FOTI's Wild Challenge

By Purity Benjamin

The Foundation of Tourism Institute (FOTI) recently hosted a challenge that saw the participation of 70 students from Chuka University. The competition featured eight teams named after wildlife: Elephant, Jaguar, Mountain Bongos, Lion, Wolves, Eagles, Giraffe, and Falcons. Through a series of elimination rounds spanning from January to March, Team Lion emerged victorious in the finals on March 29th. As a reward, 23 students from the winning team embarked on a three-day educational trip to the Giraffe Center in Nairobi . The founder said," FOTI is an institute that aims at bringing tourism student together to learn and interact besides learning professional practice".

On April 4th the 23 winning students embarked on a trip. Upon arrival at the Giraffe Center, the students were warmly welcomed by Victor, Programs Officer Conservation Education at AFEW Giraffe Centre, an alumnae of Chuka University who now works at the center. Victor's connection to their university added a special dimension to the visit, providing students with a tangible example of career possibilities in conservation and tourism. His journey from university attachee to full-time staff member demonstrated the practical career paths available in Kenya's tourism sector.

Victor guided the students through the center, introducing them to different giraffes including Edd, Betty, Kelly, Daisy, and Salma. The students enjoyed the opportunity to feed giraffes, an experience that combined education with enjoyment. Victor explained that the giraffes primarily feed on horse pellets, but the center carefully regulates their consumption as excessive amounts could lead to arthritis.

The visit provided invaluable behind-the-scenes insights into park operations. Students witnessed the intricate water recycling system with its three-chamber filtration design . The first measuring approximately 3.5 meters deep, the second about 3.2 meters deep, and the final chamber around 2 meters deep. This exposure to operational aspects of wildlife tourism facilities provided context for understanding the administrative and ecological considerations that tourism professionals must balance in their work.

Students also participated in the center's environmental conservation efforts, particularly through the seedling project. The center grows tree seedlings for donation to schools to promote reforestation. FOTI received 40 trees from this project for the students to plant at their university. This activity emphasized how tourism operations can positively contribute to environmental sustainability rather than merely exploiting natural resources for profit.

The educational visit included a walk along the nature trail, allowing students to appreciate the broader ecosystem that supports wildlife. Victor took this opportunity to share that the park welcomes between 600-700 visitors on a slow day and 3,000-4,000 people on busy days, highlighting the significant economic impact of tourism in conservation efforts. He encouraged the students to apply for internships and attachments at the park, emphasizing the practical experience they could gain.

For some students like Rose Mwende , this trip represented their first opportunity to interact professionally with a tourism facility and understand its operations from both visitor and management perspectives. The experience provided clarity regarding potential specializations within tourism—from wildlife management to visitor experience design and conservation education. Seeing a fellow Chuka University graduate successfully employed in the field was particularly inspiring, making their career aspirations seem more achievable.

The trip highlighted the value of immersive learning experiences in tourism education. Students gained deeper understanding of the balance between conservation priorities and tourism operations knowledge that would have been difficult to acquire through traditional educational methods alone.

The FOTI trip to Giraffe Center was more than just a reward . It gave the participants an exposure to wildlife tourism, conservation measures and career opportunities helping them connect classroom learning with professional practice . The students were happy and looked forward to having more such events.