Growing crops - let alone, trees - was unknown to Maasai herders until recently. Useless. Why bother? When there is no water, just move on. That was how the parents of the current generation lived.

The current generation must deal with prolonged droughts and diminishing water resources. They are more stationary. Even so, Maasai lands in Kenya's southern Rift Valley are still 97% open land used for grazing, 1% homesteads and the remaining 2% used for crops.

That number must grow.

Trees not only provide income but give the environment a boost. Fruit and wood sales will provide a direly needed source of income. Planting trees also improves soil water retention and reduces erosion as well as absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus reducing global warming.

Since there are no wells in the area, crops can be grown only during the rainy season…when there is one. Short-lived, a rainy season normally occurs somewhere between February and June. Short rains at the end of the year last around 2-6 weeks. A few homesteads have small storage dams which can extend the growing season slightly, but they eventually dry up.

Last December CICAN, a charity in the U.S., provided $250/Kenyan shillings 20,957 in source funds for a pilot project planting trees. Women in MANDO communities plant seeds provided around their homes, and seedling nurseries are sprouting up. Different kinds of trees will yield shade and fodder, construction wood and fencing as well as fruit.

Not only is MANDO continually looking for significant funding to drill a borehole for communities in this area, on a lesser scale, a caretaker is needed to maintain the nurseries already in progress. This person would also document the initiative so as to compile records that could attract more sponsors for projects like this. Also needed is a 5000-litre plastic tank to store water after the dams are empty. Estimated cost: $250 - $300.

Donations can be made through the donations page