Dan Reany, reporter & producer for CBN has a master’s in anthropology, and travels the world bringing back stories of the good CBN does in people’s lives. Now he's going deeper with people, to better understand their struggles as they fight to survive in as Masaai in Kenya.

Dan said, "When the plane landed in Maasai Mara, I was greeted by the vast array of wildlife that helped make this relatively untouched part of Kenya famous. I soon arrived at a nearby Maasai village and was welcomed by the students of a school built and supported by CBN’s Orphan’s Promise."

Village life here is peaceful. Children go to school, mothers tend to their homes, and men take the cattle to graze. That day I met up with Olenasi and his family.

“Nice. Thank you. Maasai don’t have shepherds crooks they have spears, because we have lions here.”

As we were herding, Olanasi and I talked. “Before CBN came here, we had to go very far to get enough water for our cattle and ourselves. I lost fifty of my cattle during the draught. I had terrible pains in my stomach, because of sickness from the dirty water. At one point, I was too sick to take my cattle out, so my wife had to do it. That day, lions came and killed two of my cattle.”

“I was afraid I would be the next victim,” said his wife, Nalakiti. “I climbed a tree and called for help until some men came and chased the lions away. After that, I never looked after the cattle again.”

CBN drilled a deep well right by the old source. Now, even during drought, they have enough water for the entire village and all their cattle.

“So, the old water source and the new water source really side by side. Those solar panels are pumping fresh clean water all the way up to the village. Now in the old days, they used to collect water here from this open spring and they shared this with animals. So, this is not water you would ever want to drink.”

“Because of your help, we have many cattle again,” Olenasi said. “Since the taps are so close to the village, people can now fetch water any time they want, without fearing the wild animals. Before, we only bathed once each week. Now we can bathe whenever we want.”

After bringing in the cattle, they showed me how they craft that elaborate jewelry. Making a big bracelet takes about two weeks.

“It’s a Maasai tradition to dress as we do,” Emmanuel said. “Some like wearing more than others. You cannot wear the traditional clothing without the beads. You have to look shiny.”

“We are so happy,” Olenasi said. “The support we received is so important, everyone in the village benefits from the projects. As a born again Christian, I know that it was God who gave us the well and the school.”

“Our books blew in the wind, and when it rained we stayed home,” Emmanuel said. “We were taught about God under the tree. So, we prayed and asked God for a church, a school, and water. Now all those prayers are answered.”

At night, when the children have gone home, the chores are done, and the cattle are resting, parents come to the school, one by one, to learn how to read and write themselves. It’s something they never had the opportunity to do before.

“My life has changed,” Olenasi said. “I can write one to a hundred. This means I can walk to the bank, write my own name, and my numbers, and withdraw my money without any help.”

With water from the well, we also started a vegetable garden outside the village. As the women of the village sing and tend the garden, children come from the school to learn all about agriculture. Some of the crops are used to feed the kids at school. The village gets all the rest. It’s a different way of life for the Maasai, but one that was necessary for their survival.

“I am so happy that Dan came to visit us and I am grateful for all that CBN has made happen in our village,” Olenasi said. “God be with you, wherever you go.”

“I thank God for what He has done, and I thank Him for your coming here,” Emmanuel said. “You have changed our lives.”

ABOUT US:
OrphansPromise.org is a children's ministry of the CBN. We serve orphans and other vulnerable children around the world, bringing them from At-risk to Thriving. Come to see lives renewed and restored through the transforming power of God’s love!

We partner with local outreaches around the world to provide fundamental care (fulfilling physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs) to help orphans and other vulnerable children discover love and enable them to achieve their highest potential.


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