preservation Trust Project Update Document