Help an emerging African conservationist!

Please help us fulfil the dreams of a man working to save his cultural and ecological heritage!

For the past five years, Meritho Katei has worked in wildlife conservation and research in Tanzania. Through his passion and hard work, he has gained valuable knowledge, skills and experience in the field. Without a Bachelor degree however, he cannot advance his conservation career beyond a research assistant role. A formal qualification is the gateway to putting his ideas and aspirations into action for the wildlife he loves.

In February 2021, with the help of private loans, Meritho began his first year in a Bachelor of Wildlife Management. He is studying at the College of African Wildlife Management (MWEKA), one of Tanzania’s leading higher education institutions. His education loans cover the first year of his studies, but he needs your help to complete his degree!

Why is this important?

When asked why he dreams of becoming a wildlife conservation biologist, Meritho told the following story:

'I come from a large Maasai family, in the lands bordering the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania. My whole life I have lived beside the animals of our African bush. I quarrelled with them as they killed our livestock. But as I grew, I saw that while I protected my livestock, no-one protected the wildlife. In my culture we are bonded with wildlife – they represent our ancestors and symbolise our clans. But we also care deeply for our livestock, our wealth.

As a young boy I asked my father, “Why is that place near our home called ‘Rhino River’? We have no rhino here.” He told me that in his youth the rhino had been abundant in our homelands. But over the years, as more people came, the rhino disappeared. I realised I must raise my voice for the animals of our African bush. So that one day the people who come after me will not ask, “Where are the lions? Where are the elephants? Where are the painted dogs?”

I want to be among the people who speak for wildlife and the communities who are impacted by conflict with them. In my language, we speak of endimi oring’wesi – a place in our bush, shared between human, livestock and wildlife. This is what I hope to achieve with my degree.'

Background

Despite growing up with limited resources, Meritho's mother always encouraged him to pursue education, knowing it was the key to a different life. After his high schooling, he completed a Diploma of Wildlife Tourism. From there, he successfully gained and continued employment with wildlife conservation and research projects, including the:

• Ruaha Carnivore Project (now Lion Landscapes) and KopeLion, coordinating the community camera trapping programs.
• Serengeti Lion Project, monitoring the Serengeti lion population.
• Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), tracking and collaring lions and wild dogs in various national parks and game reserves.

Meritho’s passion and commitment to wildlife conservation was recognised in 2018, when he received a Conservation Leaders scholarship to attend the Pathways Africa Conference in Namibia. A small number of scholarships are awarded to emerging African conservation leaders to participate in targeted training, deepening their conservation knowledge and skills.

The Costs

In Tanzania, financial schemes for education are typically only available for students entering straight from school (Meritho is considered a mature age student). University fees must be paid in full at the start of each semester and represent a cost only the wealthy can afford. The Bachelor of Wildlife Management at the College of African Wildlife Management (MWEKA) is a four-year degree. We hope to raise enough funds to cover the full cost of Meritho’s degree. This will include:

• Tuition and board (incl. accommodation and food) = $12,000 / per year (year 1)
• Tuition and board (incl. accommodation and food) = $8,000 / per year (years 2 - 4)
• Books and additional tuition for maths = $500 / year
• Money transfer fees = $500 / year
• Total = $40,000

The university has awarded Meritho a USD 3,000 (approx. AUD 4,000) per year scholarship for his final three years of studies!

All donations will be sent to Meritho at the beginning of each semester (February and June) for direct payment to the university. We are aiming to raise $4,500 each semester.

Supporting Information

Interview with Black Mammalogists – 18 September 2020

Interview with BreakingBio (Breaking Barriers in Conservation) – 23 September 2019

Interview with BeProvided Conservation – 13 February 2018

Organiser

Meritho is my partner, we met in 2015 while working at the Ruaha Carnivore Project. His enthusiasm for conservation and ability to connect with communities living with wildlife is outstanding. I believe deeply in what he can contribute to conservation - his passion, traditional ecological knowledge, field experience and formal education to help save Africa's diminishing wildlife.