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WildlifeDirect Launches Wildlife Warriors Kids Restoring Nature Challenge

Nairobi, June 5^th, 2021: WildlifeDirect is marking this year’s World Environment Day by launching the Wildlife Warriors Kids Restoring Nature Challenge in partnership with Mpala Research Centre. The Challenge is targeting public and community primary schools in Kenya. Every year on June 5^th the world celebrates World Environment Day; a United Nations day set aside to create awareness and take actions that protect the environment. This year’s World Environment Day theme is Ecosystem Restoration and will be the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which aims to prevent, stop and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.

At WildlifeDirect, we are sending out a call for proposals to all public and community schools to submit project proposals and the winning schools will receive seed grants of up to 100,000 Kenya shillings to implement their restoration project.

In her statement ahead of World Environment Day, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, WildlifeDirect CEO, stated;

“People generally don’t seem to notice the daily threats to the environment as a result of their own behavior. This competition will teach children about restoration and create a new sense of awareness, and realization that we are not helpless. Every little thing that we do makes a difference. We can restore nature and enjoy a clean and healthy environment.”

WildlifeDirect has been engaging with children through the Wildlife Warriors Kids program since its inception in 2018. Some of the notable environmental challenges that the schools have experienced include plastic pollution, cutting down of trees in the area, invasive species and livestock grazing in schools which in turn destroy tree seedlings and grass leading to soil erosion. Through the Clubs, some schools have been innovating ways to mitigate these challenges. Many of the children have started growing trees, protecting the tree seedlings from livestock, making briquettes from waste paper, conducting regular school cleanups and beach cleanups, installing dustbins in designated areas around the school, building gabions where there was soil erosion and fencing of the school compound. These children have also used lessons learnt from watching our Wildlife Warriors TV Series about the importance of wildlife and the important role that they play in the ecosystem.

Every child can make a difference. The Restoring Nature Challenge will support eight Wildlife Warriors Kids Clubs to design and implement projects to restore nature in their schools or communities. The challenge encourages student-led projects to ensure learning and ownership. The students will be involved in documenting the problems they are currently facing in their environment, identify the root cause of the problem and how it is affecting them. The students will implement homegrown solutions to improve the environment in their schools.

 THE PRIZE

• 1^st Prize: Ksh 100,000 – 2 winning school projects
• 2^nd Prize: Ksh 75,000 – 2 First runner-up school projects
• 3^rd Prize: Ksh 50,000 – 4 Second runner-up school projects

To participate in the Wildlife Warriors Kids Restoring Nature Challenge, schools must submit their application form via email to the Education and Outreach Manager, Joy Omulupi at jo@wildlifedirect.org.

The deadline for submitting proposals is at 11:59 P.M. EAT on 5^th July 2021. Winning project proposals will be notified on 26^th July 2021.

Terms and Conditions

• The theme of the Wildlife Warriors Kids Ecosystem Restoring Nature Challenge is Ecosystem Restoration. All projects must be in line with this theme.
• The challenge is only open to all Wildlife Warriors Kids. If your school is not enrolled please, fill the registration form herehttps://forms.gle/rD6djJVzwdsntL6x5.
• Only public and community primary schools in Kenya are eligible to enter the competition. Private and international schools are not allowed.
• The ecosystem restoration idea should be local and engaging.
• Schools must have an operational Kenya Shillings bank account.
• School projects must be approved by the school headteacher.
• Project ideas must be by the students
  • Wildlife Warriors Kids Club Patrons should organize a club meeting and discuss with their students’ ecosystem degradation found in their local area. The evidence will be club minutes and a group photo.
  • The club patrons will also invite the students to identify the different ecosystem threats in the school community and to document them as notes, drawings or photographs.
  • With the students sitting together in a circle, the club patron will ask them to suggest ideas on what they can do to restore the degraded areas. Club members should discuss the ideas and then vote for the best idea (each student can have 3 votes).
  • Document when the students are sharing their ideas in photo or video form (Share with WildlifeDirect the photos or/and videos via email jo@wildlifedirect.org or WhatsApp mobile number 0746511787 once written parental consent has been signed).
• The budget must be allocable, reasonable and verifiable.
• Funds will only be used for the projects they are awarded.
• Funds will be disbursed on a 40% – 40% – 20% basis. The second and third payments will be disbursed after accounting of previous payments has been made and verified.
• An independent panel of judges will be chosen to select the winning proposals and the judges’ decisions will be final.
• Only proposals submitted using the official application form will be considered.

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Notes for editors: 

For more information or interviews please contact Trish Sewe at psewe@wildlifedirect.org Images and videos of Wildlife Warriors activities are available on request.  

About WildlifeDirect:

WildlifeDirect is a Kenyan based conservation organization that has transformed anti-poaching results in Kenya through the award-winning conservation campaign “Hands Off Our Elephants”. WildlifeDirect is at the forefront of the war against wildlife crime and supports justice for wildlife and animals through advocacy and Eyes in the Courtroom. The organization’s mission is to connect people to their wildlife and nature and inspire them to treasure it and act to conserve it. WildlifeDirect also produces the Wildlife Warriors TV series and enlists young people across the nation in conservation through an educational programme called Wildlife Warriors Kids program.