Resilience over despair: Kenyan community-led conservation pushes on after donor funding cut

The year 2025 has not been kind to many donor-funded projects in Kenya and across Africa. A significant number of developed nations have slashed or stopped financial flows into development programs on the continent. The environment, conservation, biodiversity, and climate change sectors have not been spared either, with many projects suffering abrupt terminations on terms of engagement.

In Alia, Chawia Ward, Mwatate sub-county, several kilometers from Voi town, stands a newly built grey-painted bungalow office - designed to serve as the headquarters of the Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (TTWCA) - sitting on a 5-acre piece of land. Nearby, several one-bedroom units, likely intended as servants’ quarters, line the compound. Scattered across the compound are piles of sand, pebbles, bricks, and construction equipment; an indication of work in progress.

The project was initially funded by USAID through the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). On a recent visit, IFAW President Azzedine Downes, IFAW Africa Director James Isiche, former Cabinet Secretary and diplomat Prof. Judi Wakhungu, and IFAW Presidential Advisor Patricia Awori toured the site. But with funding abruptly cut short, the delegation could do little to ensure full completion of the facility. Instead, they held discussions with the TTWCA board members and local leaders on possible avenues for collaboration.

“The decision to stop funding wasn’t planned, it was overnight,” said Mr. Downes in a side interview with Citizen Digital. “What I think the board needs to do is sit down and ask: what is the county government going to do? You can’t just rely on one NGO. The problem is much bigger. The positive side is that this is forcing us all to focus on what each of us can do, and where future funds will come from, because USAID funding is not coming back.”

Mr. Isiche added: “We have continued to engage with TTWCA. The reason we are here is to evaluate where we have come from. The stopping of funds was abrupt, and it takes time to source new resources. Kenya now has a devolved system, how does the county government come in to help with matters of conservation?”

TTWCA Board Chair Donald Bong’osa Mcharo explained that members had already purchased 27 acres of land, setting aside five acres for the headquarters. The rest is earmarked for other development initiatives.

“We received some funding from USAID through IFAW, and the biggest project was to build the TTWCA headquarters. We had to buy land from members’ contributions as an association when the donor came in. For the remaining work, we won’t shy away from approaching other partners and digging deep into members’ pockets. As you can see, our offices are about 70% complete,” said Mcharo.

Noel Kasololo, TTWCA Programs Manager, is hopeful to have the headquarters occupied by the end of 2025.

“Having a headquarter to coordinate various activities in the landscape has always been one of our key sustainability strategies. So even with the USAID terminating their undertaking in the project, we have gone out of our way to mobilize resources. So far we have used over Ksh.7million more, mobilized from various stakeholders, much more millions to go for this headquarter to be competed and occupied,” he said.

TTWCA, a membership organization of 35 conservancies and ranches, has been operating for 12 years. It promotes and coordinates community-led conservation efforts across the Tsavo landscape. Though the association has directly felt the sting of donor withdrawal, its members remain determined to carry on, choosing resilience over despair.