Constantine inspecting the new shamba (garden)

Our relationship with Birgit and Constantine officially began in 2015 when they established support for our just launched Wildlife Warrior Scholarship Program at Esiteti Primary School.  One thing we know for certain about ‘B&C’ as we affectionately call them is that they are great advocates of education for positive social change.  They strongly believe in quality education as a means of eradicating poverty and have walked the talk.  They have championed this cause by ensuring as many children as possible in this part of Amboseli get access to quality, life-changing education.  Between the end of November and mid-December 2020 they gave a very generous gift of $110,000!  These funds will be used to pay school fees for 600 primary school students, salaries for 12 Esiteti Primary teachers, handyman, and cook, tuition for secondary and tertiary students, address the community’s priority needs, to mention a few.

Constantine entering their manyatta

Additionally, is because of them that we have over the years awarded 12 Wildlife Warrior secondary school scholarships, 58 annual bursaries, constructed 4 classrooms equipped with desks, a large modern school library well stocked with books, art supplies, furniture, and computers, a modern school kitchen well equipped with fuel-efficient stoves, erected a school shamba (garden), installed rain-water harvesting systems, renovated exis

Birgit chatting with Carol and Steve of Land & Life inside the new library

ting infrastructure and much more in Esiteti.  The community has also received huge support from them.  They received cows, household supplies – mosquito nets, food etc (before and during COVID) and so much more! They have embraced them to the extent of building a manyatta (house) for them in the village.

Thank you very much B&C, A.E. Reimann Foundation, and SKÅL International Monaco for your unwavering support for our community in Amboseli.  You are the quintessential changemakers!

Over the years, Land & Life Foundation has been honored to work with many supporters from across the globe whose love for our youngsters and communities knows no bounds. Since October of 2019, Land & Life Foundation has been very fortunate and privileged to partner with Jim and Georgios at Gigi Seasons in delivering key community projects in both Kenya and Tanzania.  From October 2019 to February of this year, Gigi Seasons provided Land &  Life Foundation with over $20,000 which was used to build a new, modern kitchen for Ganako Primary School near Elewana The Manor, Ngorongoro, Tanzania.  The kitchen will serve over 500 children and has been fully equipped with institution size fuel-efficient stoves and cooking pots.  Part of the funds was also used to provide 40 new, durable, metallic desks for Kachiuru Primary School children near Shaba National Reserve, Kenya. This month, Gigi Seasons donated another very generous gift of $35,000 to the Land & Life Foundation!  These funds will go towards constructing a new classroom and plumbing works for Morijo Primary School, near Loisaba Conservancy as well as build a school administration block that will have offices and a staff room for Kachiuru Primary School.

No words can truly express how phenomenal Gigi Seasons is. The impact they have created and continue to create will be remembered for many generations to come.  We are very grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity towards our communities.  It is supporters like them who make our work possible.

Reached for comment, Georgios Georgiou, the founder of Gigi Seasons said, “We have a vibrant passion for doing good,” He continues, “Ever since my visit to Elewana the Manor in 2019, I knew I wanted to be a small part of the transformational work being done by the Land & Life Foundation.

Gigi Seasons is a seasonal home decor and lifestyle brand retailer grounded in social good. Through their philanthropic arm, Gigi Cares: Projects for Humanity, they strive to provide others with the tools they need to live better lives!

For the longest time, the Kenyan public education has been based on an 8-4-4 system which translates to 8 years for Primary Education, 4 years in High School and 4 years in college. Over the years, a lot of changes have permeated the learning halls and the system at large but what remains constant are the mixed emotions had by the scholars awaiting the scores for their final exams. For the oldest students (grade 8) in the primary schools, the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) is a real defining moment, as it plays a significant role in determining the High school that the children will move on to. 

Last week, the grade 8 students were on edge as the Kenyan examination council through the Minister of Education, Prof. George Magoha, announced the KCPE results. As is customary, the top achievers and their respective schools head out to the streets to celebrate their performance as the rest of the country watch the jubilation on TV screens. Amidst the country’s celebrations, we received wonderful news from our very own supported schools whose students performed fairly well.

The highlight of this moment, however, was the report we received from Kachiuru Primary, our supported school in the remote parts of Isiolo, whose performance has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite challenges linked to the prolonged drought experienced in the area, the school has managed to record a steady improvement in their test scores.

Mr. Samuel Mutabari, the school’s head teacher, had this to say, “We wish to thank Land & Life Foundation for the support you have continued to offer Kachiuru Primary School. The school’s academic performance has improved over time and this can be attributed to your support and that of the donors”

Every one of YOUR donations, from textbooks to ablutions blocks, have played a significant role in establishing a bright future for these Kachiuru students. By providing improved facilities and extended resources, you have helped the school improve the standard of teaching and environment for learning – and now, the proof is there for all to see!

So thank you to everyone who has contributed to Kachiuru, to the Wildlife Warrior Program and to Land & Life. It really does make a difference!