Ririan is a young woman who lives in northern Kenya with her husband and two children. The family has only two cows and two goats to support them. Ririan’s husband travels regularly to the nearest town, Archer’s Post, to find casual jobs, but does not have a regular source of income. So when the opportunity arose for Ririan to become a Grevy’s Zebra Scout, she was thrilled.
Grevy’s Zebra Scouts work for Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) gathering data on the zebras and raising conservation awareness in their communities. GZT has always worked to provide employment to women through the Scouts program. Many Scouts are able to pay for things like medical care and education for their children with the income that they receive.
In 2014, the Caridad Giving Circle granted approximately $10,000 to Grevy’s Zebra Trust to hire six new female Scouts and expand into six new villages. The giving circle is made up of sixteen women from the San Francisco Bay Area who pool their donations together and make collaborative giving decisions. The Scouts program fit into their goals of providing for the economic self-sufficiency of women and children and sustaining a healthy environment. Several members were also able to meet hear GZT Founder Belinda Mackey speak at WCN’s Wildlife Conservation Expo and were impressed with her work.
Ririan is amazed that there are other women so far away who believe that women around the world should be empowered. “I am blessed to have been chosen by my community and am thankful to Caridad Giving Circle women’s group for making it possible,” she said. “Ashe oleng pii! (Thank you so much!)”