Founded in memory of Luigi Francescon, whose love for Kenya, its wildlife and its people still guides the work.
01
Growing up near Nairobi National Park, Luigi knew a Kenya where wildlife moved freely across the landscape and nature was an everyday part of life. Those early years gave him a lifelong respect for the natural world and a deep concern for the wellbeing of the generations to come.
02The legacy
Wildlife cannot survive if communities are struggling. Communities cannot thrive if the ecosystems they depend on are lost. After Luigi's passing in 2016, the foundation was created to carry that understanding forward: protecting wildlife while creating opportunities for children, families and communities across Kenya. Today it works through practical, community-led programmes in the Amboseli ecosystem, Nairobi National Park and the Samburu National Reserve.
03In his words
“Protecting wildlife and uplifting communities were never opposing forces.They are two sides of the same footprint.”
Luigi Francescon, 1948–2016
04The elephant who carries the name
In the Amboseli plains there is a young bull elephant called Luigi. He was named after Luigi Francescon, and he has been growing up alongside the foundation that carries the same name: born into the LD family, raised by his mother Lemlepo, and watched over by the communities and rangers we work with. Luigi turned nine in May 2025, is ten now, and is growing up well. Lemlepo has raised a large and successful family of around forty elephants and has become a grandmother herself. Like all young bulls, Luigi spends his days sparring with other males, learning what he will need before he strikes out on his own. Across the Amboseli ecosystem, no poaching incident has been reported for several years. He is not a mascot. He is a measure. As long as an elephant called Luigi can roam these plains safely, the work is doing what it was created to do.
05What guides us
01Mission
To create thriving communities that take an active part in conserving wildlife and natural ecosystems, through education, economic empowerment, sustainable livelihoods and environmental stewardship.
02Vision
A world where empowered communities and healthy ecosystems coexist, securing a sustainable future for the generations to come.
03Philosophy
Dignity for communities is equal to protection for wildlife. When young people are educated, women earn an income and landscapes are restored, conservation becomes a natural, community-led choice.
06Board of Trustees
Annabella Francescon
Chairman
For Annabella, wildlife conservation and youth engagement are lifelong callings. Growing up, she witnessed a raw, untouched Kenya when traveling between Nairobi and Mombasa meant going on a true dirt-track safari surrounded by thousands of migrating elephants. Mesmerized by these special creatures, elephants became her emblem animal, sparking decades of dedicated support for the survival of elephants, rhinos, and African wildlife. Alongside her environmental focus, Annabella finds immense joy in working with young people, firmly believing that the future belongs to their exuberance. She is passionately committed to providing youth with the formal and practical education they need to confidently navigate the world ahead.
Peter Mwangi Karanja
Secretary
Born and raised in Loitokitok on the picturesque slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Peter has spent his entire life alongside the spectacular wildlife of Amboseli National Park and Tsavo West. His journey began as an active member of the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, which paved the way for a fulfilling career in the tourism industry. Over the years, working with renowned conservationists like Annabella, Pat Awori, Cynthia Moss, and Jonathan Scott deepened his appreciation for our planet's irreplaceable habitats. Having stood on the frontlines against the poaching crises of the 1990s and 2000s, Peter believes collective action can overcome any threat. Today, alarmed by the destruction of local forests, he channels his urgency into aggressive tree-planting initiatives, helping the foundation restore ecosystems little by little. As the Swahili saying goes, 'Kidogo Kidogo Hujaza Kibaba.'
Jose Manuel Lapena Casamayor
Treasurer
Years ago, Jose Manuel traveled to Kenya for the first time with Annabella as his guide. That transformative trip introduced him to a pristine, natural world thriving in close proximity to the wildlife he had always dreamed of experiencing. From that exact moment, he realized the urgent global responsibility to preserve these wild landscapes for future generations. Having returned to Africa numerous times since, that initial feeling has only grown stronger, driving his unwavering commitment to leverage his financial oversight skills to support and conserve our natural planet.
Daniel Muturi Gatumbo
Member and Operations Coordinator
Daniel's path to conservation came through a gradual, powerful awareness of how human actions can inadvertently harm our planet. As a primary school student, he loved the hands-on responsibility of planting trees and grass to heal bare, eroded hillsides. Haunted by childhood stories of extinct creatures like dinosaurs, he often wondered what would happen if mankind turned the world into a barren desert. This early curiosity evolved into a professional mission when he entered the tourism industry, realizing that his livelihood, and the livelihood of his community, is entirely dependent on keeping Kenya's natural scenery and wildlife safe, vibrant, and accessible.
Justin Chuma Kenya
Member and Accountant
Raised on the lush, green slopes of Mount Kenya, Chuma watched with a heavy heart as domestic and commercial deforestation stripped away over fifty percent of his childhood landscape. Refusing to remain a bystander, he joined environmental clubs throughout his school and college years to restore the natural beauty he remembered. His deep passion for indigenous trees led him to mobilize local communities and authorities to plant more trees than were being lost. Today, Chuma uses his accounting expertise to ensure the foundation's resources are perfectly balanced to combat the real-world threats of global warming and environmental degradation.
Help carry the work forward
Meaningful change happens when people come together around a shared purpose. Together we can build a future where communities prosper, ecosystems recover and wildlife continues to roam.
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