Worked for the Trust for Six years.
In Kakamega there are no elephants and very few animals around, unless you live in the forest in which case smaller mammals, primates, reptiles and amphibians are what you are likely to see. Edwin had never even seen an elephant until he came to work with the Trust. Despite his qualifications in computers he has no desire to pursue that now he has found the elephants. Edwin loves all the animals here at the Trust but has a special bond with Wendi. He was around when she first came to the Trust and was very ill never having had her mother’s colostrum, slowly he watched as she came back to life.  Another orphan who completely stole Edwin's heart was our little blind Ndololo, who tragically died just three months after he arrived in the nursery.

Worked for the Trust for six and a half years.
Dismas started working for the Trust when both Magnum and Magnette were reintegrating back into the wild, and it took quite a lot of persuasion for Dismas to get within 10 yards of either of them, but once he became familiar with them all his fears fell away. He has been instrumental in the raising and release of both our rhinos, Makosa, Magnum and now Shida. The death of Magnette and Makosa has upset him enormously.

Worked for the Trust for eighteen years.
Mishak is our longest serving Keeper.   Renowned for his ‘Mishak Magic’ he is often the only person capable of coaxing resistant babies into accepting their milk on their arrival. Other Keepers that work with him claim that he has a special ‘Elephant Spirit’ that they have never witnessed before. He is always, without exception every orphan's favourite.  Mishak has seen it all, having successfully helped raise over 55 young elephants. He has experienced the joy of many returning to the wild successfully and has had to endure the heart break of failure when some never make it. For him it is much more than a job, elephants are his life.

Worked for the Trust for Six years.
Joseph is a Taita, a tribe that is very close to Tsavo East National Park and is therefore in regular conflict with wildlife, particularly elephants. For Joseph to be working along side these creatures is very unusual and he has generated great respect within his community. His understanding of the elephants, and the education of his community has ensured they have a healthy respect for elephant and the conflict in his area has been greatly reduced. Joseph’s quiet efficient manner has resulted in him being the Voi orphan Rehabilitaion Centre’s Projects Manager, in charge of both the Orphans' and their Keepers.

Worked for the Trust for six years
Amos feels that had he not worked here he would have never liked elephants or any of the animals which pose a threat to his clans livestock. Spending every day with these creatures enables one to learn so much about them .  He now sees Elephants as a true asset to lands that the Samburu traditionally call their own, realising that the future is more likely with the wildlife and elephants than his cultures traditional cattle herds. 

Worked for the Trust for 17 years
Atanash has witnessed countless successes and unfortunately failures too, he has rescued a number of the orphans, nursed them back to life, watched some die and watched some return back to the wild. Malaika was an elephant which he was in awe of, having witnesses her arrival he then watched her grow up and then sadly watched her die in childbirth, unable to do anything to help her. To Atanash Malaika was the most human, she understood all commands and could interpret moods, Atanash saw her as his greatest friend.  Her memory lives with him to this day.

Worked for the Trust for seven years.
Kisii is in the Kenyan highlands, renowned for its fertile soil and one of the major tea growing areas in Kenya. Like most areas in the Kenyan highlands, the population is very high, forcing people to migrate to other parts of the country in search of employment or new land to cultivate. Lucas started his education in Bagaria primary school and finished in standard seven. After finishing school he spent time working on his fathers small holding until he met his bride to be and got married at the age of 27 to a lady from the Turkana tribe. Today he is the proud father of four. Lucas has been interested in animals since he was a small boy visiting family who were living in the Taita area (bordering Tsavo West National Park). This was the first time that he had ever seen wild animals. His work started with the Trust in Voi. He is extremely fond of all the elephants that have come into his care, watching them come in so helpless and eventually join the wild herds is incredibly rewarding.

Worked for the Trust for two years.
The Trust has recently been recruiting Keepers from communities that live on the boundaries of National Parks or wildlife dispersal areas, as we feel that one enlightened individual can influence his community enormously regarding wildlife and particularly elephants. From the year 2000 John had worked in Meru National Park along with a number of other casual laborers clearing roads, and it was at this time he was noticed by the Park Warden Mark Jenkins and was later recommended to us. He grew up on the boundary of the park, the second youngest of ten children and after he finished his education at Kabuabua primary school he attended to his family’s subsistence farm. It was during this time that his eye was pierced by a thorn while clearing bush for cultivation, and because of poor medical treatment he lost the sight in his left eye. He has not let this inhibit him and has relished his role as an Elephant Keeper. While his family are use to wildlife in their area, particularly elephant, they cannot believe their son gets to sleep with them!

