Why Care About Grass?

Traditional Maasai livestock keepers are strongly conservative in terms of preserving their culture and way of doing things, including grazing habits. Pastoralists decide how and where to graze their animals in communal grazing areas, but they have never been trained about the impact of managed grazing.

85% of Maasai income comes from livestock, but livestock can only be healthy and sellable if they eat well. This means that managing pasture strategically is critical to economic stability.

While some Maasai lost everything in the recent three-year drought, they haven’t taken advantage of the abundant grass growing now that it’s raining again. And the one thing we know is that another drought will occur eventually. We need to prepare now to prevent the loss of livestock.

Illiteracy is also a major hurdle in the communities where we work, so we have found that effective, practical education is key. Investing in education on this critical topic could make a huge difference. Even if 10-20% of the nearly 12,000 livestock farmers in this region start sharing this vision, the ecosystem can be greener and more prosperous within three years.

Our Plan for Pasture

Livestock keepers participating in our LAB program managed to keep their animals alive during the recent drought. This is due to skillful pasture conservation and planning ahead.

We decided to bring this same method to the Grazing Management Committee (GMC) leaders through a new program called Planning for Pasture. First we spent time understanding their needs. Then we developed a curriculum to empower all GMCs to train community members and build cooperation between them.

We teach the committees to set goals and then develop indicators to measure success. We also teach drought cycle management and pasture conservation. Finally, we “train the trainers to train” by assigning topics to the committee members. This lets them practice teaching and designing lesson plans which prepares them to teach their communities later on.

So far, the responses from the 176 people we have trained have been extremely positive. Several members said, “We’ve never had training like this before. When are you coming back?”

Setting Maasai Up for Success

We are successful because we partner with and in communities to build lasting capacity—rather than dictate policies from a desk thousands of miles away. Together with the GMCs, we have begun promoting the vision of a “3D Free Zone”—a “No Death During Drought Zone.”

You can help us support Maasai grass managers by contributing to our Planning for Pasture Campaign. Doing so will lead to more secure household income because of stable animal body conditions and fewer fluctuations in animal values, which means less stress and more prosperity for families.

We are nearly halfway to our goal of $48,800 for this project. Your gift—at any level—will get us closer to providing the education and support that Maasai need to thrive in their challenging environment.

Grazing management is a natural extension of our work, which provides clean water and livestock business skills. This level of planning and education will go a long way in guaranteeing a healthy and prosperous future for Maasai and their ecosystem. With a shared vision and cooperation fostered by a strong community training program, the crazy ups and downs caused by the drought can finally be a thing of the past.

The post Planning for Pasture: Helping Maasai Avoid Livestock Loss During Drought appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

There are both immediate and future repercussions from this overabundance of rain hitting Kenya. Let’s look at what’s happening in and around Kajaido County now as well as at what likely will happen next.

Water, Water Everywhere

Kenyans have seen record rainfall during the 2024 rainy season. Heavy rains, exacerbated by the Indian Ocean Dipole, are causing dangerous flood conditions along western Kenya. In Kajaido County, some roads are impassable. So far, over 200,000 people have been displaced because of flooding caused by constant rain.

But flooding is only the most obvious result of this severe weather. Landslides (or mudslides) and soil erosion also occur because the now-saturated soil can’t absorb the deluge. Last month, a landslide killed more than 40 people in Mai Mahiu, Naruku County (north of Kajiado County). And, at about this time last year, heavy rains during the rainy season caused similar environmental challenges.

For Water is Life Kenya (WILK) specifically, work is on hold. We can’t complete the borehole installation in Lositeti until the rains stop. Because our Livestock as a Business (LAB) and Hope for Widows programs meet outdoors, we have to wait for the weather to clear before we can train more people. Basically, everything is on pause while the rain falls.

