Kipsaina Education and Environmental Partnership (KEEP) is a conservation and education charity founded in 2017 and registered with the UK Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Our aims are to protect the wetlands of Western Kenya, in particular around the Saiwa Swamp ecosystem, and advancing the education of schoolchildren in the surrounding area, initially at Kipsaina Primary School.

The charity has a board of three trustees:

Sam Forsyth

Sam is a Biologist who worked for 20 years in the documentary film industry, including numerous jobs in Kenya. In 1994, he was assigned to film Maurice Wanjala, founder of Kipsaina Crane and Wetlands Conservation Group, for the BBC NHU, and the seeds of KEEP were sown. Sam is currently a Biology teacher at Barnard Castle School, and in July 2018 led an expedition of 18 students from the school to visit Kipsaina and help on the Primary School Build.

Mary Charrington

Mary has a background in education. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, she went on to gain a PGCE in English and TEFL from Bristol University. Mary taught English to children in various contexts before moving into educational publishing to commission and develop English courses for primary schools in different parts of the world. She became freelance and has been writing language materials for 25 years.  She is the co-author of a range of courses, including Bingo/Eko and Friends (Pearson), Peekaboo and Next Stop/Next Move (Macmillan English), and Explorers, Mouse and Me and Big Questions (Oxford University Press). Mary is currently part of the writing team for Look, a new worldwide English language course, researched and developed by National Geographic Learning.

Rubel Quader

Rubel has a background in corporate strategy and business development with some 20 years’ experience working both for management consultancies and in-house as strategy director for corporates. He also has investment experience having worked in corporate advisory and venture capital. Rubel and Sam were at school together and have known each for over 30 years.