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Nashulai Maasai Conservancy wins global conservation award

The conservancy integrates reforestation, youth empowerment, cultural preservation and wildlife protection.

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by BY MATHEWS NDANYI

Rift-valley24 July 2025 - 07:29
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In Summary


  • Rights and Resources Initiative held its 20th anniversary celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal, where the award was presented on Monday.
  • Conservancy CEO Nelson Reiyia received the award and described it as a powerful endorsement of the Maasai community’s enduring commitment to protecting nature while preserving cultural heritage. 

Nashulai Maasai Conservancy CEO Nelson Reiyia (right) and his wife Margaret Reiyia (second left) during the award presentation in Nepal /MATHEWS NDANYI




Nashulai Maasai Conservancy has put Kenya on the global conservation map after being honoured with the inaugural Collective Action Award by the Rights and Resources Initiative.

Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) held its 20th anniversary celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal, where the award was presented on Monday.

RRI hosted a four-day international summit that brought together more than 200 participants from across the globe to discuss land, forest and resource rights. 

The event at the Yak and Yeti Hotel, was inaugurated by Nepal’s Minister for Forests and Environment, Aain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri. 

Conservancy CEO Nelson Reiyia received the award and described it as a powerful endorsement of the Maasai community’s enduring commitment to protecting nature while preserving cultural heritage. 

“This recognition by RRI is not just a win for Nashulai, but a win for every community that believes in the power of indigenous stewardship of natural resources,” he said.

Reiyia said they were excited to win the award on behalf of the country.

“It affirms our belief that conservation thrives when rooted in indigenous knowledge and led by the people who call these landscapes home,” he said.

Founded in 2016, Nashulai was the first indigenous-owned and managed conservancy in East Africa. 

 Located in the heart of the world-famous Maasai Mara ecosystem, it has become a global model for balancing wildlife conservation with sustainable community livelihoods. 

The conservancy integrates reforestation, youth empowerment, cultural preservation and wildlife protection—all driven by the local Maasai community. 

The RRI Collective Action Awards were launched this year to recognise exceptional indigenous, afro-descendant, and local community initiatives in the Global South that are advancing sustainable livelihoods, climate action and cultural resilience. 

Nashulai was selected from nearly 200 nominations worldwide. 

“These awardees are living proof that solutions to the global climate and biodiversity crises are already here,” RRI president and coordinator Solange Bandiaky-Badji said. 

He hailed the work done by Nashulai.

“Rooted in ancestral knowledge and powered by collective action, their work offers a roadmap for the rest of the world,” Solange said. 

Other winners included the Jargaria Indigenous Community of Indonesia’s Aru Islands and the Jupago Kreká Indigenous Collective of Brazil. 

Nashulai emerged the sole African winner, a reflection of its trailblazing role in community-led conservation on the continent. 

RRI, a global coalition of more than 200 organisations, partnered with several Nepal-based institutions including Fecofun, Nefin and the National Indigenous Women’s Federation to host the event. 

In a message sent from Spain, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli praised RRI’s contribution to Nepal’s forest governance and emphasised the power of community ownership, citing Nepal’s increase in forest cover from 29 per cent to 46 per cent. 

“This moment strengthens our resolve to demonstrate that local solutions, grounded in indigenous values, can indeed drive global change,” Reiyia said.

Under his leadership, the conservancy has drawn international partnerships, inspired similar models across Africa, and elevated the voice of Maasai communities in the global conservation movement. 

Reiyia said the recognition adds to a growing list of milestones in Nashulai’s journey, and reinforces its position as a beacon of inclusive, equitable, and sustainable conservation. 


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