Sam Dindi is a firstborn son in a family of four, studied Tourism and wildlife management a the University of Eldoret previously known as Chepkoilel. While in campus Sam started a blog site www.mazingarayetu.blogspot.com where he would share with his audience what he had learned or contemporary issues in conservation.
After completing his studies, Sam started visiting primary schools to promote environmental education among students and equally create a source of livelihood for himself, this lead to the formation of Mazingira Yetu a community training and mobilization organization currently he is the director and has been running it for the past 11 years.
Sam during the presentation of the Toilet of the year award to Kibera residents at Kamukunji Grounds
Mazingira Yetu Organisation runs the following programs:
a) Environment Education and Communication Program
b) Ecosystem Restoration Program
c) Taka ni Pato Program
d) Community Mobilisation and Training Program
Sam taking through Strathmore University PhD students on Taka ni Pato Social enterprise in Kibera
The environment education and communication program runs the following projects:
a) Mazingira Yetu Magazine
b) Music in conservation
c) Environment education in schools
Marketing of Taka ni Pato Social enterprise services in Karanja (Kibera) through dance
Ecosystem Restoration Program runs:
a) Ondiri wetland restoration (Kikuyu)
b) Ngong River Restoration (Kibera) Taka ni Pato Program
a) Solid waste collection from households b) Up-cyling of plastic waste
c) Making of briquettes
Sam presenting the 21 edition of the Mazingira Yetu magazine to Eng Samuel Alima, Water Secretary-Ministry of water, sanitation and irrigation
While the Community Mobilisation and Training Program entails; Tailor making trainings like on Water and Sanitation, Financial Management, Sacco and Table Banking, Urban River Restoration, upcycling of organic and plastic waste, tree seed collection and preservation.
Training of Komb Green solutions on Riparian ecosystem restoration in Korogocho (Ruaraka sub county) Nairobi
Sam is motivated by a quote by OG Mandino “I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is no too difficult, I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.”
Below are some of the awards mazingira yetu has been awarded
a) IUCN CEC EXCELLENCY AWARD 2019 (EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA)
b) HEAD OF STATES COMMENDATION (HSC) 2019
c) INFORMAL TOILET OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022 (WOMEN IN WATER AND SANITATION
d) EUROFISHION SONG OF THE YEAR 2021 (WORLD FISH MIGRATION)
e) RHINO CONSERVATION AWARD 2012 (GAME RANGERS ASSOCIATION IN AFRICA)
Humble Sam having a talk with the former president in 2019
Sam envisions Mazingira Yetu Organisation becoming self-sustaining, expanding operations, become a fully-fledged Non-Govermental Organization, and starting a Mazingira Yetu Fellowship program. Mazingira Yetu Organisation looks forward to partnering with like-minded organizations and well-wishers in the various programs that we are running.
Sam loves mentoring youth youths to pursue what they are good at, endeavor to learn new skills, to be careful not to be exploited.
You can get in touch with Sam via https://www.facebook.com/sam.dindi
@mzingirayetu (twitter)
Sam Dindi, HSC (Linkedin)
“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive. In this century he has to realize that in order to survive he has to protect it.” Jacques-Yves Cousteau Here we celebrate the unsung wildlife heroes in the grassroots doing remarkable work to conserve our wildlife heritage, Get to learn about wildlife from a ranger/ ecologist in Kenya a freelance eco-traveler, experience the diverse cultures and African heritage from the natives and take an adventure to new destinations to learn about rare attractions that are hardly talked about and to top it all up some of the best wildlife photographs that will make you reconnect to your wild side appreciate everything around us and fall in love with the natural world, because “It is not enough to love the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it.” Edward Abbey
Our wildlife, our responsibility. When it comes to standing up for our wildlife it’s better to be outspoken than unspoken.
