Last week we kicked off our first ever “Livestock as a Business” Workshop. We invited a small group of community opinion leaders from Olgulului, Meshenani, Enkong’u Narok and Ilmarba, to come to our 3-day workshop. We invited experts from the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Livestock to teach on the subjects of improved livestock breeds, diversification of types of animals, disease prevention and treatment, drought mitigation, pasture management and haymaking, marketing techniques and value addition.

Mr Mullei, Ministry of Livestock Officer, standing by to record the workshop participants’ action plan.

Admiring the breeds of cows at Kima Ranch

Workshop Participants listening to the overseer of Kima Ranch.

We also arranged for the whole group to visit a commercial ranch, called Kima Ranch, where they could see many of the things taught being put into practice, including cross breeding, hay and silage making, and artificial insemination to improve the stock. Our strategy, our hope, was that this would become the core group of teachers who would then take the information they learned and teach people at workshops in their home communities.

Jacob Ole Saei amazed by the amount of hay Kima Ranch keeps.

This workshop came as a response to the drought crisis of the past 2 and a half years. During the Kenyan drought of 2008-2010 pastoralist families lost 80-90% of their livestock. In the Maasai community, people keep livestock, but usually it’s culture, not business, and thus people do what they’ve been doing for years. In a serious drought, they migrate long distances in search of water and pasture when the grass close to home is gone, weakening the animals and exposing them to new diseases and climates along the way. The tragedy of the drought, the loss of assets to families, and the hunger and poverty that result, is so extreme because few people sell their animals when they’re sellable. Animals become walking skeletons, finally dropping dead when hunger, sickness and exhaustion become too much. One after another, carcass after carcass. If you have ever experienced it, if you’ve ever SMELLED it, you can never forget it. With the death of their livestock, men break under the pressure, some even dying of heartbreak, and families lose the only support they have.

Last year, during the peak of the drought’s devastation, WILK tried to mobilize help to the region by publicizing the severity of the drought, raising money to support school lunch feeding programs so at least children could have lunch at school. We also thought that what might help, when the situation improved, was teaching people how to handle their cattle as a business investment. This means keeping an eye on the value of their assets, their livestock, so that if they saw the weather situation was worsening, they could sell their animals and keep the cash to invest in something else, or bank the money to buy more cows when the drought ends.

As the organizers who came up with the idea of doing this workshop, we hoped to do something useful. At worst, the workshop participants would have an adventure, spend a few nights in a new place, eat meals cooked by someone else. But what we came up with was successful beyond our expectation.

One of the reasons the workshop struck gold is that it was small, lively and involving, with teachers who really knew their subjects and very interested participants. We designed a participatory workshop where everyone shared their current livestock rearing and marketing practices, as well as their losses during the drought. It was a valuable, if painful, exercise to have each person state their losses so that the reality of the situation would be evident to all. We calculated the combined value of lost livestock of our small group of participants and it was more than $150,000! The tragedy is that some of the loss is preventable. Keeping fewer, better animals, storing food for hard times, knowing how to prevent and treat diseases, these are concrete actions that can make a difference. A change in attitude and behavior can have dramatic results in preventing such losses in the future. People really recognized that. Hopefully, the workshops will be a great catalyst for change.

Group 3 working on their assignment.

Nelson Tinayo, giving Group 3’s recommendations of how to teach the community.

We administered questionnaires to the participants and found that no person, except one, had ever been to a workshop on livestock before, including the government appointed senior chiefs. Imagine all the money spent on food relief during a drought, but so few resources go to teaching about preventative measures to take before the drought hits!

When the groups returned to their homes, they immediately told all their neighbors what a great workshop it was and how much they’d learned. Those who weren’t part of it complained, “why weren’t we invited? We needed to be there”. Livestock is life in Maasailand. It has been the center of culture and life for centuries, but the way of life is under extreme pressure with severe droughts in the last 5 years and other political factors, like land subdivision, at play. Community members were happy to hear that there will be follow up workshops so that they can all have access to the knowledge which can help them. We will then support the formation of small groups who will target one or two activities they want to try: buying improved breeds, making hay or silage, pasture management, buying new kinds of livestock like chicken, camels or fish farming.

Workshop Participants looking at the fishpond where tilapia will be raised. One of the participants said he will be the first to start this at his home.

Jacob, one of the workshop participants, called to tell me that he had just bought his first camel. He is ready to lead the change, so his neighbors can see his example. At the workshop people learned that camels do well during drought, they keep producing milk and their market value doesn’t drop. People who had camels still had camels after the drought was over, while their neighbors suffered heavy losses. It pays to diversify! The teachers said, if what you love is cows, keep camels for business, then use the cash from selling them to buy a few good cows.

