World Heritage Volunteers – Kenya

WHV Kakamega Natural Rainforest& Isikuti Dance Intangible Cultural Project

• Community Education and Awareness
  Train local communities on the importance of biodiversity conservation.
  Promote sustainable land use practices.
  Encourage eco-friendly alternatives to deforestation activities, such as fuel-efficient stoves.
• Reforestation and Habitat Restoration
  Plant indigenous trees to restore degraded areas.
  Involve community groups in tree planting projects.
  Implement strict monitoring of deforested and degraded zones.
  Sustainable Livelihoods for Local Communities
• Encourage them to develop eco-tourism projects to create alternative income streams for the community.
  Support small-scale agroforestry and beekeeping initiatives.
  Provide training in sustainable farming methods.
• Partner with Kenya Forestry Service to enforce anti-logging laws and regulate forest use.
  Train forest rangers in partnership with The Kenya Forestry Service and equip them with modern tools for surveillance.
  Create a community-driven reporting mechanism for illegal activities in partnership with the local community by providing incentives to provide information on those involved in logging and poaching.
• Scientific Research and Monitoring
  Conduct biodiversity assessments to track the health of the ecosystem.
  Monitor and evaluate climate change impacts on the forest through the support of local experts.
  Share findings with stakeholders to inform adaptive conservation strategies.
• Public-Private Partnerships
  Collaborate with local businesses to fund conservation projects and not just depend on a once off funding this will help in continuity and survival of these businesses which will keep the community members away from encroaching the forest and logging.
  Engage private-sector players in promoting sustainable development in the region which will help create sustainability and preservation of the forest.

WHV Maasai Mara Game Reserve Cultural Project

• ANIMAL CONSERVATION
  Regular ground patrols and safari walk
  Identifying animal species found within the area
  Identify and name indigenous plants and uses
  Monitoring wildlife movement
• CULTURAL
  Experience Maasai way of life
  Control cattle grazing, milking and caring for cattles
  Maintenance, building and renovation of the Manyatta houses
• SCHOOL TEACHING PROGRAMME
  Playing with kids
  Planting of trees
  Gardening and land scaping
  Outreach programme in the local dispensary
  Extra activities learning life skills bead work, cooking using fire wood e.t.c
  Ensuring upkeep of the conservancy
• OTHER ACTIVITIES DEPENDING ON THE INTEREST OF THE VOLUNTEERS:
  Promoting Sustainable Tourism
  Clean-up campaigns and planting trees in school and community
  Engaging the surrounding communities in protecting their cultural heritage
  Fostering dialogue and interaction between local communities
  Disseminating information about Maasai Mara
  Raising awareness to the local community
  Training and empowering the community to preserve and promote natural heritage
  Bird watching for interested volunteers
  Working with other stake holders in ensuring up keep of the conservancy

WHV Thim Lich Ohinga Archeological Site

Located in Migori County, south-west Kenya c. 18 km from Lake Victoria, Thim lich Ohinga is a gazetted National Monument, managed by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018. The site is dominated by a large complex of four primary, high stone-walled enclosures linked by subsidiary stone walling and stone lines. It faces sudden threats that if not addressed this heritage site will no longer be in existence. The tasks for volunteers involve:

• Raise awareness among young people in Kenya , volunteers, local communities and concerned authorities of the need to protect and promote Thim Lich ohinga World Heritage site through community action programs and sport event.
• Involve young people in World Heritage preservation through concrete projects like the repairing of worn out walls at the site.
• Empower young people allowing them to learn skills in basic preservation and conservation techniques like the clearing of the bushes, placing neatly the elongated stones
  that make up the heritage site through the guidance of the elderly men of the community.
• Raise the volunteer capacity in matters hands on skills, decision making, peace building and community engagement to make them more active global citizens.
• Identify best practices and help develop non-formal educational tools to facilitate community participation in World Heritage education;
• Help Mainstream gender equality in all stages of the projects and geographical diversity among the World Heritage properties where the action camps take place.
• School involvement and the training of young cultural ambassadors in the thim lich primary school.
• Coordinate tree planting sessions with the community, local authorities and the volunteers.

Profil recherché

We require CV, Motivational Letter and Passport Scan of the volunteer intending to join us in our projects in Kenya.