Two Kenyans have been selected for National Geographic’s Young Explorers 2020 for their exemplary leadership skills and contribution to conservation.
In a notice on Tuesday, July 14, Tiassa Samayin Mutunkei and Richard Turere who are both 19 were selected to join the leaders' cohort for efforts in their respective communities to help shape the conversation, drive progress, inspire hope and action and lead a new age of knowledge, discovery and impact.
"These young leaders are joining the ranks of the thousands of explorers who came before them, receiving funding, and finding connections and community with like-minded peers.
"We are immensely proud to support these young people on their journey, to help elevate their voices and accelerate and amplify their work," the notice on the insistution's website read in part.
Mutunkei is the founder of Teens4Wildlife, a space for Kenyan and African youth to share, learn , explore and discover and take action on behalf of Africa's wildlife.
She started the organisation when she was 15, which led her to be awarded a scholarship to study at African Leadership Academy in South Africa for her ‘O’ Levels.
Richard rose to fame for his ingenious invention seeking a way to scare away lions from killing their livestock at the age of 12.
He created lion lights, flashing LED fixtures that repel lions from areas holding livestock, virtually eliminiating depredation and human- wildlife conflict reported cases ina reas fitted with them.
The young people selected in the Young Explorers program dubbed #GenGeo represent six countries with their efforts ranging from storytelling and scientific innovation to conservation, education and civic engagement.
It is a global community of young people with empathy, tenacity, unbridled passion and an insatiable drive to seek solutions to build a sustainable future and thriving planet.
"They are united by a common thread: they see profound possibilities to make a difference and they make a choice to do something about it with confidence, courage and conviction," Nat Geo noted.
