Meet the Female Trailblazers Fighting at the Forefront of Africa's Biodiversity Crisis

Kenya has a way of captivating you — the mind-bending landscapes, curious wildlife, and breathtaking sunsets that are best savored in the still of the bush. Yet, in addition to all of this beauty, there’s a battle to preserve the delicate balance of Kenya’s ecosystems; and at the forefront of this challenge stand a group of remarkable women.

Journeys With Purpose, the company I work for, and Taran of Soul Safaris partnered years ago with one clear goal: to learn from and champion these women who are addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis head on. Here are the female leaders making a real difference in Kenya through their conservation efforts that protect elephants, cheetahs, lions, and more.

Elephant Conservation

Paula Kahumbu, wildlife campaigner and CEO of WildlifeDirect, works on Hands Off Our Elephants, a campaign that has garnered international acclaim and significantly reduced elephant poaching. Recently, when my team and I visited Sir Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri safari camp, Kahumbu introduced us to the most pressing challenges facing Kenya’s conservation landscape — including catastrophic floods that result in loss of property and displacement, as well as the hunting of giant tusked elephants that are killed for their ivory. 

Protecting the Cheetah Population

Founder of the Mara Meru Cheetah Project Dr. Elena Chelysheva and I once met on an evening game drive. I learned that Chelysheva left her home in Austria for a house in the heart of the Kenyan savanna to protect cheetahs. Her dedication and hope was so contagious, one of our guests donated a Jeep to help her journey across the rough terrain more easily. 

Protecting the Lions

Lion Guardians and Ewaso Lions (conservation programs dedicated to protecting lions) take a community-centric approach when it comes to their efforts, and leader Munteli Lalparasaroi, the Mama Simba manager at Ewaso (a program that empowers Samburu women through education and conservation training), prides herself on becoming the first female driver in the Samburu region. A big reason why these two collectives work tirelessly is because in the last 50 years, an estimated 50 percent of Africa’s lions have disappeared. 

Other Women to Know

Other female trailblazers include Zulfa Hassan, founder of Mangrove Restoration Women’s Collective in Lamu, Belinda Mackey from Grevy’s Zebra Trust in Nairobi, and Dr. Leela Hazzah and Dr. Winnie Kiiru from Women for the Environment Africa, who I met over a workshop at Segera Retreat in Laikipia. At Segera, among the eco-conscious villas, Hazzah and Kiiru introduced me to tourism that supports the preservation of its surrounding 50,000-acre reserve. 

Throughout my journeys across Kenya, I am always humbled by the dedication, resilience, and innovation of women who live their life by a simple motto: “I can make a difference.” As they continue to lead the way, they remind us that true conservation is as much about people as it is about the planet. 

Venetia Martin is a member of Travel + Leisure’s A-List and specializes in sustainable travel. You can create a tailor-made itinerary with Martin by contacting her at connect@journeyswithpurpose.org.