Osman
My journey to being a ranger
I started my educational journey at Galana Primary School in 2005. My father had been posted to work for the ADC, a government organisation adjacent to the Galana Wildlife Conservancy borders. At this time the school consisted of a few run-down shacks – but it was all that was available to children from normal backgrounds growing up in rural Kenya.
During my time as a pupil I was able to witness the transformation of our nursery, primary and secondary school through the work of Crista and the Friends from Ireland team. Seeing the school we attended every day develop into the impressive complex it is today gave me great pride and encouraged me to always give my best. The school catered for girls as well as boys and helped us to understand matters of conservation – not just basics like reading and maths.
When I completed secondary school in 2017 I was given the amazing opportunity to become a scout at the Galana Conservancy. I am now able to put my education to great use and to build on my passion for protecting the natural habitat we live in and the wildlife we live amongst.
In my school photograph, both myself (top left) and Evans Reuben (holding the ball) are now scouts – something we would never have imagined when we started out at the tiny, falling-down Galana Primary School.
We are a good team and we work hard alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service to protect the animals that we are lucky enough to have. My drive is to use my skills and experience to develop our community’s understanding of the importance of wildlife conservation and their role within it – and in doing so to help to prevent human-wildlife conflict in our region.
