Ol Lentille
The Ol Lentille Conservancy is a pioneering example of community-based conservation, which aims to align the interests of tourism and conservation with those of the communities who own the land. The Ol Lentille lodge was donated to and is owned by the local community.
The 40,000 acres of the Ol Lentille Conservancy, uniquely, are jointly owned by two Maasai and two Samburu communities. The Ol Lentille safari lodge, which operates exclusively on the Conservancy, is owned by a local Maasai community too. Guests at Ol Lentille are treated as a guest of the local community, and given extensive, deep and authentic access to their culture and key events in their life. These human and cultural connections are what truly sets Ol Lentille apart from other safari lodges.
The Ol Lentille Foundation is dedicated to supporting Ol Lentille community empowerment, education, health, and to helping conservation of the unique ecosystem.
An Equal Share and Ol Lentille
Ol Lentille is the first collaborative initiative, we hope, of many. It was borne from discussions with the Ol Lentille project investors, and community representatives.
All individuals whose photographs are presented on this website have consented to the photographs being published and sold under the condition that 50% of the net income generated will be donated to community projects, to support access to education and other projects determined with the communities of Ol Lentille Conservancy, according to their own, self-defined needs.
Individuals are photographed in their traditional wear which they still commonly use, and performing dances as they do frequently to celebrate coming of age, the coming of rain, or to impress the opposite sex. These are living traditions to which communities in the area are strongly attached.
An Equal Share funds will initially go to education, including school bursaries and school feeding programs, which are priorities identified by the Ol Lentille communities. School feeding programmes are critical in vulnerable communities to improve nutrition, increase school enrolment and attendance, especially for girls.
We are excited that funds raised by An Equal Share Photography through the sale of fine art prints in 2024/2025 contributed to support school fees for 15 students.
If we are successful and as funds increase, a wider diversity of projects will be proposed by the communities and supported by An Equal Share.
In 2025 the Ol Lentille foundation focused on enhancing access to education and supported 30 children from vulnerable households, built teacher accommodation for one of the schools in Ol Lentille communities, and provided five students with bursaries to cover their university fees. As an indication, 410 GBP covers a year’s school fees for a secondary school student. The Foundation’s strategy in 2025 has been to cover 80% of school fees, with families contributing the remaining 20%. This shared approach allowed to reach and support more children. The goal is to support 100 children per year.