When It Rains, It Pours

The floods are a problem now, and they’ll cause additional problems in the future. Land degradation is the most dangerous result: fertile soil washes away in the floodwaters and, when the rain finally stops, the land creates huge cracks and ravines get bigger. Flooding, then, will exacerbate desertification as much as drought.

Animals, too, suffer from changing soil conditions. Our friend Michael Lankoi, who told us about Lositeti’s need for a borehole, lost all of his cows when he was in search of water. They tried to drink from a difficult-to-access ravine after the sediment moved because of last year’s floods. Unfortunately, they couldn’t climb back up out of the ravine, which is where they died.

Nutrients crucial to crop cultivation are also lost, and pollutants settle in the ground. The remaining water from the floods often carries disease, which affects crops, people, and animals. So not only is the potential for food insecurity an issue, the overall health of the region is compromised.

What We Can Do

There’s no way to control the weather, and climate change is causing weather patterns to shift drastically. What we can do, however, is continue to support our communities in Kajiado County. The main way for us to accomplish this is to provide clean, reliable sources of water that both people and animals can use.

It may seem contradictory to talk about water when there’s so much rain falling. But remember that Kajiado County suffered for three years under severe drought conditions. The rain is heavy now, but it won’t last. And when the water dries up, we have to be prepared for the potential of another long drought.

We’ve learned to adapt to unpredictable weather by preparing communities as much as possible. We hope that, with the addition of training our Grazing Management Committees, we’ll find a way to help our friends weather the storm.

The post What Happens When the Rain Won’t Stop Falling appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

Some of our donors have read McCrummen’s article and wondered how we felt about it. Here, we’re going to talk about the article, the potential impact of having more Maasai in Kenya, and how our values align with those held by Maasai.

“No cows, no life”

Stephanie McCrummen’s article “The Great Serengeti Land Grab” categorizes the systematic removal of Tanzanian Maasai from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Much of the article focuses on Songoyo, a Maasai who once was a prominent herder with 75 cows and land to support their grazing.

McCrummen met Songoyo after his cows and land had already been seized. He’d grown up in the traditional Maasai lifestyle and, as such, valued cattle above all else: “No cows, no life.” But in June 2022, Tanzanian security forces called a “routine ruling-party meeting” then arrested 27 Maasai leaders. Soldiers and police surrounded the boma and, after one Maasai warrior shot an arrow and killed a police officer, security forces fired at the Maasai. The land has now been developed into the Pololeti Game Reserve for the Dubai royal family.

Land grabs like this aren’t new in Tanzania. Maasai used to live in what is now Serengeti National Park—until they were pushed out in 1959 and relocated to Ngorongoro. Then, in 2022, the United Arab Emirates made a $7.5 billion deal with the Tanzanian government to promote “tourism and conservation.” But large-game trophy hunting by UAE royalty in helicopters with semiautomatic weapons takes place instead. Also, UAE Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook al-Maktoum owns 8% of forested land in Tanzania; he sells “carbon credits” to companies that want to show a reduced carbon footprint.

Songoyo now herds sheep to sell in Kenya, walking 130 miles a week. His goal is to buy a cow and start his life over, but he earns only about $10 every week. Half of that is used to feed his family. He owes a debt for five sheep that a hyena killed en route to Kilgoris, Kenya. A cow costs around $200. But he refuses to give up, even though he’s lost weight and has 14 children to feed.

Impact on Kenyan Maasai

The Tanzanian government is vastly different from the Kenyan government. While changing land laws in Kenya also caused a land grab, Kenyan culture encourages tribes, like Maasai, to practice their traditions. Tanzanians, however, have been all but forced to drop their tribal customs to promote a unified Tanzanian identity. Swahili is the country’s official language and, while other languages like Maa are not illegal, they’re prohibited in education and discouraged at political gatherings.

Tanzanian Maasai, then, who have been forced out of Ngorongoro are heading to areas over the border. This includes Kajaido County, where it’s possible to find land for their cattle to graze on. But, as McCrummen points out, there are other difficulties to overcome. They have to dodge wild animals as they search for grazing ground. Also, some Kenyans, who already don’t have enough grass, chase Tanzanian Maasai off their property.

