Dear Sir/Madam,

The students of Hillcrest Secondary School, now for the 3^rd year running will be organizing and undertaking the "Mara Clean-Up 2003" as part of the Mara Clean-Up Campaign that was initiated by the Hillcrest Environment Club in October 2001.

It is intended that a group comprising of a maximum of ¿¿ students accompanied by ¿¿ teachers will travel over the weekend of 24^th October 2003 to the Sekenani Valley. From there they will join up with other students from schools in the area to undertake the clean-up and plant trees among other activities.

We would like to send out an appeal to your company for corporate sponsorship. As you may know this exercise is a community service that will incur various costs. Any contribution that you make both material and/or monetary will be greatly appreciated. Major sponsors will be acknowledged by certificates and we foresee international media coverage in our 3^rd Clean-Up. We may also invite major sponsors to join us on this important campaign like in previous years.

Attached please find a proposal with further details. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Thanking you in advance for your support. We urge you to reply as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

_____________

Head of the Hillcrest Environment Club

 

Mara Clean Up 2003

Hillcrest is well known for collaborating with students in diverse regions and schools for different purposes. This year being no exception will bring Nkoilale Primary School and Hillcrest together for the 3^rd time to undertake the "Mara Clean-Up Campaign 2003".

This is a unique opportunity through which students of dissimilar lifestyles and diverse cultures can interact, meet and learn about each other and inevitably achieve a common goal of a cleaner, greener, Masai Mara.

Litter Collection

In the past two Clean-ups we have managed to collect over 100 large bin bags of litter from just outside the reserve, which included pollutants such as plastics, cloth, cans, glass, paper and even metal.

These two litter collections were intended to have long-term effects and the objective was carried out by involving the local Masai community, therefore sensitizing them towards this issue. However the long-term effects have not been the case and the Masai elders are known for their stubborn ignorance of anything somebody else tries to explain to them. According to school children, their parents and elders need intense education on the importance of keeping the environment clean, as do younger children.

Furthermore, even if members of the local community are aware of the problem, they now need a permanent way of disposing of their litter. If this year’s project can address this issue, it will ensure a long-term solution to the rubbish disposal problem for the Sekenani Valley. In addition, if we find a long-term solution, it can be applied to similar areas. The reason that normal waste disposal methods cannot be applied is because animals such as monkeys, baboons and even elephants interfere with them.

We welcome suggestions and ideas towards this solution, but they need a well thought-out and cyclic process.

Tree Planting

Since the "Mara Clean-Up Campaign" began in 2001, we have planted at least 500 trees in two separate sites. With an incredible success rate of 70% we are beginning to pride ourselves in the art of tree planting. Innovative methods approved by the environmental organization, Friends of Conservation have been taught to us as well as the Masai community and school children. However this success rate can only be achieved if somebody looks after the seedlings well, and we thank staff of Sun Shade Safari Camp and Nkoilale students for watering and caring for the young trees.

For long-lasting effects of this campaign we have always involved the local community. This has been in the hope that they will independently carry out the objectives of the clean-ups and tree planting, long after Mara Clean-Up trips cease to take place. For now, the annual clean-ups and tree planting play a vital role in the campaign, mainly by facilitating the local community to maintain a respectful relationship with their ecosystem. The rubbish, around Reserve borders is an unpleasant site to visitors and tourists at the world-renowned Mara Game Reserve. More importantly the pollutants are life threatening dangers to wild and domestic animals alike, not to mention health hazards to humans. One must remember that the Reserve is not a fenced area and wild animals do venture across these borders that exist only on paper. The Mara Game Reserve is one of the few remaining ecosystems of its kind on Earth. Alerting the younger generation, such as the students from Nkoilale Primary School to the importance of implementing a campaign such as this, will increase their conservational knowledge and awareness.

This empowers them to decide and have an impact upon the future of their home environment: the Masai Mara Game Reserve and its surroundings. This year we want to involve students from more schools in the area therefore widening the base of local participants. Afforestation in Kenya is necessary to counter the effects of the alarming rate of forest depletion in our country. Parts of Trans-Mara are semi arid, with vegetation cover being used up as firewood. Successful tree planting projects are therefore necessary to inhibit desertification and conserve the Mara ecosystem.

Since the beginning, the Masai Mara Game Reserve warden has given us his full support and permission to carry out this campaign. He was particularly impressed by the fact that this is an entirely student initiated and organized campaign. By providing a start we hope that it will raise awareness and that other organizations, institutions, individuals and the local community will take the initiative to continue conserving these precious ecosystems.

For reports, more photos and detail on the campaign please visit the Environment Club website:

www.geocities.com/hillcrest_environment_club