Patrick Papatiti

As a Maasai community leader, I believe that we are collectively responsible for the well-being of our society, whether we hold a formal office or not. For a number of years, I had a dream job with the Kenyan government in Nairobi, working undercover and busting ivory traffickers internationally, when I learned that an organization charged with protecting wildlife in my ancestral homeland was leaving the area as the job had simply become too dangerous. For the love of my community and wildlife, I returned five years ago to form the Olgulului Community Wildlife Rangers (OCWR) to eliminate poaching in my jurisdiction and build tolerance in my community to reduce human–wildlife conflict, as well as to encourage the participation of women in conservation and leadership.

OCWR has 87 young men and women—most of whom had lacked a basic education and prior work experience—as community scouts, enabling them to educate themselves as well as their children and provide for their families. We offer training, mentorship, and support to rangers, as well as in-kind incentives to underwrite community education programs. In addition, we are encouraging wildlife stewardship by providing scholarships in wildlife conservation. Graduates work as rangers or as guides for wildlife safaris.