Worked for the Trust for two year.
'Zoom Zoom' as he is called by all at the Trust comes from the Lorokushu clan, and was a warrior from the Lomolii. He grew up with 2 brothers and 1 sister and attentded Ngaron Primany School. After school his job was to tend to his families livestock. He lived in harmony with the wildlife of the area which included Zebra, Eland, Giraffe, elephants, and of course the predators. On many occasions when tending the cattle and goats he would have to fight off lions as they tried to kill his cows. As a result of walking and living close to nature ‘Zoom Zoom'  has an instinctive understanding of the orphans that he now tends to so lovingly, and feels totally at home in the bush with them. When he first began the job as an elephant and rhino Keeper he had never been exposed to Western Medicine, only ever having been treated for every ailment by medicinal brews made from the vegetation surrounding his home. ‘Leleruk’ loves to sing to the orphans, as traditionally the Samburu sing and dance frequently.

Worked for the trust for nine years
‘Kingoo’ as he is known to all at the Trust comes from a large family of 4 brothers and 5 sisters. He attended Syaolwe Primary School and later worked in the construction business with the Chinese contractors who built the workshops for The Kenya Wildlife Service in the Nairobi National Park. Because he found himself working close to the Trust Kingoo would come and visit the orphans regularly when off duty. At this time a tiny orphaned rhino called Magnette came into the nursery and he quickly volunteered for a job as a Rhino Keeper. He experienced a shaky beginning as he was promptly given cricket pads to protect his legs from the feisty newcomer and confined in the stable with a very wild compact little rhino that could certainly make her presence felt. He works closely with both the elephants and rhinos but is one of only a few Keepers who can control our fully grown rhino orphans.

Worked for the Trust for three years.
Stephen was educated at Munyu Secondary school and later did a marketing diploma at the Victory Institute. He was recruited by another member of staff so had no prior experience of wild animals. When he first began working at the Trust he was terrified by the elephants, never having seen one in his life before. On his first day out in the bush all the elephant orphans we very curious, reaching out with their trunks in an effort to greet him and get to know him, he mis-read these signs as threatening and he was terrified. It took months too before his friends and family would believe his stories about his new job and eventually to be sure they came to visit the orphans to see for themselves. Stephen reflects on his early days with the orphans with great amusement, as he realises now what beautiful, intelligent creatures they are with all the good traits of humans and few of the bad. Sunyei was a tiny newborn in the nursery when he arrived so she has been part of his growth and learning curve within the project and she holds a very special place in his heart.

Worked for the Trust for two years.
Felix went to school at Ngaita Primary School, then Ikuu Boys High School and onto University at the University of Nairobi and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Range Management. Felix grew up with a burning desire to be involved with wildlife and the wild places of Kenya so after his degree he guided climbing expeditions up Mount Kenya, and in that time had numerous experiences with wild elephants. He was later involved in writing travel brochures for a tour operator and it was at this time that he read about DSWT in one of the newspapers and applied for a job. Since working for the Trust as an elephant Keeper Felix has been actively trying to educate the people living back in his home district specifically about elephant, as his area was once an old migratory route for elephant moving between Meru National Park and the Imenti Forest and Mount Kenya, and on occasion elephants still take this route, despite it being heavily cultivated  Felix works tirelessly to ensure that the elephants are left alone and not harassed when making this fraught journey.

Worked for the Trust for five years.
Before working with the orphaned elephants at the Trust Julius never really had a love for wild animals, however, now he cannot imagine working with anything other than wild animals. He now understands the importance of conserving these magnificent creatures as well as others, but nevertheless feels disheartened that there are very few people even from his own tribe that will have the opportunity to develop a love for these creatures like he has. Julius feels that although he has a special bond with each of the elephants, he does have an extra soft spot for little Tomboi.

Worked for the Trust for six years.
Benjamin came to work for the Trust at the same time as Joseph Sauni. He was working in the nursery when Nasalot, Mulika, Kinna and Yatta were inmates. He then moved down to Voi with them, and has been a part of their 3 years down there. We have recently built a second relocation center in Northern Tsavo East at a place called Ithumba and Benjamin is now the Project Manager there. He has moved with his special friends, Nasalot, Mulika, Kinna and Yatta, who have been relocated up there, and is committed to guide them to their safe return to the wild herds in Tsavo.