🌿 Nature Conservation
The KBCT Football Tournament – held in Mara Rianta for men, boys, and girls – is more than just a game. It’s a nature conservation initiative in disguise.
By engaging over 250 young people and adults from the local Maasai communities across 22 teams, the tournament offers a positive and structured alternative to some of the pressures that threaten both people and wildlife in the Mara ecosystem.
In rural areas like Mara Rianta, where opportunities for young people can be limited, football creates purpose, community, and hope. It gives boys and girls a reason to stay in school, avoid harmful activities such as bushmeat poaching or early marriage, and instead focus on teamwork, health, and shared pride.
When local youth are included in something they care about – and where they feel seen and supported – it strengthens their connection to their own future and to the land they depend on. That’s why we see sports like football not just as recreation, but as a critical tool in our conservation mission.
This year’s tournament ran from March 16 to April 27, 2024, launching with donations of football kits for girls’ teams, and closing in front of more than 500 cheering fans, with support from both our Camp Manager Moses Rotich and local Chief Joseph Nabaala.
It’s a trophy – but it’s also a symbol of a future worth protecting.
Environmental conservations activities
Before the tournament, we had a meeting and asked all the participants to provide tree seedlings. On the opening day, the participants showed up with seedlings. In the three categories, we received 300 seedlings which were planted both in Ree forest, KBC forest and around the field.
Before the tournament, we had a meeting and asked all the participants to provide tree seedlings. On the opening day, the participants showed up with seedlings. In the three categories, we received 300 seedlings which were planted both in Ree forest, KBC forest and around the field.