Margwe Well Community
2 | Girls collecting water at a TSP well.
Dear Friends:
2021 was another unpredictable year both for The Samburu Project, and the world at large. In Samburu, the economic fallout from the global pandemic lingered as catastrophic drought continued into its third year Despite these challenges, we were able to keep TSP, and the communities we serve, moving forward
Throughout the year, we highlighted individuals who act as Voices of Change within their communities. Winfred Mulwa, a young Kenyan woman currently studying at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts spent her summer in Samburu speaking with girls about the importance of education. Pauline Magambo, the principal of Tipito Girls Secondary School, encourages her students to expand their knowledge of the world and graduate secondary school. Chief Joy, the first female chief in Samburu, is inspiring young Samburu women to lead the way Julia Lejade, taught herself to make bricks after TSP drilled a well near her home These stories offered a small window into the impact The Samburu Project’s work is having each day
In order to expand that impact, in late 2021, we added a new voice to our Kenya team. Naom Kemunto has dedicated her career to improving gender equality, and is an excellent addition to our staff as we grow our programming for women and girls.
None of these stories would have been possible without the support and generosity of our global community In 2021, both our supporters and those we serve faced the unprecedented challenges of a post-pandemic world with resilience and a commitment to make our world a better place With your help, The Samburu Project was able to not only able to drill ten new wells, but we expanded our programs to benefit women and girls. Thank you to all our supporters for continuing to aid our efforts in this small, beautiful part of the world.
With gratitude, Linda Hooper, Executive Director
8 | Each well can provide clean water to a community of 1,000 people.
In 2021, The Samburu Project funded the drilling and installation of 10 new wells in the Samburu region of Kenya, providing 10 new communities with life-changing access to clean water
We once again engaged the services of Kariuki Waruinge, of Ground Water Max, to
In 2021, dozens of communities applied to TSP for water relief. Of those, we selected 10 partners who partook in surveys, helped prepare for drilling, and participated in trainings A big thank you to the following donors; because of their generosity the following communities now have access to life-saving clean water.
12 | Students at Tipito Girls Secondary School use overhead showers for the first time.
On #GivingTuesday, we introduced our global community to the students of Wamba DEB Secondary School and Tipito Secondary School. Both schools are well recipients and, with clean water, have seen a significant increase in students' attendance. Unfortunately, as a result of their increased student population and limited funds, their infrastructure was outdated and overused. With your help, we raised over $20,000 to install 6 new toilets and a hand washing station at Wamba DEB, and at Tipito Girls were able to fund the first overhead showers in Samburu! Both projects supported young Samburu girls, giving them more agency over their health and education.
In partnership with PadMad Kenya, TSP hosted 5 more menstrual hygiene workshops to support over 900 Samburu girls. The students were taught the importance of hygiene, yoga postures to help with cramps, and our team distributed reusable menstrual pads, underwear & soap
14 | Students from Wamba Girls Secondary School
In 2021, we continued to build our partnerships with schools throughout Samburu. We distributed menstrual hygiene supplies to 12 schools, raised funds to expand the infrastructure at 2 more, and laid the groundwork for a new program in partnership with the Wamba Girls Secondary School Journalism Club giving girls an opportunity to tell their stories to a broader global audience.
Thanks to the generosity of the Family & Friends of Graham Keeley we also launched a new partnership with The Thorn Tree Project (SENET). Together we drilled a new borehole for the Lerata community and installed a solar system to pipe water to nearby Lerata Primary School
Finally, The Samburu Project continued to support four students with their secondary school education While the pandemic kept Salome, Ann, and Zeitun home for most of 2020, the three girls returned to school and graduated in 2021/22
16 | Julia Lejade at her home in Sordo
A TSP well provides Samburu women time to enrich their lives In 2021, we aimed to give these women a platform to their stories. Our monthly newsletters highlighted "Voices of Change," sharing stories of women like Pauline, the principal of Tipito Girls School, Chief Joy, the first female chief in Samburu, Julia Lejade who taught herself to make bricks, and many more. Each story started with clean water, but that is not where they ended These women continue to be an inspiration for Samburu girls, and their communities at large.
In 2021, we added 3 new employees to our Kenyan staff: Aldo Lesutia, Christine Lesorogol, and Naom Kemunto to help us expand our programs for Samburu women & girls. Naom spent the second half of the year visiting all our existing well communities and re-initiating conversations with the women there on what they felt were the most pressing issues effecting their everyday lives. These discussions set the foundation for TSP to expand our Samburu Sisters program
18 | John Lesatanguny and 2 of his 8 children in their home garden.
TSP wells continue to be a source of water for family, community, and school gardens Clean water also provides new opportunities for Samburu families to thrive at home, grow in school, and participate in the economy. From the birth of school gardens at Wamba Boys Secondary School and Tipito Girls Secondary School, to John Lesatanguny who dug a well of his own to water his family garden, the impact of clean water on community growth has never been more apparent.
In order to monitor and document these projects, in 2021 TSP grew our data collection program. Using a cell phone application, our Kenya team is able to better monitor our wells and measure the impact of clean water in our partner communities.
In April, we launched #DoItForWater The campaign transformed our past Walk for Water fundraisers from single-day events, into a month long virtual fundraiser. Each week offered supporters a different way to move for water. From surfing and sailing, to swimming, running and biking Our global community came together to raise both money and awareness for clean water.
