On the first card was the mechanical problem and the cost to fix it (for example – generator is on, but no water is pumping for $1000), on the second card was how much money they have on hand from their tariff collection (e.g. $200), and the third card stated where the technical help will be coming from (e.g. Nairobi, or some nearer place). They drew one of each and from this scenario they had to come up with the way to solve their problem.

They learned that repairing their vital water supply when it’s broken really slows down when they don’t have money on hand. They have to call emergency meeting of the water users to request a contribution from them. The situation can be very stressful and, meanwhile, there is no water.  All groups realized from the exercise how much easier it is to simply have emergency money put aside to pay for these inevitable breakdowns that come with all machines.

In the words of Daniel Kanchori, senior chief, Amboseli, and Namelok borehole committee member, “the training really expanded my leadership skills.”

We like to get feedback from those who attend our training sessions so we asked the participants to complete a questionnaire including recommendations to make the training more effective. We had many requests to add additional days to the training and to have them twice a year and to bring the lessons to the entire community. For me, three days of hearing leaders talk about the challenges they face revealed some areas that need attention, like encouraging regular meetings of the committees with their members to build trust and team spirit, instead of meeting only when emergencies occur.

Conducting training that stimulates crucial learning and teaches important skills has been key to WILK’s success in Kenya. Our commitment to education and sustainability is helping the Massai people thrive. Thank you for your support; our important work would is made possible by the friends of WILK!

A Unique Opportunity to Learn About the People you are Helping in Kenya

Thanks to your wonderful support of Water Is Life Kenya (WILK) tens of thousands of Maasai people in Southern Kenya have easy access to clean water. We work in partnership with the Maasai so understanding their culture and way of life is integral to our success over the past 13 years. To learn more about how we partner with the Maasai, please join Joyce Tannian, WILK Founder and Executive Director, on January 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time for an informative discussion about this beautiful relationship that you make possible. 

Register in advance  at for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lAEKEtQdSu65hz3bQ6Il6g

You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Our annual Livestock Loan Review Seminar for our Livestock as a Business 2019-2020 program took place on September 22-24, 2020. This is the culmination of our loan cycle and is a 3 day meeting where the Livestock Farmer Groups we have trained report on the $2000 Livestock loan they received from us last year. This year we have 10 groups who received the loan.

The big things we keep an eye on are the money transactions to ensure that the money is used for the intended purpose and reported accurately, and to make sure that the fattening season is going well. We provide support to minimize risks in case there are any challenges along the way, like drought, disease or group problems. This is one of the ways we make sure the loan is repaid.  It is a successful strategy. We have 99.7% loan repayment across all the years of the program.

The groups had the highest profit we have ever seen.  First, all repaid the loan. Then, we have 4 groups who made more than $2000 net profit (on a $2000 loan). Two groups  made between $1000 and $1999, and the remaining 4 groups each made between $500 and $999. These extraordinary results are a result of hard work by our groups and the good luck of a) good pasture b) corona virus causing some markets to be closed, so it was a sellers' market!

Click here to read the full report!

Dear Larasha:

You and your helpers have taken wonderful steps: by a large amount of your direct effort to help many PEOPLE in the Kimana and other markets.

One way of looking at this is...well, why not do this/ all people know this was a good
thing, to ask people to wash their hands and to tell them about the hidden danger of
the virus. 

But who among us did or will actually take steps to do good for his brothers and sisters?

What is and was needed is a community (WILK) of people to think, spend resources and
be on the ground with water and staff.

In my mind the actions you and Joyce took for the Game Scouts, and for the Big Land Use Conference last year and now for the Hand Washing are individual examples of Christian Charity in practice. 

In my technical field (economics)  they are examples of delivering "public goods". That means organizing people and ideas and then spending resources (time, money) to deliver services or products that are valuable for MANY individual people. That value has a collective benefit (blocking community not just individual disease) for which individuals are not able to pay individually but the direct benefits secures the health of many as well as for me or you.

The Game Scout service and the Amboseli Land Plans aimed to bring valuable community services which are also "public goods". One or two individuals stand to be better off...but more importantly the entire community for miles around can expect a better Maasai community benefit when wildlife and cattle (key dimensions of their group life) have better chances to prosper.

Here in the U.S. our challenge is to explain this creative capacity of WILK so we gain
financial support. In Kenya the challenge is to keep a staff who recognize how these costly  steps of improved water systems and improved livestock allow their communities to prosper.

Again, Larasha, God Bless you and the entire  WILK (Joyce) team for great service.

Water is Life Kenya provided critical training and hand washing stations for nearly ten thousand people at the Kimana and Rombo weekly open air markets in southern Kenya. COVID-19 is in Kenya and people from rural areas need the awareness training to know how to protect themselves and their families against the disease.

Maasai families rely on once weekly markets for selling livestock. They then use the cash to buy food for the week or the month. It also provides income for all the people selling vegetables, clothes utensils and all other life necessities.

WILK organized a team of 25 people to staff hand washing stations, refilling the water and soap and instructing people in proper hand washing practices, social distancing and mask -wearing. Local leaders directed people to wash hands and wear masks. Failure to wash or wear a mask meant exclusion from the market.

Thanks to all our hard-working team on the ground, led by Water is Life Kenya co-founder, Joseph Larasha.  We still need donations to continue to providing the training and hand washing stations. 

Radio Citizen Kenya (below) highlighted our work last week on the air in Swahili.

Press Release:

Water is Life Kenya (WILK) launches virtual fundraising campaign for their newest clean water project “Turn the Water on for Osewan!” The Osewan community has been on the WILK waiting list since 2014. The campaign’s goal for April is to raise $40,000 to help jump-start this project (total cost is $80,000).  Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the need to cancel in-person events, WILK is promoting and raising funds via social media with their fans and by weekly email blasts to their supporters. In addition to this, every Friday night at 7PM Eastern, Founder Joyce Tannian greets and updates her supporters on Facebook Live. To watch WILK Live show visit: https://www.facebook.com/WaterisLifeKenya Previous episodes can be found here.  

The live show begins with Joyce wearing and explaining a very colorful and traditional Kenyan outfit. She continues with updates on the pandemic in Southern Kenya, an informational segment called Wildlife Corner, and concludes with accepting additional questions. The show is twenty minutes long and is very educational.  

Joyce Tannian, Founder & Director commented, “Our work doesn’t stop and can’t stop now. Osewan people need us now, more than ever...finally it’s their turn! People have been trying to live in Osewan for a long time, but can’t. The area is very dry. It has ample pasture, but no water for cows or people. We want to make sure people in that area have enough clean water for themselves, for their families; enough water so they can build a school and build a hospital.”  

To find out more about “Turn the Water on for Osewan” and to make a donation visit:
https://waterislifekenya.networkforgood.com/projects/96924-turn-the-water-on-4-osewan