We know that, through hard work and inspiration, we did something good. Everyone is hungry for this information. During our visit to Kima Ranch, several people came up to me and said, “we’ve never seen anything like this, thanks for showing us, we really need to improve our way of keeping animals”. Our work was bearing fruit beyond our dreams. Now we will continue to teach and implement and support people in putting into practice what they’ve learned. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing more people with improved breeds, more people storing food for their animals, more diversity in types of livestock they keep. These things will become the way of life that allows them to successfully overcome future droughts and other challenges.

Each Participant received a certificate.

Written by Joyce Tannian

www.kenyawaterislife.com

Ilmarba Primary School – Rainwater Harvesting Project, Completed February, 2010

WILK paid for supplies and a contractor to set up water storage tanks, gutters and downspouts to collect the rainwater on 2 large classroom buildings at Ilmarba Primary School. Water is now being collected from the rains and is being used by over 300 students and teachers at the school. Rainwater is free and, until WILK’s project, unused! The school has over 100 boarders and 8 teachers living on site, who need a lot of water because they eat all their meals, wash themselves and their clothes at the school. This is a big water burden on the school. There is a community borehole but it is not so close to the school. The area is full of wild animals like lions, elephant, zebras, gazelles so it’s not always safe. Now, with water in tanks on the school grounds, it is easier, faster and safer. It also reduces the burden on the borehole and the amount of money spent on diesel.

I know I’ve already shared this with some of you, but it’s worth sharing again. I can’t tell you how much my heart filled the other day at the community meeting when the people of Imisigio told me about their borehole. Last October, in what were, thank God, the last months of a hideous and devastating drought, Imisigio people used the borehole water to do bucket irrigation to start their tomato plants. At the end of November the rains came to add to their efforts, and now, those who had used the borehole water succeeded in reaping a great harvest. If you look at the faces of those people now, you see joy and success and hope. What a huge contrast to the desperation and hopelessness of September!

This is what our work has accomplished.

With gratitude to you all!
Joyce

I just wanted to share some REALLY GOOD NEWS with everyone.

At our meeting in Imisigio (first borehole site) on Wednesday, April 14, we asked how things were going at the borehole. Several people reported that last October, at the tail end of the hideous drought with no rain in sight, people carried water from the borehole to their fields and used it to plant tomatoes. They have gotten great harvests and are recovering from their losses of the last years of drought! They are really happy AND are very enthusiastic for using the water at the borehole site to do irrigation.

If we had tried to start the irrigation project before they had had their own success, it would have been much tougher to begin! They also talked about buying a mill to grind their maize into flour – the staple here is ugali – heavy cornmeal polenta – and the maize is high in the fields right now. Really gorgeous and tall and green in every direction you look.

They are really excited to have a visit from the local agricultural officer who will help with the project so they can learn about irrigation techniques. The community plans to start clearing the land next week. I have already met with the Ag officers in Loitokitok and we are scheduling their visit.

Everything we have been working toward, all the work that we all do – this success in Imisigio is the result – real life changes, real improvements, real development.

Thanks to all of you!!!

Joyce

Here is an article about WILK in an interview of me written by Mary Welch, writer for Womenetics, an online women’s magazine.  She sent me a list of questions which I answered for her in this article.  The interview was arranged by Monica Tannian.  She met Mary Welch in Atlanta and, in Monica’s inimitable way, she made sure it happened.

We put the link to the article on our website (here and on our News page).

Love,

Joyce

You were there…all of you who have cared to support Water Is Life – Kenya. You were with us this past August at the Imisigyio Well site for the dedication and celebration for the fresh water this well brings to thousands of people everyday.

We drove for hours through the semi arid, dusty, parched earth savannas across Amboseli National Park. We passed elephant, hyena, giraffe, zebra, up terrain that seemed impossible to travel on even for our 12 seat Toyota Land Cruiser. Except for us there were no people in site.

Up we drove across crevassed trails carved deep into the earth by empty riverbanks where rains haven’t fallen in what seemed an eternity. We asked how could people live in such a difficult environment?

Up still steeper our land cruiser climbed only minutes from Imisigyio. We were greeted by another jeep full of Maasai going to the celebration whose axel broke from the rough terrain. We all got out and walked as the drivers worked to pull the jeep the rest of the way into the village of Imisigyio.

