Here at GVI we believe that just as important as the work we carry out, is ensuring that the skills and knowledge are passed on to others in Kenya - capacity building is central to our ethos and GVI’s National Scholarship Programme represents one of our best examples.

Above: Ekens learns compass navigation from Emma, our Terrestrial Science Officer, during his training 

Each year we take on board up to 8 Kenyan nationals for between 5 and 10 weeks, undergoing two weeks of intensive training through lectures and in-the-field practice, in marine research and coastal forest research survey techniques, as well as a teaching course. They then have to sit and pass examinations before they can join our research teams and community development programmes, 6 days a week for the next 3 to 8 weeks. Although sometimes learning to cook and maintain our base for up to 30 people can prove just as challenging. 

Above: Jillo (left) with another of our National Scholarship students, Raymond, at our Satellite camp by Tsavo West National Park, with the magnificent Mt Kilimanjaro behind 

Our National Scholarship students so far have included four Kenya Wildlife Service rangers from the coast and four students studying at Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute (KWSTI) who have joined us for their field attachments. Our first KWSTI student, Jillo Katello, who you may remember from our last blog, was promoted to the KWS research team here at the coast on the strength of his learning and experience and now works alongside us here at KWS headquarters in Shimoni.

Above: Nasra, one of our KWSTI students at Kidong’u village on the edge of Tsavo West 

At the end of last year we took on 3 of KWSTI’s students - Nasra and Ekens studying for their diploma in Environmental Management and Nigel studying Wildlife Management. All three of them became instant favourites amongst our expedition team for their overwhelming enthusiasm and love of the natural world, and I am very very happy to report that all three passed their courses and were commended for their field attachment presentations and reports. Their course supervisors were impressed by just how much they had learnt and  experienced during their attachments.  

Above: Nigel, studying creatures great and small in Shimoni forest 

As Ekens pointed out to me yesterday in relation to his presentation back at KWSTI in Naivasha, “The problem was time. We only had 10 minutes and there was so much to say. I had 60 slides and had to keep skipping them. My supervisor said to me that the GVI students learn so much more”. Now that they have their diplomas we hope to welcome both Ekens and Nigel back to our expedition team as interns and provide the next step forward for two of Kenya’s brightest young conservationists. 

Above: Ekens proved to be adept at spotting Colobus monkeys high in the canopy of Shimoni forest

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