Kenyan environmentalist wins Sh10m conservation award
A Kenyan environmentalist is this year winner of the Stanford Bright Award which comes with a monitory prize of $100,000 (Sh 10 million).
Mr Tom Lalampaa is this year’s recipient of the award presented annually to unheard heroes who have made significant contributions to global sustainability.
Mr Lalampaa is the chief programs officer of the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) that deals in conserving and protecting the environment to all of which helps to make the community better able to prepare for and survive disasters like drought.
The Ray Bright award was established by Ray Bright a Stanford Law school alumnus who died in 2011. The award seeks to recognize unsung heroes of environmental conservation, by giving them the resources and attention they need to take their work to the next level.
Lalampaa is the second born of 17 children, who was lucky enough to attend school. In the midst of getting his education, a severe drought wiped out his family’s cattle, and with it their financial stability.
ECOTOURISM
At the time, Lalampaa was the only person in his community attending school, and although many of his neighbors were suffering similar hardships, the West Gate community pooled funds earned from ecotourism to pay for his education.
He went to the University of Nairobi, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management and an MBA in Strategic Management.
The West Gate community then begun getting involved with environment conservancy in their area, and Lalampaa was the perfect candidate to head the operations.
“I envisioned a world where we conserve and protect our environment because by so doing, it will benefit our people, our current generation and our future,” said Lalampaa. “I wish to see a future where we conserve for the benefit of both the nature and the people.”
PEACEMAKER
He recalls on how he first learned that he had won the award.
“I couldn’t believe it on the first sight of it. I had to take to the house, run to everybody, and my kids and wife were jumping up and down. It was amazing,” said Lalampaa about the letter notifying him of the award.
His other achievements that led to his recognition was his ability to act as peacemaker among the 27 conservancies associated with NRT. Solving cattle rustling and violent conflicts in the region.
He attributes this success to his personal background within the community, and points to it as proof that conservancies can be run most effectively by communities rather than outsiders, and that those communities can learn to get along with one another.
His other goal is to find a way of reducing poaching of large mammals, such elephants and rhinos.
