After the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to cancel our plans in March 2020, we finally went ahead with our first Twende Porini at Ol Pejeta Bush Camp in Kenya, marking a triumphant post-pandemic return for the programme.

What is Twende Porini?

Meaning, “Let’s go to the bush”, Twende Porini welcomes children from local communities to experience what a safari is all about. We chose 16 children from 16 different schools around the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for the experience.

By bringing children from surrounding communities out on a 4-day safari with us, they see the animals in their relaxed, natural state. The children can ‘meet’ the wildlife and learn the importance of conservation.

Candidates were selected through an art competition where children between 11 and 14 were tasked with drawing a rhino. The conservancy then had the unenviable task of choosing the winners – eight boys and eight girls.

An experience to remember

The children enjoyed a jam-packed itinerary of fun and educational activities, which included two game drives a day and daily educational sessions with the team from the conservancy to learn about conservation and the importance of protecting our natural heritage.

Some of the highlights included seeing how the K9 unit track poachers and spending time with the dogs, learning how to track lion, spending time with Baraka, the blind rhino who lives in the reserve, and, of course, visiting the last two northern white rhinos in the world.

Fun activities, art classes, and games ensured everyone had a memorable time.

Caroline Sassoon Scholarship

To end the programme on a special note, we awarded the inaugural Caroline Sassoon Scholarship to a young boy who showed enthusiasm for all the activities and great potential to be a future conservationist. The scholarship will see him through his high school career, pay his fees, and extend into tertiary education.

The scholarship is in memory of Caroline Sassoon, the mother of one of our operations managers who volunteered her time for the previous three Twende Porini programmes and was an integral part of their success.

Unfortunately, Caroline passed away in 2021 from cancer. To honour her memory and selfless contribution to the programme, the scholarship was named after her.

Our commitment to the people and places of East Africa is only possible through providing incredible safari experiences to our guests. An Asilia safari is no ordinary safari; it's a safari with purpose.