Connected Planet Foundation

Connected Planet Foundation is a UK charity that connects African communities, especially children, to the wildlife on their doorstep so they are empowered to protect it.

Many communities living within a few kilometres of celebrated reserves such as Kruger and the Maasai Mara never get to experience them, kept out by poverty and a lack of opportunity. That distance has real consequences, feeding poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Connected Planet starts from a simple question often attributed to Baba Dioum: how can people protect what they do not know and love?

The charity answers it by closing the gap between people and nature. It runs community-based programmes across Kenya and South Africa, from educational day trips and immersive multi-day wilderness camps for local children to conservation clubs that keep young people engaged over time. It also supports anti-poaching rangers and makes a point of reaching women and other under-represented groups.