As we hiked through the scrub brush and inches deep chalky, trails we were greeted by the voices of hundreds, of Maasai women and children running toward us to welcome us singing, smiling, waving.
Again, you too were there with us.

Up ahead colored cloth made up a makeshift quillwork Thank-You tent and stage. It was dressed for the celebration with all these dear people had, all to say “Thank you”.

We were greeted with speeches Praising God and Thanking all of us who gave to put this well, pump, pump house and tank system in place. Seven choirs came from each of the churches with voices lifted up thanking God for the kindness of the Imisigyio well! They sang songs including one called, “Water Is Life”. Children danced and smiled and giggled, thanking us all from Water Is Life for Joyce and for all the work we did together. It was truly one of the most beautiful, honest, human expressions of thanks I have ever witnessed!

They fed us, again sharing all they had. From so little, they gave so much! Ugali a sort of oatmeal like dish made from crushed corn and goat and crates of warm coke… it was delicious as it was full of love and thanksgiving!

Because of the water the Imisigyio well brings life can go forward. Thousands of lives are forever changed for the better and in your name we were there to share this day. Thank you for continuing to touch the lives of so many!

Mark Manniso

Go to Kenya! To get a true sense of what Water is Life-Kenya and Joyce are doing you need to have been there. Mark Manniso and I did just that this past August.

Getting through Customs in Nairobi, we were greeted by Joyce and three Kenyan friends. Next, we drove south for 50 minutes to Kitengela where she lives. The first night Mark and I stayed in a little motel. Out front was a locked metal gate. A guard sat over the motel water tank all night. After breakfast we shopped in Kitengela for provisions to cover our four-day stay down at the Amboseli Camp. Crowds of people of all ages, dust, cows, goats, traffic of bikes, cars, big trucks and clutter filled the streets.

After driving south for 2 hours, we arrived in Namanga. Here our first of 3 blown tires was fixed. Roast goat was lunch. Then, off to Amboseli 3 hours away on rocky, dirt roads. Thousands of Maasai are in this region. The people live in “boma” (huts) inside low-slung “kraal”, shrub and tree circles that keep out major animals. There are no centers or villages, every now and then a school. The Maasai choose to live apart in remote areas across which they wander to feed their beloved cows and goats. This sprawling spatial area without paved roads and no electricity has always been semi-arid. Life and nature here creates costs and challenges for Joyce and the WILK mission.

At the Amboseli Park campsite we slept in tents. Baboons, lions, elephants, zebra, snakes, a full assortment of world-class wildlife, are your day/night nearby neighbors.
The young Maasai men, who manage the camp, cooked the food we brought. Streams of stars at night by the campfire. The Villanova people brought marshmallows to toast! From this base we bounced/crawled over to the Imisigyio well Ceremony. The Land Cruiser (4X4) ahead of us got hung up on the rocky road. We had our second flat tire. Access within this area is most difficult, even for safari vehicles! The Maasai walk or run many miles per week. The only way the big drilling rig could get to Imisigyio was around through Tanzania!

Meshenani lies roughly 14 miles north from our tent camp. The Villanova team met with the people there exploring concrete ways they could raise income and organize herd sizes to fit with vegetation and weather. Bernard Tulito is organizing the community into three groups. In the Villanaova plan each initiative taken, such as raising handcraft sales or building a curio shop, will be accompanied by performance measures.

For some time WILK has provided income to women who make beaded products. Joyce, Mark and I visited Jacinta’s home. She is the lady who organizes, designs and sells handcrafts. Sales in the US support these women along with water projects. Jacinta discussed new items, new colors and future products for Christmas and group sales. To broaden their income potential Joyce brought six women from Meshenani (4 hours one-way) to spend a week with Jacinta. They were delighted to get diplomas after learning to improve skills and make new products.

Back in the Nairobi region we met with Mark Meassick, a US AID program officer. He said finances for programs like ours is limited by prior commitments fixed by Congress. His advice on many topics was most helpful. We also visited senior Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) officials. KWS manages large areas of land/water in the areas where WILK is working. Resources use conflicts between the Maasai are frequent. Over lunch we met Dr. Albert Mumma, professor of Water Law at the University of Nairobi. He agreed to work for us, starting with the legal papers to register WILK as an NGO in Kenya.

Aside from attending a concert where Joyce sang and a Sunday picnic in the Rift Valley, this was a run, run, run working-visit. We gained potentially important and direct contact with several officials and agencies; along with a realistic glimpse of the people and extensive area where Joyce brings assistance day after day. This direct contact makes clear that, together, our months of effort help many hundreds of needy people. Building relationships in one needy local area after another is the key.

