A PASTROTAL COMMUNITY IN SOUTHERN KENYA MAKING DRY LAND GREEN AGAIN USING A SHOVEL.

Global warming and persistent droughts cause land degradation in many African areas. The top layer of the soil becomes hard, which prevents rainwater from infiltrating into the soil. This rainwater will flow to lower areas, and wash away the upper layer of fertile soil.

For the Maasai people, livestock is very valuable and at the center of everything. Due to serve droughts, overgrazing, and less communal land for the Maasai, keeping livestock isn’t any more. The rangelands are heavily degraded, resulting in the decline of productivity and an increase in competition between the people and wildlife especially elephant.

International NGO Justdiggit, together with local partner Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservation Trust (MWCT) and Maasai communities have dug a total of 116,248 semi-circular bunds in the Kuku Group Ranch to open up this hard top layer and retain the rainwater. By capturing rainwater with the help of bunds, it has more time to enter the soil and restores the water balance. The seeds in the soil get the chance to sprout, and eventually allow the area to grow green, lush and cool!

In addition, 173 women are involved in grass seed banks. Selling the grasses and the grass seeds harvested from the grass seed banks to generate a source of income for the women who are managing the grass seed banks. This income serves as an alternative livelihood, making the women more independent.
Justdiggit are scaling up the project by combining landscape restoration techniques with the power of media and communication, data, and mobile technology, we have already reached hundreds of thousands of people at minimal cost.