Buy a Cow or a Goat for a Kenyan Family in Need

The funds raised through this campaign will aim to buy cows and goats for our 150 Livestock as a Business Group Members.

• Cow - $120 donation
• Goat - $60 donation

To date, here are the cows and goats donated by our community:

• Cows donated: 25
• Goats donated: 50

After 5 failed rainy seasons over a 3-year period, it's finally begun to rain in Kenya. While rain brings hope of a better future, it also brings uncertainty. The drought killed tens of thousands of livestock across the greater Amboseli ecosystem, leaving many families with almost no income. For the Maasai herders in this area, the process of drought recovery has only just begun.

Here's what's we know about the drought in Kenya and what our Water is Life Kenya community is doing about it.

1. The drought was devastating

This past drought was the worst regional drought in over 40 years. When rain doesn't fall, grass doesn't grow and livestock, the main source income for Maasai people, die. At the beginning of the drought, one of the communities we know had 60 cattle. Before the rain started in March, there were 2 remaining. We've heard this story over and over at our different project sites.

Because of devastating livestock losses, families now face:

• Dramatic losses in income and savings
• Kids not attending school because of expensive school fees
• Higher cost of goods from inflation and environmental stress
• Hunger, starvation, and malnourishment
• More waterborne illnesses from drinking "free" but dirty water
• Loss of hope as they watched their animals die

Skinny livestock drinking from a water trough at Empalakai, Water is Life Kenya's most recent project (March, 2023).

2. Initial rains don't guarantee recovery

Everyone in our work area is grateful for rain, but the initial rains can cause major problems when they hit land parched by drought. It's also uncertain how long the rain will last or if it will be enough.

Here's why the first rains after a drought pose challenges for livestock keepers and their environment:

• The weakest cattle die due to the drop in temperature following the rains
• Other cattle die from pasture bloat caused by eating too much green grass
• Not enough crops were planted as initial predictions showed no rain
• Soil erosion due to dead grass and dry land
• Flash flooding which sweeps away local infrastructure
• Ongoing financial burdens make it harder to buy new animals

Flash floods ripping through Taveta County, Kenya (March, 2023).

3. What this campaign will do:

Here's one thing we know for certain: our Livestock as a Business (LAB) groups, who we've been working with the past several years, fared better than their neighbors.

LAB is Water is Life Kenya's training and microloan program, which has been equipping Maasai livestock keepers with best-practice methodology for over 10 years. Applying their knowledge from our training sessions, our LAB groups were able to hold onto a few cattle while many others lost entire herds.

WILK currently has 13 active livestock farmer groups with approximately 175 total members. With the funds raised through this campaign, we will be able to buy cows and goats to distribute to these 175 members.

Here's why buying a cow or a goat through this campaign is an investment:

• LAB groups are well-trained with best practices for disease prevention, animal health, and drought resilience, so the cows and goats donated are likely to generate reliable income for families and even reproduce.
• LAB groups work together, sharing resources, knowledge, and information about the local environment. This "Team" approach strengthens the drought recovery process.
• LAB groups are leaders in their communities, so when they have strong herds they lift up others who are in need of help. Supporting LAB members with animals is strengthening the entire community.

A LAB member receiving a goat at Graduation Ceremony.

Our commitment

Water is Life Kenya has been serving the Maasai communities in Southern Kenya for over 15 years through clean water, sanitation, and hygiene projects, livestock management trainings, and support for the most vulnerable members of society. WILK believes in working together with existing customs and culture to help communities develop, build capacity, and be more prepared to face the changing world around them.

While we can’t control the rain or climate, we are committed to doing our best to help the Maasai in Kenya have better lives and opportunities.

To learn more about WILK and the communities we serve, visit https://waterislifekenya.org.