Grounded Conservation and Growing Tech with SORALO in Kenya

Written by: Nurfatin Hamzah (GainForest) & Dennis Lemayan (SORALO)

During my visit to Kenya in June 2025, I had the opportunity to spend time with one of our community partners, the South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO). Based in the semi-arid region of Magadi, I traveled around three hours from Nairobi to one of their resource centres-Lale’enok, situated in the Olkiramatian community and bordering a protected area.

The South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO) is a community-based and community-driven land trust established in 2004. They work in Kenya’s South Rift Valley, a bridge between the Maasai Mara and Amboseli. Their primary role is to ensure the integrity of this landscape for the benefit of its people and wildlife. SORALO works together with 24 Maasai communities that have come together to protect the free movement of both people and wildlife in southern Kenya. By building on the traditional Maasai semi-nomadic grazing system, SORALO works to maintain open and connected rangelands, reducing conflict between people, livestock and wildlife.

Tech in the Field

One of the highlights of my visit was joining a lion survey, riding in a 4x4 with binoculars,camera and the sharp eyes of field officers. While the lion monitoring project involves other research collaborators, it was fascinating to see how SORALO integrates local knowledge and new tools like camera traps and AI training to identify individual lions.

I also had a thoughtful meeting with John Kamanga, SORALO’s Director, along with Guy Western, the Chief Operations Officer, and Dennis Lemayian, Conservation Ecologist. We reflected on the journey so far.They shared how Web3 fundraising felt intimidating at first, but with continued one-on-one support and in-person visit, they successfully participated in two Gitcoin Grants rounds. They also became one of the first to create an Ecocert, eventually receiving support from the Celo Ultragreen Fund. It was inspiring to see how they embraced this new space with courage and vision.

With John, Guy, and Dennis—grateful for the meaningful conversations and shared vision for community-led conservation.

Making Tree Data Visible

We discussed the challenge of managing multiple platforms to collect tree data for different funders.The work is already happening on the ground, but there is a strong desire to tell the story behind the data and make it more visible. One path we are exploring together is how this data can be visualised on Green Globe and eventually packaged into Ecocerts. This could open new opportunities for global recognition and support.

Women-led Grass Seed Banks

Another meaningful visit was to two women-led grass seed banks: Lenkobei and Lgooso Loonkishu. These women are leading efforts to restore degraded rangelands by cultivating native grasses, with support from community leaders and SORALO. At the Lenkobei site alone, 20 women are actively reseeding overgrazed areas, supporting both ecosystem health and their families. The income from this initiative supports school bursaries and long-term resilience. Witnessing their leadership in action was incredibly inspiring.

The team also brought me to restoration sites where the grass seeds had been spread and where they built water retention bunds (earth smiles) to help the landscape heal.

With the amazing women coordinating the grass seed bank together with Joseph Munge, a community leader and SORALO community champion.

Tree Nurseries, Schools, and Local Involvement

We ended the day at SORALO’s tree nursery and a nearby school where students are involved in planting activities. The nursery helps supply seedlings for restoration, and the school provides a space for young people to learn and take part. It was clear that both efforts are helping grow not just trees, but also local ownership and care for the land.

Reflections

Spending time with SORALO was a reminder that conservation is deeply human. The work happening across the South Rift is led by community members who live with the land and understand it in ways no outside tool or system ever could. From tracking lions to restoring grasslands, everything I witnessed came from a place of care, commitment, and long-standing connection.

What stood out to me is how technology and global collaboration are not separate from this. They are becoming part of the everyday tools that communities can use to strengthen what they already do. Tools like Ecocert or Green Globe are most meaningful when they are built with and for people like those I met at SORALO. It is not about adding something new just for the sake of it. It is about making their work more visible, more supported, and more connected to others who care.

We also reflected on how Web3 funding can move in two directions. Upward, it supports communities like SORALO connect to global networks and gain recognition and support. Downward, it creates opportunities to strengthen participation from within, encouraging more local involvement and ownership of the work.

As GainForest, we hope to keep walking alongside partners like SORALO. Our role is to listen, to build together, and to make sure that whatever tech we offer is grounded in the realities of those who use it.