Add in the detrimental effects of climate change, and Maasai—both Kenyan and Tanzanian—must compete with wildlife (elephants, wildebeests, and other large game animals) for already-strapped resources. And, considering the devastation caused by the three-year-long drought, more people and cows will put additional pressure on land in Kenya.

Our Values at WILK

We at Water is Life Kenya (WILK) have tremendous respect for Maasai, their traditions, and their lifestyle. As McCrummen noted, some Maasai go on to higher education or choose professions that are neither pastoral nor agrarian. But for the most part, Maasai are proud of their culture and many want to continue to practice it as they have for hundreds of years.

We at WILK have worked with Maasai herders and farmers for 17 years. We listen to their needs and respond by offering programs that have been adapted to their culture. Although we offer new ideas and techniques, we do not insist that Maasai change what they do to earn a living. Rather, we work together so that they don’t have to give up their traditional lifestyle.

While we’re distressed by McCrummen’s report, we’re hopeful that Kenyan Maasai will not have to face the same treatment from the Kenyan government. We regularly help Maasai apply for permits and applications, which allow us to build deep borehole wells and organize our Livestock as a Business (LAB) groups. We also helped Maasai widows secure their land plots after the revised Land Act by filling out paperwork and paying fees they couldn’t afford. Overall, there’s more to gain from supporting Maasai than from suppressing them.

The post From Home to Homeless: Displaced Maasai in Crisis appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

“Magis” at Work

On March 22, Water is Life Kenya (WILK) celebrated World Water Day by participating in a water walk hosted by St. Joseph’s University and its Beautiful Social Research Collaborative (B:Social). The walk, called “Magis for Maji,” combines the SJU motto of “magis” (live greater) with the Swahili word “maji” (water).

Students who participated in the walk paid a $15 admission fee and, in return, received a handmade Kenyan bracelet featuring SJU colors. The walk raised over $1,000.00, and all of the money will be used for WILK’s projects in Kenya.

Dr. Cheryl McConnell, SJU’s president, also walked with us. She talked about how such an event supported the university’s mission:

The St. Joe’s community understands that it’s more than words, that actions matter. And this is an example of a student organization and a program and a major putting words into action. And I want to support that.

https://www.sjuhawknews.com/sju-magis-for-maji-walk/

B:Social, B:Giving

B:Social teams up with nonprofit organizations and makes a semester-long project plan for groups of students to work on. Since last year, WILK has worked with the B:Social group. This semester, B:Social organized “Magis for Maji” and sold bracelets in advance to help raise money for the event.

B:Social is part of the Communication and Media Studies department at SJU. Dr. Aimée Knight, who started B:Social 14 years ago, leads the students in this group. Kiera Donohue, SJU student and B:Social participant, helped plan the walk in which more than three dozen students participated:

We’re trying to raise awareness through the Saint Joe’s community… and then send the proceeds back to Kenya to benefit that community.

https://www.beautifulsocial.org/blog/4acw2af0yc1sme3h8bqqj7goaqex63

Together, We Can Do “Magis”

We had a great experience working with SJU and the B:Social students, and we look forward to continuing this partnership. These valuable connections, through SJU and other local schools, help us show others how much our Maasai friends need our help.

You, too, can be a WILK partner! If you’d like to volunteer, start a partnership, or schedule a talk, you can contact us for more information. We love sharing our message and our work with others!

The post Magis for Maji: SJU Students Supporting Kenyans appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

Meet Koyiaso

Koyiaso is from Oltome village in Amboseli. She is an active woman of 45 and has four children. She lost her husband four years ago and joined WILK’s Hope for Widows Pilot program in July 2022. Whenever you see Koyiaso, she is carrying on her back a big load of textiles and clothing which she sells from village to village. From the profit she earns through her business, she buys food and pays school fees for her family. Koyiaso has also saved enough money to make improvements to her home. She recently built a fence to protect her family from lions and even piped water from the nearby borehole to her house.

