Go4BioDiv

• Name: Mikelita Lenapir
• Country: Kenya
• representing this natural World Heritage Site: Lake Turkana
• Occupation and educational background: I went to elmolo bay primary school. Later I proceeded to my high shool,I went for college where I studied community development and social work. I now work with the community as a volunteer in capacity building,youth mobilization, working with women groups in their livelihoods
• Group Affiliation:
  elmolo, a very minority community
• Free-time activities:
  No answer
• Favourite Quote:
  No answer
• My Personal relation to the World Heritage Site:
  Our living dead (ancestors)and their spirit live in the lake and they take care of each one of us and communicate with the community through special agents (orikaya) by means of visions or dreams. They also urge to care and sustain the lake for it to us. I also relate to the lake physically in that I derive my livelihood from the lake through fishing, using appropriate materials and protecting it.
• Important to safeguard my natural World Heritage Site:
  It's important to safeguard this world heritage site because it’s the habitat for fish, crocodiles, birds and hippos. These are important resources for us. It’s a tourist attraction center for watching birds and see crocodiles and presence of tourist helps to support local business in our area. Cultural rites passage are performe near the lake which are sites of worship in our community. The livelihood of 500,000 people living around the lake depend on the lake. It provides every day domestic use for us and for our livestock, acquactic plants that are growing at the lake are of great use to us for making huts (roofing) and our livestock use for food.
• Specific problems and threats of my WHS:
  Over-fishing and use of unsustainable fishing methods and tools results in depletion of fish species and the loss of biodiversity. The use of fishing nets with small holes is illegal - it ends wiping the entire species of fish yet the nets are still used. The reduce of flow and level of water which is mostly due to construction of hydroelectrical dam Gibe 12and 3 on Omo river which is the only inlet to lake turkana. Also climate change such as prolonged drought, the overuse of water due to high population unlike before. Due to influx of people from other regions, people who fish (not traditional fisher men), they fish with no respect to the lake and its ecosystems, but with a sole interest of making quick and bigger money.
• Motivation for participating in the International Youth Forum 2010:
  Share experience and to learn from youth ways we can use to preserve and conserve our world heritage sites, bring the voice of minority of fisherfolk on preservation and conservation of lake turkana.
• Message to the world concerning WHS and biodiversity:
  Since the world heritage site lake turkana is of life to our community we value I this, hence there is a need for every one contribution to conserve for their importance value to human kind for future generations.