In order to better protect the wildlife and improve the local environment in Kenya, H12 launched the “H12 Wildlife Conservation Trust” at the end of 2017. H12WCT is therefore a charity foundation dedicated to the promotion of environmental protection, improvement, and conservation for the benefit of the communities living around the conservancy. In addition, the projects are also directed wholly towards the promotion of the advancement of education of the underprivileged children of East Africa.
The Lower Tana Delta Conservancy was formed and is run by H12 and the elders of the tribes in the region. The elders are from three different communities (Chara, Ozi and Konemasaa) and 3 different tribes (Pokomo, Orma and Waridai). The conservancy had to be created to conserve the 150 000 acres (680 square km) as it was noted that the wildlife count had dropped and precious mangrove swamps, that are crucial to the eco system, were being destroyed.
* The members of the conservancy have been educated on wildlife conservation and sustainable living. It is their duty to ensure that all members of the villages abide by the teachings to reduce human-wildlife conflict, conserve, protect and improve wildlife and the wildlife count. In order to ensure that the conservancy operated according to the most up-to-date conservation standards, it needed a source of financial support. For this reason, every guest at H12 Delta Dunes contributes a minimum conservation fee. Extra Donations are always welcome.
* Through various fund raising initiatives, multiple donors and our partnership with Karibujua, we were able to build a nursery school in 2010. As part of this initiative, H12 Delta Dunes pays the teachers’ salaries.
* We have partnered with Karibuja on the various educational and scholarship projects in our conservancies ( The Lower Tana Delta Conservancy Mbulia Conservancy). Aside from financial support, Karibujua reaches the social side of education through hugs and art such as painting.
* We host volunteers from around the world who take part in every facet of our conservation efforts. From anti-poaching patrols to teaching kids mathematics at the local schools. Recently, a group of Chinese volunteers taught children about the technological advances in China and Chinese culture. This is exposure that they otherwise would not have not been afforded due limitations from their poor background.
* H12 staff teach schools and communities about conservation, tourism hospitality. So, by starting off with films like Bambi for kids and as they get older, we talk about tourism, economic factors, employment, natural resources and how they all interlink with conservation. And to the much older kids, we show them films and documentaries about gory poaching, the reality.
* Last year, we distributed world maps to over 20 schools in the Delta and 15 schools in Tsavo, the home of Mbulia Conservancy.
* Also in 2016, people of Delta were starving during the drought – we donated 20tons of staple food for the community and 5tons of animal feed for their cattle.
* In 2016, we furnished the nursery school with new furniture, replacing the furniture made of reclaimed/recycled materials.
* In partnership with NRT, we have employed 12 full time rangers at the Lower Tana Delta Conservancy.
* For the employees of our lodges, we offer scholarship programs to their children who perform well.
* In 2017, after many years of negotiations with government officials, Lower Tana Delta was finally officially recognized as a Conservancy and a protected area. Each ranger was provided with paramilitary training at the KWS training college at Manyani.
* The little solar lamp project by Karibujua came as a result of recognizing that many teenagers were suffering from eye problems after studying long hours under candle light. So the bright white lights re-charged by the sun came as a solution to this problem.
Mbulia Conservancy is a critical elephant dispersal area, and was created because a Senior Warden of Tsavo National Park was asked to fence the southern boundary of Tsavo West. He was very concerned because he believed he would lose about 700 elephants. So we set about signing an MOU with the Kenya Wildlife Service. We then leased the 16,000 acres were of concern and got the fence put up behind us. This effectively makes us the only private conservancy to be fenced into a National Park. It also has come with huge responsibilities including maintaining the fences, anti-poaching units, patrols, rangers, water holes and salt licks.
* When we started Mbulia Conservancy, we discovered and removed over 800 poaching snares. A poaching snare acts like a noose, except these are made with thin/barbed wire and do not retract, resulting in long and painful death for the ensnared animals.
* Tsavo has an extremely harsh dry season. To avoid wildlife fatalities, we have built and continuously filled watering holes.
* Mbulia Conservancy borders Tsavo West National Park. Our village is called Mbulia and is located in Taita Taveta County. Our Community consists of 1,320 families. Earlier this year, we had a difficult situation which left our local community truly desperate. The short rains in November/December were delayed and insufficient. The maize, which the community had worked so hard to plant, died before producing crops. The very few crops that did mature a little were then raided by rogue elephants, who were also desperate for food. We did what we could by contacting all close friends, family members, supporters of the conservancies and lodges requesting donations. We were able to supply the communities with 10tons of maize flour and 3.5 tons of beans which easily supports the entire community until the next harvest is due.