Koyiaso said, “Before I joined WILK’s Hope for Widows program, I was shy. I felt hopeless. Now I have ideas and can talk in front of people. I am able to make a profit and manage my business. I have enough knowledge so that my business won’t collapse when I have big expenses like school fees. I am known as a business lady, where before people would avoid me because I had nothing.”

Koyiaso has blossomed as she built her business with the grant she received from WILK. When she talks about how grateful she is for the chance to change her life, she cries. She had a hard time since losing her husband and didn’t see how her situation could improve. But now, hope is alive!

Empowering Widows through Business Skills

In the Hope for Widows program, we train women in business skills, self-empowerment, women and family health, and their rights as widows. After training, we award a cash grant of $150 to start their small businesses and three goats to start their herds. Based on our 2022-23 pilot program results, we found that a one-time donation of $800 means a woman receives $2,400 in benefits through increases in four key financial indicators: income, assets, savings, and business inventory.

1. Increase in Income – Women went from an average of $50 per month to $200 per month. This means $1,800 more per year for these women and their children.
2. Increase in Savings – Most women began with $0 in savings. Now they are saving $50 per woman in 6 months. This is growth of $100 per year.
3. Increase in Assets – After receiving goats, their livestock assets have grown from an average of 2 goats per woman (worth $120) to 6 goats per woman (worth $360).
4. Consistent Inventory – With this new financial discipline, women can maintain inventory, run their small businesses consistently, and keep their customers coming back.

Additional Benefit: Improved Household Nutrition

In addition, we have seen significant improvement in household nutrition. Before the program, women were eating two meals a day, one of which was only a cup of tea. But by July 2023, they were eating two meals a day with real food, like vegetables and ugali, rice and beans, corn and beans, or porridge with milk, along with a cup of tea for breakfast. Now they are strong, healthy, and energetic. And when we asked how their quality of life had changed, the women told us that their confidence, hopefulness, feeling of belonging, and belief in their ability to “handle things” had increased.

They Could Use Your Help

So many more women need the training and grants, especially due to the inflation of staple food
costs, a weak Kenyan currency, and drought causing poor harvests. Widow-led families feel the pressure even more than others. Providing skills and seed money will boost these women and build resilience so they can thrive in an uncertain environment.

Your gift of $150 will provide money for a widow to start her business; $460 will fund one year of training; $800 will support a widow in her first year of the Hope for Widows Program, including the grant, goats, and training.

Together, we can do even more. Any amount you give will be put towards our work of Helping Kenyans Bloom. Thanks to you, widows in Kenya can care for themselves and their families with dignity and hope.

The post Hope for Widows Spotlight: One Woman’s Journey as a Businesswoman appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

Training Highlight 1: Leadership & Ground Dynamics

The new LAB groups this year are from Kitirua, Esiteti, and Kelunyet. We train groups rather than individuals because by working together as a team they are more likely to be successful. Some of our first training sessions this summer taught participants about group dynamics and leadership roles. As you may remember from your time in school, perhaps the best way to learn–and remember–key lessons is through interactive demonstrations.

One example of a training activity is moving a full glass of water on a blanket as a group. Each person holds a corner of the blanket with the glass in the middle, then they have to move. The goal is to keep the glass upright, symbolically showing how members of the group need to work together—or else the water falls over.

We also teach using examples that Maasai are familiar with. This way, they can more easily connect the lessons with their businesses. In one training session, we use animal metaphors to identify group member personalities to decide what job each person should have, and which personalities to be cautious about. For example, someone who has the traits of a giraffe—with a vision for the future—would be a good leader. On the other hand, someone with the traits of a snake—quietly scheming for his or her own gain—needs to be watched closely.

