At the Soysambu Raptor Centre near Nakuru, a city in Kenya, all kinds of injured birds, many of them critically endangered, have found refuge.
Located within the Soysambu Conservancy, a 19,425-hectare conservation centre that borders Lake Nakuru National Park in the west of the country, the centre is one of the few places where birds of prey are safe.
From white-backed vultures to bateleur eagles and owls, the birds here are being treated for a number of issues, including broken wings and bones sustained while jostling for food in the wild or during territorial fights.
While the main aim is to release them into the wild, many birds have permanent injuries and can no longer hunt for prey. The Soysambu Raptor Centre provides them with a safe environment for the rest of their lives, with many raising chicks, which are then released into the wild.
A study published in January by The Peregrine Fund, a US-based non-profit organisation, found the raptor population has fallen by 90 per cent on the African continent over the past 40 years.
The reasons for the decline are numerous.
Vultures and other scavengers have died from eating livestock remains – falling victim to a practice adopted by cattle farmers who poison carcasses to deter lions from approaching their herds.
Deforestation also plays a part as does the proliferation of power lines across Africa that prove fatal for birds who perch on them to hunt prey.
Dozens of towering electricity pylons, many installed in recent years, scar the Soysambu reserve.
The centre consists of 10 enclosures, with a capacity for 15 to 22 birds at a time, according to the Kenya Birds of Prey Trust, which manages the complex.
Established to maintain healthy raptor populations in the country, the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust also runs a number of educational and adoption programmes, working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service. It also runs the Naivasha Raptor Centre in the nearby Kilimandege Sanctuary.
The remote location of the centres lends itself to raptor rehabilitation, the trust says, which is essential for the slow and monitored releases of birds back into the wild.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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