Water for Ilpopong – Help 100 Maasai Families Regain Access to Water

This fundraiser is about something fundamental: water, and the ability for people in this area to live with dignity.

Ilpopong is a Maasai community in Kenya with around 100 families. Due to years of severe drought, there is currently no reliable water source anywhere nearby. Daily life has become extremely hard: people walk long distances for water, livestock dies, children miss school, and families struggle just to survive.

How this situation came to be

Years ago, a Canadian woman named Natasha had a borehole drilled for the Ilpopong community. At the time, she was married to a Maasai man and wanted to help his community in a lasting way. The borehole worked and provided water for years. It was located on land owned by the man’s brother.

After their divorce, things went wrong. Out of resentment, her ex-husband dismantled the borehole and sold the equipment, leaving the community without water once again.

A second attempt – and another setback

In recent years, the drought has worsened dramatically. Wanting to help again, Natasha raised approximately $10,000 within her own network and community. With this money, new equipment was purchased, including:

water tanks

pipes

a pump

All of this equipment is now present.

However, the borehole itself no longer works. The company hired to restore the system only performed a brief inspection, claimed the borehole was “blocked,” and left — while still charging 290,000 KSh (over $2,000) and delivering no actual solution.

We then inspected the borehole ourselves.

The reality today

The borehole is approximately 320 meters deep.

We found no water at any depth.

Other boreholes in the surrounding area are now also dry.

Due to prolonged drought and likely geological changes, the water in this area appears to have disappeared or shifted. Repairing the old borehole is no longer viable.

We have also tried to locate shallow, seasonal water sources as a temporary solution, but so far this has not been successful, and even if found, such sources would only offer short-term relief.

What exists — and what is missing

What does exist:

water tanks, pipes, and a pump

a committed community willing to maintain the system

people ready to contribute monthly once water is available

What is missing:

a working water source

What is needed now

To restore access to water for Ilpopong, we need:

Professional hydrogeological research to determine a viable new location

Drilling a new borehole based on that research

The realistic total cost for this is $15,000 – $25,000. We intentionally aim high to ensure the project can be fully completed without running out of funds again. Any remaining funds will stay within the water project (extra drilling depth, protection of the installation, transport, and maintenance).

Sustainability and transparency

The Ilpopong community has committed to maintaining the borehole collectively, with each household contributing monthly once water is available.

We aim to cooperate with local authorities where possible, but corruption and self-enrichment are unfortunately common. Therefore, we prioritize direct execution and full transparency.

Guarantee:

100% of donated funds will be spent on this water project and the community.

A personal note

Over the years, I have given everything I could — time, energy, and money — to support Sofy, her family, and many people in this region. I am now facing serious financial hardship myself and can no longer carry this alone.

This is not about sympathy.

This is about water.

How you can help

Donate (any amount helps)

Share this campaign

Help us finish what was started

Every contribution brings Ilpopong closer to clean, reliable water.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for sharing.

And thank you — sincerely — for donating.

— Martien