Kenya ASSETS

The Arabuko-Sokoke Schools & Eco-Tourism Scheme (ASSETS) is a well-targeted sustainable development programme. Through the provision of secondary school scholarships, ASSETS helps to meet the economic and social needs of communities living around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. It does this through the provision of secondary school scholarships,  involving students in environmental education and practical conservation activities. The forest is the largest remnant of a dry coastal forest which originally stretched from Somalia to Mozambique and is globally recognized for its rich biodiversity.

ASSETS distributes funding from ecotourism to provide bursaries to secondary school children who would otherwise be unable to afford their school fees. Instead of exploiting the forest’s natural resources to finance their children’s education, ASSETS encourages the local people to value the forest and creek and involves the beneficiaries in various conservation activities.

ASSETS offers a creative solution to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in the region. Scholarships enable local families to commit to lifestyle changes which lower their everyday impact on the forest, for example, creating community tree nurseries of indigenous species, stopping illegal logging and committing to sustainable fishing. This is a win-win for everyone: children have access to schooling (Quality Education, SDG4), girls are encouraged to stay in school (Gender Equality, SDG5), families change the way they treat the forest and the sea (Life on Land SDG15 and Life below Water SDG14), and people have an opportunity to develop sustainable livelihoods (No Poverty SDG1 and Zero Hunger SDG2).

Visit the ASSETS Kenya website to find out more about this excellent project.

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