This campaign has now closed
The Loita Hills are one of the most spectacular and unspoiled regions of Kenya, but this environment is under threat. Increasing population size, visible deforestation, over-grazing and changing weather patterns threatens the traditional Maasai way of life. Our team are trying to protect their home.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
Environmental sustainability is a matter of life and death for the Maasai who live in the Loita Hills. The depend almost entirely on livestock for survival but increasingly large herds are leading to rapid deforestation as humans clear land for grazing. In 2009, more children died of starvation in the Loita Hills than at any other time in living memory and a huge number of families lost all means of livelihood as entire herds died. The Maasai must race to protect their environment to survive.
Solution
S.A.F.E.'s Maasai project, SAFE Maa, uses traditional Maasai songs and storytelling to present information in a culturally acceptable way. Recognising the threat to their home that environmental damage causes, the team has begun an intervention on environmental issues in the area. They are providing the awareness, motivation, education and skills to ensure that the Loita Maasai have food security and a sustainable relationship with their land.