Training Highlight 2: Livestock Disease Practical

Another key element of our LAB trainings is to identify previous business problems so that they can be corrected. Some participants have kept livestock before, while others are looking forward to owning their first animals. Either way, Maasai herders tend to manage livestock like their neighbors, even if those neighbors are practicing bad business techniques.

Our program teaches groups best-practice livestock management, disease prevention, control, and drought resilience. We instruct these farmers on livestock market surveys, timely buying and selling, budgeting and record-keeping, and grass conservation and management, all of which help increase profit margins. The goal of LAB is to help people have healthier herds, and more stable incomes, for the long run.

Recently, our new groups came together for the first time to participate in their Livestock Disease Practical. Participants learned valuable lessons as local veterinarians demonstrated how to care for, treat, and prevent illness in their livestock. Some members have used medicine before, but scarcely and often in ways not based in evidence.

This hands-on practical not only gave LAB members experience in administering medicine, but also empowered them with confidence to treat their animals from life-threatening diseases. By learning about common threats to their herds, farmers can be better prepared to identify warning signs of disease, prevent livestock casualties, and keep their animals vital. In turn, teaching LAB groups these skills offers the chance for better profit margins when it’s time to sell in the market.

Training Highlight 3: New Business Seminar

No matter where you are in the world, starting a small business is challenging. So, to cap off these critical training, we also hosted a three-day New Business Seminar in Oloitokitok. For many participants, this was their first traveling this far from home–and sleeping in a hotel!

Alongside local business experts, our team instructed LAB groups in keeping records, managing their herds, the best times to buy and sell, and navigating market days. Two of our LAB groups are women’s groups, and most of these women never attended the livestock market before. By practicing with a mock market, they got to practice bartering, speaking up for themselves, and having confident postures. All the lessons they learned these days will be practiced as they move forward with their groups.

After these training sessions, some people are already putting their lessons into practice. One woman named Nkameroi convinced her husband to sell two bulls in order to buy another breed. Likewise, Nailepu told her husband that her business was failing because of its location, so he’s building her a small shop. This direct application of their new skills shows how eager they are to learn as much as possible about making the most out of what they have.

Looking Ahead: Market Day for Old and New Groups

For LAB participants, these core trainings inform their decisions in the coming years. The LAB program lasts 4 years, with the bulk of new trainings occurring in year one. After that, it’s about practicing, learning from mistakes, and working as a group to turn a strong profit.

Currently, there are six LAB groups in years 2-4 of the program. There was a seventh group, but their area was hit especially hard by the drought, so they decided to opt out of the program this next year.

After trainings, the critical portion of the LAB program are the livestock loans we give to groups. With cash in hand, we send these groups into the livestock market to buy animals when the time is right. The ideal market day–right before the seasonal rains–is approaching soon. With their new knowledge, the groups make reliable profits after this initial purchase. The money made by each group is also saved or reinvested so that groups eventually will no longer need the loans. This, in turn, promotes further community development because overall more money is in circulation.

We’re excited to watch as old and new LAB groups come together on market day and put their loans to good use. Soon, they will join the over 650 LAB graduates who’ve already changed their farming practices with this model. We can’t wait to see what they can accomplish, both together and on their own.

The post Livestock as a Business: Fall 2023 Update appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

We decided that bringing our organizations together would make our partnership even more beneficial. Through this new model, both WILK and WILK-TEC can work more effectively as they establish more rainwater harvesting projects. Now, as we join forces, we can continue to Kenyans bloom through love and water.

A portion of the rainwater harvesting system and water storage at Imurtot.

A Partnership Years in the Making

Kim Teoli, who worked with WILK under EWB, is enthusiastic about the collaboration.

“WILK’s passion for their work has spread to our engineering team, and at this point, I can’t imagine partnering with anyone else. I’m excited to join the WILK team, and I know that we’ll be able to get even more done as one organization.”

