09/28/2026
In a moving video presentation, dozens of Kenyan students and young adults took turns gazing into the camera, smiling as they recorded a testimonial that left them beaming with pride: “I am Red Rhino!”
That was the poignant backdrop to a featured presentation by Greg Traverso.
Twenty years ago, the Red Rhino Outreach Project, an orphanage and outreach program, was created to positively impact the lives of children in Kenya. The project is the brainchild of Traverso, a long-time Stockton St. Mary’s High School administrator and dean of students.
In town for a visit, Traverso, Executive Director of Red Rhino, spoke of the program at the Sept. 23 Rotary Club of Stockton meeting.
The Red Rhino Project provides education and mentorship to disadvantaged Kenyan youth and young adults, empowering them to build brighter futures and uplift their communities.
A knock on the door literally changed everything for Traverso.
“David Saunders, my close friend, had overcome Stage 4 cancer and wanted to embark on public service. He came to visit and said, ‘I want to give you one year of my life and we’ll build that orphanage.’ ”
The program and facilities became a reality and Red Rhino has become a fixture among African outreach programs. “Over 200 neighborhood children are looking at a different future than might have been parceled out to them otherwise,” Traverso stated.
In addition to civic efforts, Traverso has opened a successful safari business in Kenya and Tanzania.
“It is rewarding to see our former students come back to Red Rhino,” he said. “I love to see the kids giving back.”
For more information on Red Rhino, visit the program’s web site: https://rrop.org/