Through the persistence of Joyce… and help from many people, like you, much more can and will be done.

Francis Tannian

EWB is a national organization which focuses on using the engineering expertise of its members to help design and implement projects for communities in developing countries. The 5 person team, consisting of Prof. Bridget Wadzuk, Grad. Assistant Gerrad Jones, Rachel Jones, J.P.Gunn and Rory Kotter arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday morning, Feb. 28th. We immediately ferried them off to Nairobi’s industrial area to look at pipes and that’s how it all began, finishing with their return to the airport one week later, tan, exposed to a new continent and new way of life, chapped lips from the dry, dry air, wind and dust, and bejeweled in their gifts of Maasai beadwork, hopefully ever more convinced of the urgency of bringing water to people.

We are lucky that 2 good sites were identified outside of the park boundary. In fact, both sites chosen by the Engineers without Borders team after our investigation, which included long discussions with the community, appear to have ample water to supply the community of Meshenani. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages and in the next month or two, EWB will do a design and a cost/benefit analysis for both sites. In our visit to the pipe manufacturer we found that the materials alone for a 12-16km piped water system will be $38,000. We told the community that if they decided they wanted this system that they should be prepared to contribute 20% of the projected cost (through sales of cows, fundraising) and also that they would be responsible for digging the pipeline – either to dig or to pay someone to dig. If we all decide to go ahead and we have the funding, EWB could begin the implementation in August, 2009.

Much love,

Joyce

At 2:17, JUNE 11th, 2008, the Meshenani Borehole was born.

Dear friends, you have to know what went into this to appreciate what came out. So do the urgent things, clear your desk, then take a few minutes to read our story.

We started out drilling at Meshenani on Thursday, June 5 th , with high expectations. The community all came out to the site to watch, pray, provide tea and meat, be on hand for everything. On the second day we expected we’d reach water bearing layers and invited the school children to come and watch. We bought sodas and sweets for the celebration. The school kids prepared songs to sing and signs to hold “Water is life – for people and animals”, “God Bless Joyce and Water is Life”. They waited patiently under the big acacia tree, occasionally getting up and roaring around, eventually getting used to the NOISE made by the drilling machine.

By the end of the day we’d reached 160 meters with no water and so we pushed our celebration plans to the next day. The drilling was going slowly. We were drilling through hard rock. The next morning we encountered more of the same – hard, homogenous rock. Mr. Mugucia, the man from the ministry of water, said, “Joyce this doesn’t look good because this layer just goes on and on, but let’s go to 200 meters and see if we get a change.” We went to 198 m – still the big white clouds of pulverized stone flying up into the air. The community gathered around the drill to pray fervently as the last drilling rod went into the ground. “Please give us something, God,” we all prayed. Then the ladies invited me to sit with them in the grove of trees where they were cooking, while we waited. We watched the white cloud. Nothing changed. We all knew. No water. I looked at the teary eyes and long faces. They gave me cup after cup of tea to console me, keeping the thermos at my feet, somebody watching if my cup was empty and then adding more when it got low. I knew it was a critical moment. They were all watching me to see how I would react, what I would do.

I sat there sipping, praying to keep my composure, to know what to do. I knew we couldn’t give up. We’d go to plan B. What plan B? We had been sure we were going to get water! My team members and I sat down with Mr. Mugucia and we planned. We got on the phone (thank God for cell phones) arranged for the survey team to come do another survey, got 2 days of grace from the drilling company to keep the machine on site while we determined if there was another good drilling site, and decided that we should celebrate anyway – because we were together, alive, and everybody did a great job. So we gathered everyone together, told them we weren’t giving up, reminded ourselves “God is here with us”, outlined our Plan B and got on with the party!

The next day, Sunday, we set off early morning with the geologists who had responded quickly to our plea for help, and arrived the night before from Kajiado. The new team examined the report of the other geologist who had recommended the original site, visited the site of the dry borehole. We did several soundings around the site of the salty, abandoned borehole, and planned to visit another site recommended by the other geologist. On the way to the second site, we passed an area where a dam had been built to take advantage of the runoff from the seasonal rains, where there were also several large tortillis acacia trees. Since these trees indicate good, long term underground water sources, we decided to stop and survey there. The 2 soundings we did there gave signs that there were several water-bearing strata. The geologist was confident that this was the best choice of the 3 sites we had at this point. This site would have good recharge from any seasonal rains and was farther from the salty environment of the lake bed. We marked it off and called the drillers to move their rig to the site to start drilling in the morning.

