Dear friends,
I just received an urgent cry for help from Nashulai, the award-winning Maasai-led nature conservancy in Kenya that Avaaz helped to launch.
COVID-19 has devastated Nashulai, and
the people behind this amazing conservation project are staring starvation and destitution in the face. The conservancy relies on tourism, and it's collapsed. As a result, there have been massive job losses amongst the Maasai who live there.
There's no money, no food, and no healthcare. With rangers laid off, and poverty rising, poachers could soon prey on the conservancy’s amazing wildlife.
Nashulai needs a miracle. And that miracle could be us.Maasai elders have put together
an emergency rescue plan to feed the people, set up healthcare facilities, and keep the conservancy protected. But to do it, they must urgently raise funds -- and that’s where we come in.
I know many of us are facing serious challenges of our own right now. But
if enough of us chip in just the cost of a coffee, we can save Nashulai. And, any extra funds we raise will be used to help other vulnerable communities, and to power crucial campaigns in response to the pandemic. No other movement can raise the money fast enough --
to answer this cry for help, donate now:
Four years ago,
our movement raised the money to launch Nashulai. It was the first Maasai-led conservancy in the world. Instead of removing the local community from their land, it made them central to conservation, and in a few short years, the conservancy has transformed into a haven for wildlife, and provided livelihoods to the people who live there.
Now the shock of coronavirus could derail the whole thing. But if enough of us chip in now, we can:
- Deliver emergency food supplies to feed the community;
- Create a healthcare and isolation facility, and ensure health supplies for everyone;
- Launch a massive awareness programme, with radio ads and flyers in local languages;
- Fund rangers to protect wildlife against poachers for the next year;
- Create an emergency fund to support other vulnerable communities around the world;
- Run crucial campaigns to protect the most vulnerable and spread hope in this crisis.
Right now, we have a very real chance to save lives and make a huge difference to the Maasai people, and others like them all over the world.
Let’s answer their call -- chip in now:
Just a few months ago, some of our team visited the conservancy and shared a beautiful human connection with the Maasai people -- we danced around the fire, laughed and cried together as we swapped stories of resilience. Now it’s time to turn that connection into the miracle Nashulai needs.
In solidarity and hope,
Bert, with Marigona, Marie, Sarah, Spyro, Martyna, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team.
PS: To find out more about Nashulai,
check out this amazing short video about the project!
PS - This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.
More information:
Nashulai Maasai Conservancy
http://www.nashulai.com/This Inventive Safari Camp Uses Collaboration To Invest In Kenya's Maasai Community And Wildlife (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/autumnadeigbo/2017/08/01/this-inventive-safari-camp-uses-collaboration-to-invest-in-kenyas-maasai-community-and-wildlife/#7610f4237b63Coronavirus-fuelled tourism meltdown yields pros and cons for conservation (The Globe and Mail)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/article-coronavirus-fuelled-tourism-meltdown-yields-pros-and-cons-for/ 
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