A Global Community Comes Together for A Water Point in Samburu Samburu is known for the beautiful desert-like landscape, big herds of elephants, oryx, Grevy’s zebras and of course the striking Samburu people. Their colourful shukas and beaded collars are an arresting sight in the browns of the desert landscape. Samburu is, like many regions across the world, on the front line of climate change. Rainfall patterns have changed and the people who call this region home, say the rain no longer comes as often or stays as long. Enter The Samburu Project. Every year, this small organisation works to provide clean-water access to ten communities suffering from extreme drought. This year, one of those communities is Konyek, located in
16 | NDEGE NEWS |DECEMBER 2023 - FEBRUARY 2024
the Westgate conservancy in the heart of Samburu East.
an ambitious project. Finally, early this year, that donor found TSP.
Members of the Konyek community applied to The Samburu Project for water relief in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. A hydrogeological survey was conducted of the surrounding land, and the findings were good. There was water! The community didn’t believe it. Other organisations and even the government had promised them water in the past but no water had ever come. The bad news: The water was very deep and would require twice the funding as a standard handpump. Throughout the pandemic, TSP looked for a donor who would be willing to support such
Earlier this year a German tourist travelled to Samburu to fulfil a childhood dream of riding a camel from which this generous citizen of the world experienced first-hand the beauty of the Samburu desert. He also learned about the dramatic effects that climate change is having in this part of the world. Compelled to take action, he pledged his support to the TSP to fund a water project for the people he met there. With the geological work already complete The Samburu Project was able to quickly set the wheels in motion. Drilling began in June to
