Education, the equator and the endangered

We left Samburu Simba Lodge before dawn, heading south toward Sweetwaters. Since the lodge is inside the Buffalo Springs National Reserve and directly connected to Samburu National Reserve, we started seeing wildlife as soon as our jeep pulled out of the parking area: oryx, jackals and the region’s distinctive hartebeest, also known as kongoni, a large, fast (40-plus mph) antelope.

We stopped for an impromptu roadside lesson from guide Sande on the resurgence of sisal, a traditional fiber now in renewed demand following Kenya’s 2017 ban on single-use plastics. “It resists insects and termites,” he explained, “and it’s returning as a sustainable roofing and household material.”

I was disappointed that clouds obscured Mount Kenya as we drove on to Nanyuki, where we stood on the equator and watched water swirl clockwise on one side and counterclockwise on the other. Coach Roy Austin, who collects African carved wooden animals, happily traded his hat for a wooden carving he needed for his collection.
At our next stop, Mt. Kenya Primary School, I admired the sign at the gate that listed the school’s core values: teamwork, empathy, courtesy, integrity, respect and tolerance.

Another sign in the courtyard read, “Intelligence minus character is very dangerous.”

As we entered a classroom to observe, I first noticed the warm welcome from the students, dressed in their red and green uniforms, with some of the girls wearing white Muslim head coverings. The next thing that caught my eye was a large handwritten banner of the Kenyan national anthem.

Libraries for Kids International provides books for this and thousands of other East African schools, enabling them to have libraries for research and leisure. We could only visit a few schools, but the enthusiasm we received at each location is a memory I will cherish forever.

The afternoon brought a sobering and inspiring visit to the 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where we toured the museum, observed chimpanzees at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary and spent time with Baraka, a blind rhino.
The sanctuary was founded in 1993 in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute. Our guide, Phillip, took us through the museum and then to the sanctuary, where we viewed the chimpanzees through a tall chain-link fence. Coach Roy was eager to tell us about his favorite, the alpha male, coincidentally named Roy.

Like many of the chimpanzees in the sanctuary, Roy was orphaned by the illegal bushmeat trade. Before Roy became the alpha male, a chimp named Safari held that position. Safari spent his early years in a small outdoor cage in Burundi, where tourists teased him. He was later rescued and brought to Ol Pejeta. His behavior was initially erratic, but he eventually adapted and became more social in his new environment.

Watching the chimps in their natural habitat was fascinating. Baby chimps climbed over patient adults. Some were shy, but many came close enough for us to observe their behavior.

At the rhino rescue center, part of the 100-acre Endangered Species Sanctuary, we had the chance to hand-feed Baraka, a blind black rhino whose name means “blessing” in Swahili. He remained calm and focused on the branches we offered him.

Baraka lost his right eye in a territorial fight in 2008 and later lost sight in his remaining eye due to infection and cataracts, leaving him completely blind. Caretakers at Ol Pejeta now care for him, and he serves as an ambassador for the sanctuary.

As the sun set behind the acacia trees, we returned to the lodge. Silhouettes of eland and buffalo moved across the plains, along with birds such as the lilac-breasted roller and vulturine guineafowl, a fitting close to the day.

After dinner, we retired for the night with a renewed appreciation for the wildlife and landscapes of East Africa.

Tamela is a proofreader and book editor; she hosts paint parties for adults, art and drama camp for kids, and is the art teacher at May River Montessori. www.tamelamaxim.com www.artposseproductions.com.