WaterStep Ambassador Raphael Wanjala was recently able to bless a group of Maasai in Kenya with 19 WaterBalls. The Maasai are a nomadic people group living in Kenya and Tanzania who follow their cattle from place to place as they find new fields and pastures for them to graze. The cattle provide meat and milk for them to survive and are the group’s first priority. Schools are scarce and children only attend when there happens to be one nearby. A Maasai man’s worth is measured by the amount of cattle and children he has.
Because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Maasai often deal with water scarcity and are forced to travel long distances to find the water necessary for each day. The WaterBall is a water transport tool that more than doubles the amount of water a woman or girl (water is women’s work) can carry on one trip. Made of molded durable plastic, the WaterBall holds 100 pounds of water and easily rolls over any surface. Without the WaterBall, the women are forced to carry 40 pound jugs of water on their heads. This often leads to health problems such as a compressed spine, but these issues go untreated because the Maasai are rarely in an area with accessible healthcare.
The Maasai people were incredibly grateful to receive the WaterBalls from Raphael. They will be divided among 4 villages that consist of between 50 and 70 homes and will make life just a little easier for these hardworking people. WaterStep Nation continues to make a significant impact in East Africa!
Fun fact: The Maasai are known for their bright colored clothing. One of the reasons they wear bright colors, specifically red, is so they are not mistaken for prey by a lion!
To learn more about these fascinating people, read this post: https://waterstep.org/the-maasai-a-revered-people/
