Location & context
Osupukiai is a remote Maasai community in southern Kenya. Like many pastoralist areas, it faces challenges linked to climate change, limited access to basic services, and marginalisation from wider decision-making processes. Water scarcity, low school enrolment (especially for girls), and limited income opportunities leave families vulnerable.
Since 2021, PFP has worked alongside the Osupukiai community to improve access to water, strengthen education, and promote resilience through locally led initiatives. The project supports children’s education, women’s empowerment, and climate adaptation, guided by our Handshakes Not Handouts approach.
Key needs and challenges identified by the community include:
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Acute water scarcity, worsened by droughts and climate change
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Low literacy rates and school attendance, especially for girls
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Limited economic opportunities beyond subsistence pastoralism
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Gender inequalities restricting women’s participation and leadership
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Pressure on grazing land and natural resources
Partners & approach
Our approach is centred on community ownership:
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Establishing alLocal water committees and consulting with elders’ councils to guide decision-making
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Partnerships with the local primary school, Elong’o school to integrate environmental education
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Training in climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods
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Women’s participation encouraged through group formation and formal representation on committee and the Project Steering Group.
Funding partners & sponsors
Our work with the Osupukiai community has been possible thanks to our amazing community of funders and sponsors.
George and Jan Hetherington
Harry Truslove
What we have delivered
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Initiated a sustainable water project: solarised borehole benefitting 520 households and their livestock through access to clean, plentiful water.
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Delivered menstrual and sexual reproductive health education and distributed reusable sanitary pad packs.
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Introduced Window on the World education resources for schools.
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Supported community workshops on climate resilience and collective planning.
Impact highlights
Here’s just a selection of impact highlights from our work with the Osupukiai community since 2021:
Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG6)
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520 households now have access to clean, plentiful water thanks to the installation of a solarised borehole and 20,000L storage tanks - freeing women and children from walking up to 15km a day in search of clean water.
In the recent droughts that hit East Africa in 2022, Osupukiai’s cattle loss was only 20% - compared with up to 90% in other parts of Kenya without reliable water supply. -
284 pupils at Elong’o School also have access to water through a pipeline extension from the water kiosk, enabling improved school sanitation and hygiene, and irrigation for a school farm.
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Sustainable livelihoods enabled thanks to the water kiosk - the project creates local skills in maintaining reliable water with two permanent jobs. Villagers have been trained to run and maintain the solar water pump and storage tanks.
Access to Education (SDG4)
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284 pupils have benefitted from our first ever Window on the World, which constructed a library and ICT Hub, solar electricity, tablets and access to digital literacy education.
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10 teachers have benefitted from the programme, accessing teaching resources to support their curriculum planning.
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Improved sports facilities and equipment including a football pitch and netball and volleyball court, plus donated kit from KitAid (https://kitaid.net/).
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The school has grown its enrolment from 240 to 284 by leveraging our investment and support to raise funds independently of PFP, constructing a new Junior Secondary School classroom in 2023.
Decent Work & Economic Growth (SDG8)
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84 women have benefitted from the PFP Academy and Livelihoods programme, with four women’s groups established focused on different enterprise activities (bee-keeping, ghee production, bead-making and vegetable farming).
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Establishing a Community Fodder pilot with a group of 20 men in Osupukiai, providing vital sustenance for cattle during times of drought and an alternative income source for the men’s group.
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Over 500,000 Kenya Shillings (approx £3,000) in seed funding provided by connecting to finance through Women’s Enterprise Fund and through PFP’s own Revolving Fund - with a 100% payback rate achieved.
Challenges & learning points
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Negotiating inclusive water governance structures in a low-literacy context requires time and patience
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Managing expectations around water tariffs and community fund use is an ongoing process
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Climate impacts (erratic rains, droughts) continue to pressure local livelihoods
Future plans & sustainability
As we move into Phase 3 of our partnership and lay the foundations for PFP’s responsible exit, our focus will turn to consolidating local leadership, improving community health, and deepening education and livelihoods opportunities.
Together with the Osupukiai community, we will deliver the following priorities:
1. Improved Healthcare and Sanitation
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Launch a comprehensive menstrual and sexual reproductive health (MSRH) programme for girls and women, building on our successful model in Homa Bay County.
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Train and equip Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to deliver basic health education, hygiene awareness, and early referral support.
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Upgrade Elong’o School’s sanitation facilities, introducing a bio-digester system that converts waste into clean biogas for cooking and nutrient-rich slurry for farming.
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Construct community washrooms near the water kiosk to promote dignity, hygiene, and inclusion for women and girls.
2. Access to Education and Youth Development
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Develop pathways for secondary education so children can continue beyond Grade 9, through bursaries and partnerships with nearby secondary schools.
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Introduce vocational training in trades and small business skills, equipping young people with practical tools for employment.
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Expand our Youth Leadership through Sports initiative, training youth coaches to use football, volleyball, and netball as platforms for mentorship, gender equality, and teamwork.
3. Livelihoods and Access to Finance
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Grow from five to ten active savings and enterprise groups, empowering more women and families to diversify their income sources.
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Provide advanced training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and cooperative management.
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Expand the revolving microfinance pool, enabling investment in enterprises like poultry, dairy and goat-farming.
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Continue to strengthen women’s economic independence—building household resilience and community prosperity.
4. Strengthening Local Governance and Leadership
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Support the establishment of a Community Development Committee to oversee the water fund and local projects transparently and inclusively.
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Provide governance and leadership training for community representatives, youth, and women’s leaders to ensure continuity and accountability.
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Develop a succession and sustainability plan so that Osupukiai’s projects remain locally managed and financially viable beyond external funding.