Kim Teoli, Principal Contract Manager, Pepco Holdings

WILK-TEC’s mission is to leverage the expertise of dedicated professionals to design, develop, and implement sustainable water projects in Kenya. Committed to fostering positive transformation, they strive to improve access to clean water sources, enhance sanitation practices, and uplift local communities by combining technical innovation, cultural sensitivity, and collaborative partnerships.

Building on Past Success, Together

Throughout the years, this group of engineers has provided great technical expertise, and energetic, fun, willing, and enthusiastic volunteers from many engineering disciplines. They designed a replicable rainwater system at Imurtot that will be implemented at other sites, providing clean water for students to improve their education and well-being.

In 2016, EWB visited Imurtot to determine how to construct a robust, reliable water storage system, a project they completed in 2020. Earlier this year, EWB had the chance to revisit Imurtot to complete repairs and scout new locations to implement their rainwater system.

Successful partnerships bring out the best in the parties, maximize strengths, and help us reach our shared goals. This has surely been the case with this gracious team of engineers. Join us in welcoming WILK-TEC to the WILK family!

The engineering team working to install gutters at Imurtot. When we say they’re experts, we mean it!

Supporting WILK-TEC

You can support WILK-TEC directly by visiting their giving page here.

WILK-TEC is always looking for new members and volunteers. They are not just an engineering organization–there are plenty of opportunities for non-engineering experience, such as health, education, graphic design, language, business, and many other backgrounds. WILK-TEC also has plenty of opportunities to support both local and international communities.

To get involved, email the team at wilktec@waterislifekenya.org.

The post Partnership Spotlight: WILK-TEC appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

Why Goats & Grants?

You may be asking: Why goats and grants…again?

Last November, the first round of Hope for Widows participants had their Goats & Grants ceremony. Since then, they’ve been running their businesses, saving money, and reliably providing for their families.

The goats (two females and one male) are long-term investments for the widows. These women need to build capital and livestock is still a good investment in the region. Having a built-in savings account that compounds over time—especially as they have babies!—is a key component of increasing capacity.

The grants are short-term cash infusions to help jumpstart the widows’ small business ventures. With these grants, they are able to buy what’s necessary to stock their shops, as well as any raw materials needed for production.

Giving, and Giving Back

At this ceremony, a total of 32 women, 15 from Ogulului and 17 from Amboseli, completed the Hope for Widows training over the summer. Sessions primarily covered business strategies to help the women learn how to build savings and how much to invest into what they’ll be selling. There will also be a training session in the future dedicated to women’s health issues.

Each widow received a grant of $150 (about 20,000 Kenyan shillings) and three goats (two female, one male). The money is to be invested in their businesses, so they have 10 days to make a supplies list and purchase what they need. The goats are additional collateral that give the women a source of savings.

Here’s an example of what was purchased with the grant:

Two Groups, One Heart

Now, where do the baby goats come in?

Some of the goats distributed in November did what goats do—and had babies. With grateful hearts, the widows who own these goats decided to “pay it forward.”

Each widow with multiple babies gave one baby goat to a woman in need. There were plenty of smiles, tears, and happy dancing when the handovers happened. For us, seeing this level of reciprocity is a dream come true.

At the ceremony, women distinguished themselves by the length of their participation in the Hope for Widows program. Those who completed their training last year wore blue shukas while new participants wore orange. Women from the pilot group also gave baby goats to friends who needed a boost of help. Overall, the ceremony became a celebration of the hard work all these women have done so far.

Past Success Leads to a Future With Hope

Speaking of hard work, Group 1 of the Hope for Widows participants is nearing the end of its first year. We recently traveled to Amboseli and the Kilimanjaro Highlands to check in with these groups. While surveying their experience thus far, we asked about the most impactful skills they’ve learned. Two answers were repeated: making a profit and becoming self-reliant. 

Despite the long drought that’s been plaguing Kenya, these women managed to make enough money to cover their expenses, and then some. Last year, the widows would often skip meals to make sure their kids ate. Now, they’re eating every day. They received their second grant earlier in August and, with their experience, they know how to put it to the best use possible.