The bosses of the drilling company met with us that evening to debrief, renegotiate and move forward. We are lucky because they are good guys, hardworking, good-humored and want us to be happy and get water. You don’t always find this type of person in business in Kenya . They were even kind enough to give me a ride all the way to Kitengela so I could sleep in my bed, get clean clothes and do the necessary to pay for phase 2 of Meshenani.

The next day I traveled back to the site with the vehicle from the drilling company carrying diesel to the rig. To avoid the worst section of terrible, rocky, corrugated road that connects Namanga to Amboseli National Park , I led the driver the back way, through the villages of the scattered community of Olgulului on the dusty roads, past giraffes and gazelles, and migrating cattle. The driver said, “there’s no way I can find this way back on my own”. Sometimes I can’t believe I know my way around these parts, but this is almost home territory now!

We arrived in the afternoon to find the work going nicely. They were drilling through varied layers, some moist and sandy, some fractured rocks and around 50 meters some water, very salty, but water, nonetheless. According to Mr. Mugucia, these were promising signs. Tuesday gave us a little more water in the 80 meter range, then the drilling continued until the rock particles mixed with the moist sandy soils created a sort of cement that clogged the drill bit and the drilling rods. Before we could continue, the drillers had to pull all the pipes out of the ground and clean it out. They hoped that cleaning it out would free the hole from clogging materials, and, if more water was there, it could find a way out. But honestly, the yield was still small. At the close of work on Tuesday, the driller and Mr. Mugucia didn’t want to say it plain, but I could tell they both were losing hope.

From the start of our work in Meshenani, I had been giving reports of the day to my parents, sister, friends in Kenya , but on Tuesday night I didn’t want to talk on the phone to anyone, as if speaking a word of uncertainty would tip the balance toward another failure. I was trying to stay positive, but feeling despair at the door. How would I explain 2 dry boreholes? It’s not like buying a pair of shoes that don’t fit. A borehole is expensive, permanent, non-refundable, and when dry, useless.

In the quiet of that long night, I didn’t bargain with God. I reminded myself of the fact that He brought us so far, not to have us fail, but to get water for the people of Meshenani. They need it so badly and God promises to provide for us, like he provides the birds of the air, which don’t ever worry about anything. Plus, I knew how many people were praying for our success: my parents, my friends, church communities I’ve belonged to or visited, all you, you generous, faithful people who have supported this, the prayers of the whole community of Meshenani, the people from the first borehole in Imisigyio who knew we had to cancel a visit there to continue drilling a second site at Meshenani, and my friend James, who is paralyzed from the waist down, and can’t participate in many activities, but always wants the news when we pass through his village, who led his church on Sunday in a half hour of prayer for us.

On Wednesday, after the morning’s drilling, we stopped at 180 meters. Mr. Mugucia, the expert from the Ministry of Water who was supervising the work, had suggested we stop there since the geological survey indicated the end of the promising zone. The drilling boss, Jayeu and Mugucia pulled me aside to say they didn’t think there was enough water. Meanwhile, community members kept asking me, “isn’t it a lot of water?” I answered, “we don’t really know until we clean the hole, how much is there,” but feeling, especially remembering the volume of water at the borehole at Imisigyio, that it wasn’t enough at all. We broke for lunch, the drillers turned off the machine. I went off to eat, preparing myself for a meeting with the community to explain that the borehole yielded too little water to be worth installing the permanent casing (pipes) in.

I returned to the site after lunch to find the machine on again, not for cleaning the hole, as discussed, but to continue drilling! Mugucia explained that he had called the geologist who had done the sounding, who recommended continuing to drill to 200 – something was indicated by the soundings at that depth that could be water.

At 184 meters at 2:17 on Wednesday, June 11, water started pouring out of the hole. Not trickling, dribbling, oozing, but GUSHING, splashing all over everyone in proximity.

Joy. Relief. Gratitude. The end of hands on hips and furrowed brows. The community, the drillers’ team, I, Mr. Mugucia. We all knew. Finally. This was WATER. Enough water.

The men started digging a trench to divert the water to the dam nearby so livestock could come and drink. People came from all corners of the community to see. The celebration could go ahead this time. That evening as we sat together with the community to plan the next day’s celebration the feeling was exhausted joy.

