Profile: Jackson Looseyia

The BBC’s first Kenyan presenter of ‘The Big Cat Live’ Jackson Looseyia was born in the heart of the Maasai Mara where he grew up surrounded by wildlife. As a young man he became the first Maasai safari guide in the Mara Reserve, where he is now partner in Rekero Camp, one of Kenya’s best safari camps. Here, Jackson explains how the Koiyaki Guiding School is making a major contribution to the future prosperity of his Maasai people.

“The Koiyaki Guiding School came into existence at the right time in Maasai Land. Over the years our people had missed out on the economic opportunities arising from the highly successful tourism industry based on the famous migration in the Maasai Mara. This was simply because of a lack of understanding and education on the part of our people.

Thanks to Ron Beaton (the founder of the Koiyaki Guiding School) and to the other start-up donors including Tusk Trust and the European Union through their Community Development Trust Fund, we were able to finance the construction and development of the Koiyaki Guiding School – the only community capacity building facility of its kind in Kenya.

Last year bursaries were generously donated to fund many Maasai students through the rigorous Guide School program by tourists and independent tour operators giving each and every candidate a new life. Being one of the original participants in the establishment of the school and now raising funds for the school, I have seen what a differences it has made to our people in the Maasai Mara. Jobs have been created for a lot of young men and women in their home area and a better understanding of the link between tourism and economic benefits for communities has been instilled.

The school has sent the right message to our grassroots communities on how to look after the wildlife and its habitats through creating qualified guides who can compete for jobs in a competitive tourism industry. The education which has been acquired from the school has opened more doors for future Maasai generations, which is what the world economy is all about. As I have traveled around the world I am always bringing back what I can to our community in the form of knowledge and understanding; how to lead a better life and improve the economic sustainability of the Maasai rather than relying on a cattle economy alone. I find the best way to pass on my message is through the Koiyaki Guiding School.

The school is community-owned together with the Koiyaki Wilderness Camp, which provides live in-house training for students during their placements. This includes visitor handling, developing communication skills, and all the elements of running a successful tourism camp.

Working as the first Maasai narrator this year on the BBC ‘Big Cat Live’ programme has given me insight to the power of the media and I have been overwhelmed by the correspondence that I have received as a result. It is heartening to see how many people throughout the world are interested in the lives of our big cats in the Maasai Mara. The formation of new community-owned conservancies around the Mara are helping the sustainability of the Reserve itself by providing more room for the animals as well as income for the communities – a ‘win win’ situation that will help to eradicate poverty amongst my people.

Education is the best way forward for the Maasai people who are proud of their history and culture but who again have to adapt as the world changes with less land available for cattle and people to survive and make a living from them.”