The post Goats and Grants, Round 2 appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

Sharing Our Loss

Dorcas Mutero went where few of her peers went. She came to the U.S. with WILK co-founder Joseph Larasha in 2018 to give a TED Talk called Education Has No Age. She was part of our LAB program with her group, Imisigiyio Women’s Livestock Keepers. In 2021, Dorcas went to Dubai to represent Kenyan Maasai beadwork at an international exhibition. Together with Gitu Barua and students from the University of Delaware, she worked on a fundraising project to get reusable sanitary towels for girls. She was a courageous, determined woman.

The 2.5-year drought put an extraordinary burden on her, and when she came to Imurtot this past January she wasn’t feeling well. As usual, her concern was for her children. Having lost all their cows in the drought, she wondered how she would get her daughter to high school. We found a sponsor for her daughter, and she was relieved.

Still, her suffering intensified. Her illness weakened her and, finally, it was too much. She died on April 17. May she rest in peace, and may her family and all those who love her receive comfort. We will always miss her and remember her extraordinary love, determination, and courage.

Mission Partner Spotlight: Wayne Presbyterian Church

Wayne Presbyterian Church in Wayne, PA, has supported us as their mission partner, contributing more than $30,000 to WILK projects over the past 7 years. On May 7th, WILK, hosted by David Webster, visited this dynamic congregation to update them on how their support is bringing clean water and a better life to communities in Kenya, like Empalakai and the Ilkisonko Boys High School students, faculty, and neighbors. Church members bought Mother’s Day gifts and other goodies at our beaded handicrafts table and donated cows and goats to needy families through our “Restock and Restore” Campaign. It’s always great saying hello to our faithful friends at Wayne Pres.

We love all of our mission partners and are currently seeking partnership opportunities with more churches and groups. To learn more about our mission partner program, opportunities, and offerings, or to inquire about working together, visit waterislifekenya.org/mission.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Every year, our donors inspire us to reach new heights. Our new legacy societies seek to offer distinct acknowledgment to our most special donors. To learn more, visit our website here.

The post Staying Connected: WILK’s Newsletter Summary appeared first on Water is Life Kenya.

To keep you in the know, we’ve compiled highlights from our WILK Wednesdays for you here. We hope you enjoy this brief review of how you and our generous community of donors have been helping Kenyans bloom this year.

Working With Our Partners

In January, we hosted Engineers Without Borders – Delaware Professional Chapter, an amazing group of engineers who volunteer their vacation time to complete service projects in Kenya. This time, they worked at Imurtot Primary School in Loitokitok to repair the rainwater catchment system they installed in 2020. They also scouted for areas where they can provide water collection assistance in the future. We look forward to EWB’s next project!

We also partnered with the Lions Club, which has connected us to many selfless people. On February 9, we visited the United Nations campus in Nairobi for the annual Lions Day at the UN event. Speakers including Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua discussed the importance of tackling the global climate crisis. The persistence of lengthy droughts, including the 2.5-year-long drought that communities in Kajiado County dealt with, has negatively affected the Kenyan economy. The Lions stand in solidarity with local NGOs, as climate change has brought problems to much of East Africa and around the world.

In happier news, our friend Paul of the Pike Creek Green Hills Lions Club made a donation for the Nooriro Community Borehole, drilled just after Lions Day. In fact, Paul was with us when, at 150 meters, we hit water! The mission for each Lions Club is to serve others, and our friends from Pike Creek went above and beyond that calling to help the people in Nooriro get that much closer to having clean water available to them.

