The pastoral communities of northern Kenya are economically marginalized and support to the education of their children is highly valued; it builds the capacity of the future generation and is a major catalyst in changing attitudes towards wildlife. To date, GZT has supported 23 students (13 girls and 10 boys) to complete their secondary school education.

A wonderful example of this is Michael Edan who is from El Barta where our Grevy’s Zebra Ambassadors operate. Michael received a Grevy’s Zebra Scholarship in 2009 to support his schooling. During one of the meetings that we held with his community, we invited Michael to speak. He thanked his community for selecting him as a beneficiary for a Grevy’s Zebra Scholarship saying that his life had been changed by that decision and that he now had opportunities that would have otherwise not been available to him. He then went on to thank the community for stopping the poaching of Grevy’s zebra and other wildlife. He said that it was the existence of the Grevy’s zebra that was paying for his scholarship and that his community has now stopped eating the meat of the Grevy’s zebra and instead is “drinking its milk”. This analogy of milking the Grevy’s zebra is used frequently by pastoral communities when they talk of how they benefit from wildlife without using them consumptively.

Michael excelled in school and is now studying engineering at university. He posted the following tribute to Grevy’s zebra on our Facebook page: “Grevy’s zebra, what a beautiful animal you are! What a good attraction to many! It is because of you that I am where I am. May you exist in this nature to eternity.” These words from Michael reflect exactly the results that we aim to achieve through this program.

In 2017, five young girls were selected by the Grevy’s Zebra Trust to receive Grevy’s Zebra Scholarships to further their secondary school education, supported by World Women Work. Mercy, Rosalyn, Philomena, Pennina and Irene all received places at St Theresa’s Secondary Boarding School in the Wamba District of Samburu County. The girls have almost completed fourth grade and have all worked very hard.