What would you do with 10 US cents?

Likely not much, depending on where you live in the world. But here in Amboseli, 10 cents can help to achieve something extraordinary.

The annual ‘long rains’ failed, and the resultant drought is starting to bite. Big Life’s most important conservation partners - local communities - rely heavily on livestock for survival, including milk for nutrition and sales. But cows are barely producing milk now, and what little is there is going to their calves. Livestock have started to die, and people are struggling to sell their animals in oversupplied markets.

Combined with the rising cost of everyday items, the result is a dramatic squeeze on household income and food availability, and hunger is starting to become a reality for many. We can’t help everyone, but there is one group that needs it more than most.

Because schools do not provide meals, Big Life Foundation has launched an ecosystem-wide school feeding program to help kids get the critical nutrition they need. It is a massive logistical operation, delivering 47 tons of food each month to 55 schools spread across more than 1 million acres, but it means that 26,700 kids will get at least one decent meal a day.

The project may run as long as five months, during which time more than 3 million 10-cent meals of high-protein porridge will be served.

It has taken just over a month from conceptualizing the project, to funding it, to serving the first meals. We pride ourselves on being nimble, and are deeply appreciative of the generous funding partners who likewise have responded so quickly, which includes Great Plains Conservation, among others.

Supporting communities that support wildlife conservation is a fundamental part of what Big Life is about. There is a difficult time ahead, and we are doing our best to help both wildlife and people.

Photo: Josh Clay