‘Life here can be hard, kids would often walk great distances to get water.’
One of my favourite countries is Tanzania, it’s a vast country with breath taking scenery. Over many years now my family foundation, The Charitable Foundation, has been working there. We have engaged in many interesting projects, including water, health care, disability and land restoration. One of the places where we did many projects was around Mount Meru. This mountain creates a huge rain shadow in which over 30,000 Maasai live. The mountain is very close to Kilimanjaro.
On the side of the mountain facing the weather fronts there was a lot of water. If fact nearly every time I have been there it has rained, however that is not true for the other side of the mountain, it hardly even rains there as it’s in the rain shadow.
Bang for the buck this was a great project. It captures the water high on the mountain and then uses a gravity powered piping system that flows water down into the rain shadow and catchment tanks. In the end this project helped thousands of Maasai. It was cheap and efficient.
Debbie loves projects like this because she likes renovation and when I see her talking to the engineers, it’s almost the same body language and approach she has with builders in Sydney.
Here is an example of one of the wells that we built. It is used in the mornings and the evenings.
Life here can be hard, kids would often walk great distances to get water. The boys are expected to look after the cattle at a young age. It’s dirty and dry.
Maasai warriors love wearing beads and jewellery. If you think these men are effeminate, then think again, these are very tough guys. The Maasai also live in thatched roof huts that house the entire family. The houses often look bigger on the inside than the outside.
