OUTREACH &
EDUCATION
Outreach and education are essential to community engagement, aimed at raising awareness and providing valuable information to diverse audiences.
Community Engagement for Cheetah Conservation.
Outreach and education are vital to the mission of Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) because they foster awareness, build community support, and promote coexistence between people and wildlife. By engaging local communities, students, and conservation partners, ACK helps create a shared understanding of the threats facing cheetahs and the importance of their protection. Educational programs empower future generations with the knowledge and tools needed to champion conservation efforts, ensuring lasting impact for both cheetahs and the ecosystems they inhabit. These efforts extend beyond Kenya through international presentations, student exchanges, collaborative research, and global outreach campaigns, connecting people around the world to the cause and inspiring a wider commitment to cheetah conservation.
Education Outreach
ACK provides various opportunities for schools to engage with our mission and learn about cheetahs. Our outreach department showcases the importance of cheetahs and other predators in local ecosystems through informative presentations. Each session is paired with a lesson plan, followed by an in-depth discussion that critical thinking about the future of cheetahs in East Africa. We customize the discussion to suit the education level and lifestyle of the audience.
Community Outreach
ACK actively engages local communities through various initiatives, including the Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Toolbox a guide to investigating and preventing livestock loss from predators; Disease Awareness programs that provide informational packets on rabies and other animal diseases affecting the Samburu and nearby areas; the Takataka Project, aimed at improving solid waste management in rural communities; and the Champions for Cheetahs football tournament, held in honor of International Cheetah Day.
Herders Class
The Herders Class is a specially designed program that provides pastoralist herders—many of whom have not had the opportunity to attend school—with essential knowledge about predators, wildlife behavior, and strategies for coexistence. In addition to predator education, the class includes basic literacy skills, empowering participants to read, write, and record information relevant to their herding practices. By blending practical conservation knowledge with foundational education, the program enables herders to improve their livelihoods, enhance community resilience, and contribute to the protection of local wildlife.
Ginger's Hope
US Connections
Approximately 2,000 people lose their lives each year in Kenya due to rabies. In response, the Government of Kenya has set a goal to eradicate rabies by 2030 through mass vaccination efforts. However, the Samburu region was not included as one of the initial areas for the vaccination campaign, it may take several years for the program to reach this location. To address this gap, the ACK team brought together professional veterinary consultants, government officials, and conservancy managers, all of whom agreed that an initiative in Samburu would support the government's objectives. Thus, Ginger's Hope was established to help reduce the risks of rabies and distemper in domestic animals within Samburu County.
ACK's connections in both Kenya and the USA have created unique opportunities. These include an Annual Adventure Safari that engages travelers in in situ conservation, a tour led by our Director Mary Wykstra and other members to update long-term supporters and educate the public, and a project where US students from Kalamazoo Christian High School visit Kenya to collaborate with local schools and benefit the community.