Champions Rise in Conservation Education

From Kilifi to Kili: Champions Rise in Conservation Education

Growing Conversations, Growing Connections

Dear friends,

As we cross the halfway mark of 2025, Critical Conversations is gaining momentum: stretching into new landscapes, engaging new voices, and deepening our dialogue on two of the most urgent issues of our time: unchecked population growth and runaway consumption.

2025 Highlights at a Glance

Reaching New Ground

Our year began in Amboseli and Samburu, engaging conservancies supported by Saruni Basecamp Explorer Foundation. Alongside our partners: Big Life Foundation and Northern Rangelands Trust, we introduced our unique approach to conservation education – using unique play and story based activities that explore among many others: biodiversity, interconnectedness, seventh-generation thinking, land holding capacity and of course, family size, all within the framework of Active Hope and the Work that Reconnects.

Champions Level Up

In March, we returned to Saparingo-Naretoi to deliver Level 2 peer educator training. Participants honed their facilitation skills, built confidence, and deepened their understanding of population dynamics and conservation within the context of climate change. Several graduates supported training efforts in Amboseli and Samburu as interns - proof of the power of ‘see one-do one- teach one’ and the opportunity for trainees to see peer education in action. We also had the chance to train the MMWCA interns, as part of our ongoing work in the Mara ecosystem.

Ecotheology - Faith in Action

April and May saw us training 30+ faith leaders in Mara and Amboseli using our unique bespoke Ecotheology Workbook. Their insights reshaped our understanding of how to engage with religious leaders around conservation and family size and the training reshaped how these community leaders saw their role:

“I haven’t set foot directly on the bare earth in thirty years – I thought it was dirty.”
By the end of the training, he was barefoot, joyfully stomping in the soil, reconnecting with creation. From scepticism to stewardship, these leaders will now be a big part of how we bring conversations on family planning and ecological consciousness into their churches.

Raising New Champions

Amboseli and Samburu Trainings

We trained 60 new Level 1 peer educators across Ol Donyo Musa, Kalama, and Sera. From Morans to school leavers, each brought their perspective and left with new purpose.

Evenings were filled with stories, laughter, and courage. Many who had never spoken in public left ready to begin leading conversations back home until they joined the Level 2 training.

In July and August we completed the training of all the Level 2 peer educators in Samburu and Mara! Our peer educators are now ready to work with organisations wanting to train the youth they engage with about the conservation, quality of life, population conversation.

‘I feel equipped and motivated to take these conversations back to my community. I'm ready to engage with my peers and elders, encouraging a deeper understanding of the link between the health of our planet and our future. This training has made it clear that protecting our environment and managing population growth & family size are two sides of the same coin. (Kalama Level 2 Champion)

We now have:

80 fully-fledged Champions
30+ trained stewards
A network of over 110 community educators driving this unique conservation dialogue nationwide.

National & Regional Impact

Cross-Regional Exchange

We showcased our theatre-based methodology at CHASE Africa’s Partner Conference in Limuru - igniting new partnerships across the SRHR sector.

National Dialogue in Nairobi

This quarter, we met with:

• NCPD – advancing population dialogue

• UNFPA – exploring collaboration

• Ministry of Health – aligning with national priorities

• Inter-religious Council of Kenya – strengthening faith-based impact

This month

We will be working with Dandelion Africa and Maa Trust - training their youth with our unique approach - more on this in our next newsletter!

In a country where 70% of the population is under 35, our work with youth and faith communities is more urgent than ever.

One million more Kenyans are born each year.
Climate change is already here.
Smaller families = stronger, more resilient futures.

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Thank You!

With heartfelt thanks to our donors:
Saruni Basecamp Explorer Foundation
Population Matters UK

Together, we are raising a generation ready to see with new eyes and steward our future.