How a former wildlife poacher became one of SICA’s most dedicated community scouts, protecting the very animals he once hunted.
Samuel Lekeren grew up in the rangelands surrounding SICA, where wildlife poaching was seen as a way to survive. For years, he hunted elephants and other wildlife to sell ivory and bushmeat in local markets.
Everything changed when GEF-SGP Kenya funded a community scout programme through the Samburu Wildlife Conservancy. The programme offered former poachers like Samuel an alternative livelihood — one that paid a steady wage while protecting the same animals they once hunted.
Today, Samuel leads a team of 12 former poachers who patrol over 200 km² of rangeland, monitoring wildlife movements, deterring poaching activity, and engaging local communities in conservation. His team has helped reduce poaching incidents by 65% in their patrol area over the past two years.
The programme demonstrates a key principle of SGP’s approach: that conservation works best when communities are empowered as stewards of their own natural resources, with tangible benefits that make protection more rewarding than extraction.