Big Life Foundation operates across the Greater Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, where hundreds of community rangers protect wildlife and wild lands. Until a few years ago, training for these rangers relied on external instructors, often offering one-size-fits-all courses with little relevance to local terrain or challenges. The result was patchy skills development, high costs, and limited long-term impact.
In 2018, Big Life made a strategic shift. They partnered with LEAD Conservation, a foundation focused on building in-house training capacity through a “train-the-trainer” model. Rather than cycle in external trainers, the aim was to develop Big Life’s own rangers into instructors—embedding a long-term solution within the team itself.
With support from LEAD Conservation and the Thin Green Line Foundation, Big Life established the Amboseli Conservation Academy, a permanent training centre that could host multi-week field-based programmes. Early courses included advanced first aid, tactical patrol skills, wildlife crime response, and crucially, teaching and leadership methods. LEAD Conservation instructors delivered the first waves of training, with a focus on preparing Big Life rangers to take over instruction themselves.
This model worked. Within two years, Big Life had trained its own instructors who now run regular refresher courses and induction programmes for all rangers. As of 2023, Big Life is fully self-sufficient in training, having internalised and adapted the LEAD Conservation curriculum to fit its operational context. Materials have been translated into Maa where needed, and lessons are taught using field demonstrations and oral storytelling to reach every member of the team.
The collaboration between Big Life and LEAD Conservation formally began in 2018, marked by the establishment of Big Life’s Amboseli Conservation Academy (ACA) and the first LEAD Conservation training courses for Big Life staff. LEAD Conservation’s team worked closely with Big Life’s leadership to assess training needs and design a programme suited to their operations. From the outset, the partnership focused on a “train-the-trainer” model: rather than simply putting all rangers through one-off trainings, the emphasis was on selecting and upskilling a cadre of Big Life rangers who could become instructors themselves. These local instructors would then continuously train their peers in the field, multiplying the impact.
The results speak clearly:
- Zero elephants have been poached in Big Life’s patrol areas for over four years.
- 12 internal ranger trainers now deliver all instruction.
- Rangers trained in first aid have saved lives both in the field and in nearby communities.
- Training costs have dropped significantly, allowing more resources for equipment and operations.
The success of the partnership lies in its practicality. Training is tailored to the landscape, based on what rangers actually face. Rangers train in the bush, in their own language, led by their own colleagues. It builds pride, ownership, and real competence.
One of the strongest outcomes is cultural: rangers now see themselves as both protectors and professionals. Instructors have emerged from all backgrounds, including those without formal education. As one senior ranger put it: “I never went to school, but now I train others. I’ve saved lives because of what I learned.”
This collaboration shows what happens when training is treated not as an event, but a system. LEAD Conservation’s lasting contribution is not just skills—but the ability to keep teaching those skills long after they’ve left.
Big Life and LEAD Conservation continue to collaborate, sharing lessons with other conservancies and adapting the curriculum as new threats emerge. This is training done right: respectful, practical, and lasting.