Board members, Doretta Bonner, Linda Hooper, Doug Smith and Jenny Tennen celebrating at 22 | Splash Bash 2021.
On October 16th, we invited our global community to join us virtually as we celebrated 15 years of clean water. Throughout the night, we shared testimonials from women and girls throughout Samburu, spotlighting the profound impact water has had on health, education, women's empowerment and community growth
Thanks to your unbelievable generosity, we raised a record breaking $260,000 funding the drilling of 5 more wells, and countless more programs for women and
24 | Eden Ruderman and family celebrating her Bat Mitzvah with the Leminjiria well community.
In June, Eden Ruderman, Gillian Pergament, and their families launched not one, but two #Give22 campaigns to support Samburu women and girls. Eden pledged her bat mitzvah to raising $22,000 in order to fund the drilling of a well while Gillian, a freshman at Tulane, dedicated her fundraising page to raising money to provide reusable sanitary napkins to girl like herself, who have to miss classes every month during their period. Over 4 months, they had raised more than $29,000 to drill a hand-pump well in the community of Lemi ji i d id bl i napkins for over 500 women and girls in the s
The Horan Family
Friends & Family of Graham Keeley Kipnis & Ruderman Families Kimberly & Sean Klimczak
Manny & Jackie Silverman
Judith & Russel Patterson
Zelda Benson & George Wagner
Shelly & Arch Meredith
Rudi Dundas
Nancy Tuck Adeline Dougherty Alan Leavitt Rose Smith Doug Smith
The Brickman Family
Mamen Saura & Manish Kothari Catherine & Greg Pacos Wasserberger Family
Susan Altmore & Bruce Carusi Doretta Bonner Rita Goldstein Paul Marini
David Monhait Sharon & Todd Squires Gardner Grout Kirsten Swanson Andrea Padilla Eric Nelson
In 2021, The Samburu Project received in-kind donations from the following companies.
A- American Storage
AirKenya Art Services Melrose Boxed Water
Cadogan Tate
Four Corners Conservation Framing
Kapa Oil Refineries Ltd Splash Bash Auction Donors
DONATIONS OVER $40,000
Irvin Sather
DONATIONS OVER $20,000
Robert & Martha Falkenberg
Kimberly & Sean Klimczak
Carmen Saura & Manish Kothari
Simon Wasserberger
Greg & Catherine Pacos
John and Andrea Horan
DONATIONS OVER $10,000
Bob & Judy Swanson
Bob & Yvette Phillips
CGI Charitable Giving Fund
Rudi Dundas
Manny & Jackie Silverman
Gardner Grout Alec Hsu
DONATIONS OVER $5,000
Adeline Dougherty
Judith & Russel Patterson
Carlye Rosen
Shelly & Arch Meredith
halley harrisburg & Michael Rosenfeld
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Nancy Tuck
Zelda Benson & George Wagner
Jerry Licari Family Foundation
Vera & Stephen Schlesinger
Barbara Timmer & Catherine Benkaim
Nathan St. John & Angelica Swan
Ronald & Cece Nudelman
Alice & Nahum Lainer
Debbie Yaghmaie
Mayer | Brown Ray & Wyn Ritchie Evans Foundation
DONATIONS OVER $2,000
Doretta Bonner
Romina Manson
Wells Fargo Advisors
Blake & Rachel Searles
Doug Smith Water from Wine
Todd Ruderman
Patrick & Courtney Farris Shannon MacKay
Oliver Glenn
Alan & Jenni Leavitt
Linder & Associates
Jason S S Cohen
Karen & Kevin McManus
Jonathan Epstein
Marcia Ruderman
Rose & Greg Smith
Maurice & Helen Werdegar
Tommye Flemming & Pat Arnall
Toronney Mixon
Total # of Donations – 1,407
Total Donations – $585,418.79
Total # of In-Kind Donations – 106
32 | Naom Kemunto with the women of the Ntemparani community.
Linda Hooper Executive Director
Victoria Pacos, Project Coordinator
Tara Manoogian, Marketing & Video Editing Vanessa Cardoni, Marketing
Eric Lekolii, Project Manager Naom Kemunto, Community Programming
Paul Lekuuk, Well Maintenance
Aldo Lesutia, Well Maintenance Christine Lesergol, Office Administration
Doug Smith, Board Chair
US
Linda Hooper, Executive Director Kiki Swanson, Secretary Adeline Dougherty, Treasurer
Doretta Bonner, Vice Chair
Bob Falkenberg
Alan Leavitt
Mamen Saura
Jenny Tennen Nekessa Wanjala
Simon Wasserberger
Harold Zagunis
Bob Falkenberg, President Ndung'u Muchane, Treasurer
Eric Lekolii, Secretary
Linda Hooper
Josephine Leruk Interns & Volunteers
Our mission is to provide access to clean water and continue to support well communities with initiatives that promote health, education, women’s empowerment and general well-being. We envision a thriving Samburu where access to clean water is a consistent reality and all people are happy, healthy, and educated Our work is grounded in the values of:
Female Empowerment: We improve the lives of women and children, beginning with providing access to clean water.
Community Engagement: We are driven by respect for, and the needs of, the Samburu communities we work within
Impactful Projects: We focus on projects that generate tangible, meaningful, and sustainable results.
Reliable Partners: We invest in building life-long learning, self-reliance, and community trust
