I live and breathe conservation

Maryanne Muriuki, who comes from Kinangop in Nyandarua County, is dedicated to biodiversity conservation and the role that space applications play in combating natural disasters.

The 27-year old change-maker studied disaster management and international diplomacy at Masinde Muliro University of Science of Technology.

“I work in biodiversity conservation fulltime for a living. On the side, I am a space policy advocate for Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), which supports the United Nation’s programme on space applications,” she explains.

INTEREST

While growing up, ornithologists (bird researchers) would visit her home area to study three bird species (Sharpe’s longclaw, the Aberdare cisticola and Jackson’s widowbird) endemic to the area, but which were staring at extinction.

She recounts, “The researchers encouraged the locals to start sustainability projects that would benefit them as well as help to improve the number of the endangered bird species. It is then that Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP), a community-based organisation, was formed in 1996 to address biodiversity concerns in the area.”

Upon graduating in 2013, Maryanne joined FoKP, fired up about conservation efforts of the Kinangop grassland ecosystem, the only habitat for these bird species.  

“Kinangop was originally a grassland. With the population boom in the area over the years, however, residents have cleared the grassland for agricultural use, driving the birds away,” she notes, and adds, “I combine local conservation measures with international conservation treaties, teaching the local community, especially the youth, about the convention on biological diversity from a local perspective for the benefit of all”.

FoKP has since established Njabini Woolcraft, a wool processing factory that buys wool from sheep farmers at reasonably good prices, shielding them from exploitation by middlemen.

“This initiative is anchored on the logic that when more farmers rear sheep, the grasslands will survive and consequently the birds will not be driven away,” she explains.

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

The factory, she says, makes 100 per cent eco-friendly products such as blankets, shoes, carpets and mats, in the process employing tens of young people who spin, dye and weave the wool.

“The surest way to attract the youth in nature conservation is to create employment through these activities,” Maryanne notes.

FoKP mostly targets farmers with large tracts of land.

“We educate them on proper sheep farming methods which include regular deworming, because if farmers don’t deworm their sheep, they end up getting poor quality wool. We also offer pedigree sheep breeds that provide more meat, more wool and more money,” she says.

But even as Maryanne and her peers step up advocacy work for conservation, more land is being converted into farmland, further putting the birds at risk. 

“Through funding from donors, FoKP purchased 93 acres of land and converted it into a nature reserve and resource centre which provides locals and schools with material on conservation,” she explains.

Her advocacy has not been in vain. The reception of this enterprise (now with four active branches in the sub county) has been exceptional, she says.

In 2015, Stiftung Partnerschaft mit Afrika (a German organisation that promotes intercultural dialogue and sustainable partnerships on civic engagement between Germany and African countries) honoured Maryanne’s advocacy work.

“I visited Germany for a week, where I gained a host of skills in advocacy work, transnational collaborations and created useful created networks,” she says.

She notes that there has been a significant shift in attitudes towards the local ecosystem as residents become more aware of the biodiversity around them.

“Young people, especially those studying environmental sciences, are now seeking to intern with FoKP and to be part of these efforts. There is also a lot data being generated about bird population and bird species in the area, which has greatly aided our campaign,” she says.

SPACE SCIENCE

Additionally, Maryanne is volunteering as the national point of contact (NPoC) for Space Generation Advisory Council, owing to her interest in space science. She is also the project-lead for Space Technologists for Disaster Management, a project group that deals with disaster management through the use of space application in all the stages of the disaster management cycle. 

“SGAC is a global organisation for university students and young professionals that supports the UN Programme on Space Applications. We teach young professionals about the importance of space science and space technology and innovations,” she explains.

“Space applications are vital in such fields as development of telemedicine, land surveying, biodiversity monitoring and disaster management for sustainable development,” she adds.

Last year, Maryanne, her colleague Nuria Ali and the Russian Embassy in Kenya, organised Yuri’s Night, a day marked on April 12 to celebrate the first man (Yuri Gagarin) to launch into space. This was the first time the event had been observed in Kenya. 

“The event was attended by notable figures in the world of space science, including the president of the Austrian Space Forum, Alexander Soucek, who is among the top scientists in Mars exploration,” she says.

Maryanne laments that few Kenyans know about Kenya’s role in space operations.

“Kenya Space Agency is among only eight such agencies in Africa. Many satellites have been launched into space from the Space Centre of Malindi. There are local universities offering courses in space technology and space applications, yet few Kenyans know about this,” she observes, adding, “There are even scholarships for students who wish to participate in the activities of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.”

Maryanne is a 2017 recipient of the Space Generation Leadership Award. Early this year, she addressed the International Space Forum in Nairobi (the first ever in the continent). In 2017, she attended the International Astronautical Congress, the biggest space gathering in the world, in Adelaide, Australia.

“Young people should participate in national and international discussions concerning space policy and space science because it affects our welfare in all aspects of our lives,” she argues.

Don’t you agree?