The Maasai people of Southwestern Kenya and Northern Tanzania have a long and fascinating history tied intimately to the land. They are traditionally semi-nomadic herders whose wealth can be found in the enormous herds of cattle and goats they base their movements around. As we have entered the 21st century, the Maasai have faced both challenges and changes to their lifestyle and culture. Many communities have become permanent establishments as schools, churches, and town centers have developed. Government policies have also significantly cut the amount of land available for the Maasai to herd on. Abandonment of the nomadic lifestyle by many Maasai, has made farming a viable option to both supplement their traditionally animal based diet as well as provide a new source of income. In many areas Maasai agriculture is still in its infancy, and this presents Majipump with an opportunity and challenge we are very excited about.
Reverend Moses Rianto has spent his life working within his Maasai community to establish the infrastructure and programs necessary as his community looks to find a balance between their traditional and new ways of life. One of his community projects is a farm plot, which has recently been cleared from the bush. He hopes to use his farm for food production as well as a teaching tool for Maasai youths to learn the principles of agriculture. There is a spring fed stream that runs through the plot and one of the challenges Moses has faced is using this natural resource to irrigate his farm. Upon visiting his site, we saw a great opportunity to both help solve Moses's problem while also demonstrating the versatility of the Majipump. With the pump, Moses will be able supply enough water to irrigate his farm without needing to put in more costly and labor intensive methods of water capture. The Majipump is just as comfortable in a river as it is in a well, and that makes the needs of Moses's farm and others like it, perfect for the Majipump to fill.