Borehole Projects in Progress

Not only did we begin a new borehole project in Nooriro, we also celebrated the Opening Ceremony for the Empalakai borehole in Rombo, Kajiado. Sakimba Parashina, a member of the Kenyan Parliament, was there for the ceremony. Also present was the choir from St. Francis Church in Karen, Nairobi—where Joyce sings. They celebrated with great gusto, singing hymns and bringing food to the women of Empalakai. The event also was featured on CitizenTV, the local Kenyan news station. With clean water now available, residents can come back to Empalakai and take advantage of their new local water source. A video of this event is available on Water is Life Kenya’s YouTube page.

We also installed a water pump for the borehole at Ilkisonko Boys High School which was drilled last year. This pump was purchased through the generosity of our Giving Tuesday donors, who helped us raise $15,000 in a single day. Many Maasai men have attended and graduated from Ilkisonko, and the school’s reputation has improved due to its strong, dedicated teachers. Now the borehole is not only benefiting the Ilkisonko students at staff, but also providing clean water to the surrounding community.

This month, construction at Nooriro has begun. Our contractor has been hard at work to lay the foundation for the water tank, pump house, pipelines, and latrines. Local people are benefitting from the work, too, as they’re hired and paid fairly as day laborers. The community is delighted to be building this well together!

Hope for Widows

It’s been a year since we implemented our Hope for Widows Pilot Program. Based on the results we’ve complied, we’ve learned so much about what we can do to help women who otherwise would have to beg for food and money to support their children.

After 7 training sessions, in November these widows were each were given $200 and three goats at the Goats and Grants Ceremony. Then they started their businesses in December, and we’ve been monitoring their progress to determine how we can make the program more effective in the future. Even during the worst part of the drought, 50-60% of the women used their new skills to both save money for food and school fees as well as invest more into their business. What a victory!

Recent Events

We’ve been all over the tristate area to spread the word about WILK! In March, we participated in the Faith Filled Women Conference in Salisbury, MD, bringing news—and beads!—to women from different churches in the area. We also took part in Dansko Ladies Night in West Grove, PA. It was fun to spend time with our friends at Dansko again and connect with the other community vendors that were there.

In April, we partnered with CoroAllegro for three nights of music and culture in their Around the World in 80 Minutes concerts. Our very own Joyce Tannian collaborated with the group and brought some Kenyan music to Newark and Wilmington. We also overcame the rain while under tents at University of Delaware’s AG Day event. Students, parents, professors, and Newark community members stopped by to learn more about how they can support our Maasai friends in Kenya, and hundreds of people walked away with beautiful Beaded Handicrafts. What’s better than spreading joy and hope on a rainy day? 

We also hosted our 7^th Thirst Reverse event in Newark, DE, as well as our 1^st in Ardmore, PA. Both events were at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant locations. Thanks to their generosity—and the generosity of all our esteemed, Kenyan-Quench-drinking guests—we were able to raise funds to reboot our Livestock as a Business (LAB) program. Many people were excited to donate cows and goats to our Kenyan friends! We hope to take this event on the road again, branching out to new areas to reach even more people who would like to eat, grab a beer, and learn about our life-changing work.

Past and Present Special Campaigns

Last but not least, we’ve promoted several campaigns to help our Maasai friends deal with the drought that’s only recently let up. In September, October, and November, we brought food staples to both schools and families throughout Kajiado County. Then again in February, with the drought still in effect, we delivered more food to schools whose students were starving. In all, you, our donors, contributed $45,000 in food relief during the worst part of the drought.

During our time in Kenya, we saw just how many people, and especially women, suffered because of the drought. It impacted their ability to purchase food, pay school fees, and, in general, care for their families. So many children came to us for help because they just wanted to go back to school. We started our sponsorship program, Special Faces, Special Cases, to help support those who needed money for their school fees. We hope to sponsor as many children as we can so that they’ll get the education they want so much.

That brings us to the present! We hope you’ve enjoyed our summary of events and operations from the year so far. Please consider signing up for our bi-monthly WILK Wednesday newsletter at our new website so you can follow along in real time. And, as always, thank you for your continued support over the last fifteen years. None of this work would be possible without dedicated supporters like you.

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