In the sun-scorched terrain of Marsabit County, Kenya, where landscapes have long battled the brunt of climate change and degradation, a movement of quiet strength and deep-rooted stewardship is transforming the story—led by women and sustained by their communities.

At the center of this transformation are Jennifer Lesukat and Nailyaku Sumat, pastoralist women and restoration champions empowered through a locally anchored conservation model known as RAMAT. Meaning "stewardship" or "management" in the Samburu dialect, the RAMAT model is a community-led restoration approach that taps into traditional ecological knowledge, social institutions, and indigenous values to rehabilitate degraded rangelands.

Figure 2 Jennifer Lesukat and Nailyaku Sumat - Women Biodiversity Champions

This powerful model is being scaled through the leadership of Nature and People as One (NaPO), a youth-founded grassroots conservation organization born in Karare, Marsabit in 2018. NaPO’s name is inspired by the naabo, a sacred meeting place for the Rendille and Samburu where elders gather to make decisions for the wellbeing of the community. Guided by the same spirit of inclusivity, respect, and dialogue, NaPO works with communities across four key ecosystems in northern Kenya—Mt. Marsabit, Mt. Kulal, the Ndotto Ranges, and Mt. Ng’iro.

Through a GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) award implemented by UNDP, NaPO has scaled the RAMAT model in the Mt. Marsabit ecosystem. The model has now restored over 550 hectares of land and empowered more than 2,400 people from 37 villages—including pastoralist women like Jennifer—to lead in safeguarding their future.

“My relationship with the land changed the day I became a Ramat Champion,” says Jennifer, who now leads Community Restoration Days, collective village actions where women prune and protect native species like Acacia tortilis while removing invasive threats like Prosopis juliflora (locally known as mathenge). 

These champions are supported with a modest fund to coordinate their efforts and mobilize local communities. Restoration areas are visibly marked by painted trees— “social fences” that not only protect nature but signal a community reclaiming its ecological heritage.

For women like Nailyaku, this work goes beyond environmental restoration. “This is about healing,” she says. “Healing our land, our families, and our dignity. For many years we watched the land die, and now we are watching it come back to life—with our own hands.”

NaPO’s conservation model doesn’t stop at restoration. With support from GEF SGP, it integrates biodiversity conservation—protecting endangered species such as the reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra—while promoting sustainable livelihoods like beekeeping and grass harvesting. Local youth and herders are now part of the solution, actively participating in habitat monitoring and land restoration.

UNDP and GEF SGP’s support of NaPO affirms that local, inclusive solutions are essential for planetary health. “This is the essence of thinking globally, acting locally,” says a NaPO Project Coordinator, Adrian Leitoror. “We’re not just planting trees; we’re growing a movement.”

                                                                         Figure 3 Adrian Leitoro

As we mark International Biodiversity Day under the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”, the RAMAT model in Marsabit reflects this harmony through integrated biodiversity conservation efforts. Floral biodiversity is championed through the planting and natural regeneration of indigenous tree species, many of which are culturally significant and ecologically vital, used for medicinal purposes, as livestock fodder, and for sustainable timber. Restoration efforts also involve selecting and protecting specific sites, enforcing local bylaws that prohibit the felling of key tree species, thus preserving threatened flora. 

                                               Figure 4 Reticulated Giraffe in Marsabit National Park              

                                                              Figure 5 Grevy’s zebra in Marsabit Park

On the faunal side, these restored rangelands play a critical role in the survival of iconic and endangered species such as the reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra, both native to the northern rangelands and increasingly under threat from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. By restoring habitats and engaging pastoralist communities in conservation, RAMAT fosters conditions where wildlife and ecosystems can thrive alongside resilient livelihoods—making biodiversity protection both a local and global priority.

Through initiatives like NaPO and the RAMAT model, biodiversity is not only being restored—it’s being protected, nurtured, and passed on, one tree and one community at a time. 

This project was funded under the ICCA-GSI which is a multi-partnership initiative implemented by the UNDP through the Global Environment Facility’s SGP delivery mechanism.

The initiative is funded by the Government of Germany, through its Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection – commonly referred to as IKI. 

More about NaPO: NaPO:Nature and People as One | Instagram | Linktree

About the author:

David Ombee is a Communications Professional at UNDP Kenya.