Mid-September this year, we headed down to the Mara on an amazing discovery journey. As is our tradition, we met with a group of enthusiastic young men and women from Ai Tong town in Mara North Conservancy and had an interesting chat about their conservation experiences and thoughts on how we can all play a role in Kenyan and African conservation. 

Accompanying us was none other than Kenya’s top pop, hip-hop and R&B artist, Nyashinski. The Malaika singer was fascinated by the beauty of nature in the expansive Maasai Mara, the sounds of the chirping birds, the beautiful sunrise and the clean and fresh air.

“We’ve been enjoying his songs… we are so excited to meet Nyashinski in person,” said Bradley Yatawokidai, a ranger in the reserve.

“I’ve had the best experience waking up to the beautiful sunrise, chirping birds and wonderful views,” Nyashinski said. Adorned in Maasai regalia, the musician appreciated the reception and hospitality accorded to him and the team by the community.

“It’s fantastic that we have Kenyan youth who are engaging more and more in conservation because that’s the future for conservation in Kenya,” said Marc Goss, CEO, Mara Elephant Project.

Nadya Somoe believes that environmental and wildlife conservation go hand in hand. And one cannot survive without the other. As a writer passionate about words and nature, she melds her passion and skills to promote environmental and wildlife conservation through online platforms.

“The easiest way to be involved in conservation, wherever you are, is through online platforms,” she said during a conversation with our programme officer, Ibrahim Omar.

The ‘hashtag activist’ said that the youth sometimes lack the motivation to take part in conservation as a result of the feeling that their action might be too small to make a difference.

“One way to stay motivated is to keep reminding yourself that what you are doing can make a difference,” she advised. “Also, find like-minded people, people who believe what you believe, to give you the fire to press on when you need it,” she added.

Nadya believes women are the hardest hit by environmental challenges especially in rural areas where their chores revolve around fetching water, collecting firewood and so on.

“If they [women] understood how they could play a part in conservation, I really think it could turn the tides since it’s a lot more personal for them,” she said.

Nadya has faith in the ability of the youth to change the world. “The youth,” she says, “when passionate, have the power to change the world since they have tools like social media that can spark conversations and action across the world at their disposal.”

In this episode, the popular Kenyan pop, hip-hop and R&B artist Nyamari Ongegu popularly known as Nyashinski sat down with our own Natasha Gatungo to chat about life, music, environmental and wildlife conservation and what inspires him.

During the conversation, Nyashinski urged the youth to be more actively involved in the protection of the environment and wildlife without waiting for things to get worse.

“The youth need to own and drive conservation affairs in the country. It’s not a preserve of the old,” he said.

To be more involved, the former member of the now defunct rap trio group Kleptomaniax said that the current crop of youths is inclined to take action and only need to be more informed and enlightened if they are to play their role effectively.

“The more informed the youth are, the earlier they are likely to jump into the conservation bandwagon,” Nyashinski said. 

The Marathon Runner singer said he is not only ready to become a conservation ambassador and lend his voice to wildlife conservation efforts as an artist and a person of influence but will also actively play his part through donating towards conservation, encouraging others to be actively involved in environmental and wildlife conservation and being a conduit between stakeholders.

“I love animals… and I want to leave a good environment and country for the coming generations,” Nyashinski concluded.