Kenya has set good precedence in promoting environmental conservation since time immemorial. Since we heavily rely on agriculture as our primary source of revenue for the country, it’s important that we have effective mechanisms to preserve our environment. However, as a newly industrialized country, we face a lot of challenges in our efforts to promote environmental conservation. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of coordination and cooperation between the government, stakeholders and the people of Kenya. Environmental conservation is a joint effort that begins with the people. Here are some conservancies in Kenya where you can volunteer.
1. Kenya Rocha Conservancy
Also known as A Rocha, this NGO recognizes that for marine life to thrive, you need to take care of the environment. They are mostly involved with marine conservation, However, they also run another program known as the Arabuko-Sokoke Schools And Ecotourism Scheme that educates communities living around the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest about environmental conservation. Their volunteer opportunities comprise of both specialized and non-specialized qualifications. You can apply on the website.
2. Nature Kenya
Nature Kenya have dedicated their time, efforts and resources to protecting nature – specifically, birds. Birds play a crucial role in environmental sustainability as they are good indicators of a healthy environment. Therefore, Nature Kenya put in efforts to preserve their habitats such as forests so as to enable larger biodiversity. This organization mostly requires specialized volunteers for the kind of work they conduct. However, if you’re interested in volunteering any service you can still contact them on their website.
3. Kenya Voluntary & Community Development Project
The KVCDP focuses on environmental conservation at a grassroots level. Since most of the environmental challenges are caused by human degradation, they rely on volunteers to restore the environments and educate communities on the importance of environmental conservation. As a volunteer, you’ll learn about how conservation agriculture works while working with communities to promote conservation. Their volunteer program runs throughout the year for a two-week period and is open to people above 18 years old. All you need to do is fill out the form on their website.
4. United Nations Volunteer Programme
The United Nations Development Programme facilitates this programme which specializes in environmental conservation. As a volunteer, you’ll work on climate change and global warming. Additionally, you’ll work with communities to educate them about conservation. Not to mention, you can get an opportunity to travel around the world. It’s a good cause to offer your expertise on. Therefore, you should consider being a UN volunteer. Application is done through their website.
5. The Green Belt Movement
Wangari Maathai’s legacy lives on in so many areas. However, it’s her foundation that carries on where she left. The Green Belt Movement organizes community-based activities to raise awareness on environmental conservation. The volunteers, cleverly known as hummingbirds, can take up various tasks such as tree planting, education or even organizing fundraising for the foundation. Through such projects, you get to network with other people who have similar interests. You can become a hummingbird through their website.
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