How Conservation is Transforming Livelihoods in Tsavo
For years, life along the northern boundary of Tsavo West National Park was a daily battle for survival. Unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and relentless crop-raiding elephants made farming nearly impossible for families like Mary Munguti’s. With every failed harvest, parents faced heartbreaking choices between feeding their children and safeguarding the fragile environment they call home.
However, today, thanks to targeted conservation partnerships, Mary’s story has taken a remarkable turn, one marked by resilience, opportunity, and renewed hope.
In 2024, Tsavo Trust, in collaboration with Kamungi Conservancy, provided Mary with a 60,000-litres dam liner to harvest rainwater and trained her in climate-smart agriculture. These interventions, coupled with an elephant exclusion fence installed by Tsavo Trust, have enabled Mary to establish a thriving kitchen garden. She now grows spinach, sukuma wiki (collard greens), pawpaws, mangoes, oranges, and passion fruits — free from the constant threat of elephant raids.
Photo 1: Mary Munguti’s thriving kitchen garden, a testament to sustainable farming efforts, June 2025
“For years, most of our crops were destroyed by elephants. Since Tsavo Trust installed the elephant exclusion fence, we can finally plant and harvest without fear,” Mary shares with relief.
The impact on her family has been profound. With a steady supply of fresh vegetables and fruits, her family of seven now enjoys improved nutrition and food security. In just eight months, the kitchen garden has saved the household KES 54,000 (USD 415) in food costs, while sales of surplus produce have generated an additional KES 3,000 (USD 23). Mary has reinvested these earnings into poultry and livestock, further strengthening her family’s livelihood.
Photo 2: Mary Munguti showcases her thriving garden to representatives from Makueni County Government, Tsavo Trust, and Kamungi Conservancy during a site visit in June 2025
Mary’s success has also attracted additional support. The World Food Programme has since provided her with a larger dam liner and a solar-powered water pump, enabling her to expand her farm even further.
Stories like Mary’s show how well-designed conservation efforts not only protect wildlife but also transform community livelihoods. As more families build sustainable livelihoods, the pressures that drive unsustainable activities like charcoal burning and poaching diminish, ensuring that Tsavo’s rich biodiversity is protected for generations to come.
Photo 3: With income and savings from her thriving kitchen garden, Mary has expanded into poultry farming, further strengthening her family’s livelihood