A team from Offbeat Mara and Offbeat Ndoto Safari Camps in the Mara North Conservancy are tackling the UltraMARAthon in Kenya's Maasai Mara.

The team consists of three of our valuable staff and our owner.

David Njapit - top guide and decent runner

Mukenye Nkaisungui - barman extraordinaire and a very good runner

Michael Njapit - In our laundry department - the youngest and quickest

Piers Winkworth - oldest, slowest, weakest link!

The greater Maasai Mara is one of Kenya’s key ecosystems and provides an essential barrier between agricultural areas and the Maasai Mara reserve itself. The stewards in the greater Mara area rely primarily on tourism to manage and protect the ecosystem, which given the seasonal nature of tourism in the area and the current pandemic presents certain challenges.

The goal of the UltraMARAthon is to raise funds to support key initiatives in the region related to conservation and enhancing the lives of the communities within the area. The initiatives that will be supported this year are:

Mara Elephant Project – funding for the recruitment, training, and deployment of rangers specifically to address poaching, human/wildlife conflict and habitat loss challenges in the region. Protecting elephants and their habitats across the greater Mara ecosystem.

Africa Mission Services Women’s Health & Birth Center – funding to expand a women’s health centre located in Engos, which serves a population of approximately 7,000 local Maasai, providing prenatal/postnatal care, family planning education and services, and assists 50 – 60 women in childbirth each month.

Hosting Conservancies’ Ranger Support – funding for uniforms, equipment and general administration for the conservancies involved in the event.

In addition, this event will encourage tourism to the Mara conservancies and provide beneficial exposure on both national and international levels, raising awareness of the challenges of conserving and managing this iconic yet threatened ecosystem during these difficult times.

We appreciate that the world we live in is facing challenges on many fronts, but we assure you that any funds raised will go directly to these much needed causes.

Thank you / Ashe Oleng,

Piers, David, Mukenye, Michael & The Offbeat Family