Let’s talk about what this all means for the community. The location of the new borehole is ideal. It is close to the primary school, close to the dam, close to the road going into the park, close to the villages and the development area, and far away from the livestock grazing banks. That’s all great news. It’s close to where people are so the water won’t need to be moved far at a high cost to serve the people. It’s located in a good drainage area so the possibilities of recharge are good when the rains come. It’s as if God was saying with this site, “You people, not way over there…get closer to the people!”

This is the first stage, of course, but the vital one. We know now we have something to work with. The question now is exactly what kind of water and how much is there. The 24-hour test pumping this weekend will measure water volume and quality. Because of the geology of the area, there is salt in the water. We hope that after continuous pumping the salt level will reduce as the deposits are flushed out. This has been the trend at other boreholes. At this point the water is palatable to livestock, and that is a huge asset to this community, who take their animals into the swamp in the park to get water. That water is stagnant, full of liver flukes and other parasites, the combination of these nasties and the long walk seriously weaken livestock. Not to mention the human/livestock/wildlife interaction that can be dangerous to people and livestock, if you contact an unruly buffalo, or disturb elephants.

By having to drill twice, of we course we incurred a much higher cost for drilling than we expected. Instead of 1.26 million shillings ($20,000), it cost 2 million ($30,000). We can certainly use your contributions now, more than ever, so we can do the next stages – like purchasing the pump and generator without delay so that the well can be functioning as soon as possible. The drought is severe here since the seasonal rains were meager, and people have already started moving their livestock to other areas.

Visit the website www.kenyawaterislife.com

As I close this letter, let me say I hope each of you are doing well. I pray for blessings, health and happiness for each of you. I’d love to hear something…a joke, a word, a New York summer fun anecdote… from you! There were some weddings, babies and other fantastic life events going–ons, I know! How ‘bout some photos, guys?

Much love,

Joyce

My Dear People:

I really wanted to be there with you at the First Thirst Fund Raiser, especially to give you a warm welcome, but you were in the care of my magnanimous and effervescent partners, so I know you were well-loved and coddled, fed and attended to. Until the last second I was tempted to get a plane ticket and fly over there, but my mind kept telling me, that money you’ll spend on a plane ticket is enough to build a generator house for a deep well, so no matter how much you want to say hi in person and drink a fresh iron Hill Brewery Anvil Ale!

Why were you there – you’re were there because something grabbed you. Maybe it was the image of Mark coming after you and dragging you physically if you didn’t say yes? But for those of you who know what a marshmallow fluff heart he has under that tough guy exterior came because we all know what’s going on in the world, the way people struggle for the most basic things like water, food, medical care. We want to believe there’s a way to ease the burden. We want to be part of the solution. How can there be such a vast different in the way people are living? We live in the US, we know what’s possible, Electricity, water, schooling for everyone at bare minimum. But walking 28 km roundtrip in the hot sun for 40 liters of water? That’s what we can do something about. We must.

I visited Meshenani, a community on the edge of Amboseli National Park in Kenya and was with the women when they are arrived after their journey across the hot savannah to the water hole in the swamp. It was 11 am and they had started their walk with donkeys around 6:30 am. They rested, filled up, and turned around for the journey back, to arrive around 4, when they would start preparing food for their hungry kids. We have a mission. We are committed to helping people get a clean, reliable water source close to their homes.

Why don’t they move closer to the water, you ask? They lived closer to the water and were pushed away from it when the Kenyan government was forming Amboseli National Park, with the promise that water would be provided at their new home. A pump and pipe system was installed which delivered water for a time, but because of lack of maintenance and the breakdowns that come from neglect, it now provides water unreliably – maybe they;ll be water in pipes 3 or 4 days each month, and then’ it’s not enough that you could fill large storage tanks. Why doesn’t the government do what they promised, you ask. Good question! What we know is they haven’t and the community has been trying other solutions and praying. We can be the answer to their prayers.

We want to drill a deep well and pump that water up to the surface and fill a big tank and have the community manage this amazing resource into a hopefully much more comfortable future. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for opening your hearts and your wallets. Imagine the possibilities that can open up in someone’s life when they don’t have to struggle for everyday survival. They can eat, drink, go to school, keep clean, prevent diseases, run a small business with the time they no longer spend fetching water. They want choices. We all know how important having choices is.
They provide the freedom to live in a way where our human potential can be realized.

So I urge you in the days to come, as you eat and drink, pull these people in this place called Meshenani, Kenya, deep into your hearts and join us in imagining a better future for them. Your love, your donations can bring water, bring life to these people!

And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

May God Pour His Blessing To You,

Love, Joyce