Kenyan Kids On Safari

COMING SOON! KENYAN KIDS ON SAFARI
PART OF AN EPIC WORLD-WIDE FILM
OF KIDS IN CONSERVATION

UPDATE - June 26, 2017 - Here are the April 2017 "WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD?" previews of 48 Kenyan bush kids learning about conservation from the other side of the thorn hedge protecting them from wildlife they normally feared. Two groups of 24 kids from villages and primary schools adjacent to each of the wildlife reserves in the Maasai Mara in the South and Samburu in the North of Kenya get to see and photograph the wildlife for the first time from safari vehicles, realizing the world view of tourists. Through interviews with tourists at the camps they also get to appreciate what their wildlife means to these new friends, many of whom have saved for years to afford an African safari.

Each group of kids are sponsored and well-directed under the leadership of Marcos Mugo at the Sarova Mara Camp, and James Ntopai at Samburu Intrepids coordinating with Resson Kantai from our partner - Save The Elephants. It's a huge change and opportunity for these kids whose main activities in isolated villages has been herding livestock, hauling water and maintaining their thatched and dung-walled dwellings. Thanks to generous individual donations KKOS was able to purchase and loan to the kids over 50 new HD Canon camcorders, HD Nikon still/video and underwater cameras.

Most of them have never held a camera before or even a cell phone camera. To help them feel at ease before going out on their first photo safari and then interviewing tourist, these unspoiled kids learned the basics of how to use video and still digital cameras. The same trainers then followed the kids through their Safari Photo Drives and Tourist Interviews.

In the Mara their trainer was Stephen Kibuna, a local Kenyan photographer, who was also learning while directing the project. He was selected to meet our criteria of using all local Kenyans where possible.  

In Samburu their trainer was Robbie, a skilled British photographer, working as an intern with Save The Elephants. He was ably helped in easing rural kids into their new roles by James Ntopai, the Intrepids Camp naturalist. He had been encouraged in his career as a participant in one of the first Kenyan Kids on Safari programs when he was 12 years old in 2009. You can view in the blog archives below.

This is the kids' REAL photo view of each other viewing the wildlife and interacting with tourists without any prompts. So if the horizon is occasional tilted, think what it would be like to achieve this without ever holding a camera or even taking cell phone pictures before!

In taking the videos, we forgot to tell them the recording didn't stop like a still camera when you clicked the shot. So, we initially had to cut a lot of "footage," video of their feet as they rested the still recording camcorder on their knees after a shot.

Stephen recently finished the trailer preview of Mara section of the film which you can click-on the link below. The Samburu section of the entire Northern Kenya part of the film is still forthcoming from Save The Elephants, while Robbie completes it after his internship finished in May.

This picture of Pascal leaping from his first dip in the Intrepids' swimming pool will make you want to watch for the Samburu release of "What's in Your Back Yard?" It was taken by another 13-year old KKOS kid using an underwater Nikon camera. Pascal's joy speaks for all the kids having fun while learning about conservation.

Sept 17, 2017 - Now, view the challenging, emotionally moving Samburu release:

Before Nothing is Left in this World Backyard,

Kenyan Kids On Safari of Life Challenge You to

Help Them Save the Wildlife in Their Backyard!

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW  https://youtu.be/XtmVLtRjovM

April 2017 at Sarova Mara Camp; Samburu Intrepids

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW for "What's In Your Backyard ?" Mara Trailer!

https://youtu.be/ixmv-sl8tKU

FILMING WILDLIFE IN THE RESERVES AROUND THEIR VILLAGES

Asking youth around the world:

"WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD?"

Rendering of the I-90 highway WILDLIFE CORRIDOR,

The largest wildlife overcrossing in North America to be completed in late 2018, Photo:WSDOT

SHOWING KIDS IN CONSERVATION AROUND THE WORLD, WHO ANSWER: 

"Conservation of our wildlife and the

opportunities that creates."

Helping to make it happen

Ø  Hundreds of kids growing up with wildlife who've experienced a life changing safari

Ø  Ewaso Lions,  conserving Kenya’s lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. Founder of our partner,  Lion Kids Camp

Ø  Save the Elephants, a future for elephants and sustaining the ecological integrity of their habitat

Ø  Sarova Mara, long-term support to Kenyan Kids on Safari for wildlife conservation

Ø  Samburu Intrepids,  Heritage Hotels long-term support to Kenyan Kids on Safari 

Ø  Parks Australia, for Christmas Island Red Crab Migration and other Junior Ranger conservation

Ø  WCK - Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, youth environmental  conservation, education & tourism.

Ø  SafariLink  Kenyan airline - The World's ultimate flight to Kenya's wildlife frontiers

Ø  Brett Eliason, getting-it-right with noted producer, mixer and sound engineer

Ø  UPS - United Parcel Service  and ther support  for help in shipping photo equipment