The Lion Guardians Present a Compelling Online Story
Friday, October 30, 2009
I loved this website about a number of young Maasai who are trying to protect lions in Kenya. Traditionally lions were seen as predators, but in recent years their numbers have declined dramatically and so the Lion Guardians formed to try and protect them.
According to the GOOD blog:
"They’re tracking lions and radio-tagging them so herders can avoid them and, while they’re out in the bush, they help round up stray cows as well. Not only is it nice to protect lions for their own sake (they’re incredible creatures), but it’s also economically important for Kenya. If the country loses lions, its valuable tourist industry suffers."
However, to do this they need to raise money and I thought their blog and website was another great example of a charity using social media to directly connect the donors with the beneficiaries.
Not only does the blog present a compelling story (tracking lions can be quite exciting!) it also asks for money through a variety of methods.
You can sponsor a lion guardian, buy a range of one-off equipment and even buy Christmas Cards!
The site is a great mix of fundraising asks, that are clearly linked to the cause and you can delve quite deep into the site and watch video, see some truly stunning photography from the Maasai Mara, learn more about the conservation and even track the lions on the cat map!
The site appears to be updated daily (take note other charities!) and people's comments are responded to with a sincere and appropriate reply.
All in all it presents a compelling case for support and is another great example of a charity engaging and involving donors in their work through social media.