Page 2 - KWT-2019-Annual-Report_Web-Version

Letter from Executive Director

As I write this letter, the world is facing value proposition: ‘Driven by science,
one of the greatest health threats of focused on people’, a statement
our generation, a pandemic whose that encompasses KWT’s values and
impacts have been felt across the main objective. At the end of 2019, a
globe affecting all its citizens and decision was made to close down our
economies. As the situation evolves, US registered charity; FoKWT (US). We
the safety of our team and the have now partnered with Empowers
communities we serve is our number Africa, a U.S. public charity under IRC
one priority. Like most sectors across Section 501(c)(3), who will work with
the world, conservation has been hit KWT to provide a cost-effective and
hard by the COVID-19 pandemic; long-term solution to fundraising in the
lockdown measures have prevented United States. This new development
many of our partners from reaching will make the donation process easier
those who rely on their support, for you while allowing us to focus our
much work is on hold and funding is efforts and energies on doing the
uncertain. At KWT, some of our field work that matters most - conserving
activities have been postponed or Kenya’s predators. We are grateful to
cancelled. Most of our work has shifted our outgoing US Trustees* who have
online and we have reassessed our supported and championed KWT’s
programmatic work to fit into this new work over the past ten years.
normal. Our thoughts remain with the
communities and individuals, most The current pandemic has caused all
deeply hit by COVID-19, and to the of us to regroup and think about how
many more who have, and continue conservation is run across the world.
to be affected by the economic One thing is clear; it can never be
repercussions inflicted by this business as usual. For wildlife to be
pandemic. secure and to thrive, it is imperative
that the communities who coexist with
2019 was a year of progress for KWT; this wildlife are resilient to external
we reviewed our overall strategy pressures that affect their livelihoods.
highlighting four key priorities which KWT believes that local communities
will guide our programmes going are the best stewards of their land
forwards. These priorities are discussed and the wildlife which live on these
further in this report. We further lands. In 2020, we will pay particular
developed communications and focus on working with communities
fundraising strategies, and redesigned in the following ways; scaling up our
our website. The most significant conservation leadership programme
outcome was the development of our and, developing sustainable livelihood