Joseph Ole Tipanko, leader of the Maasai Good Salvage Outreach Organization (MAGSA) and a High Cloud partner, said floods hit his village in December and January, killing four people. Two were his students.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that heavy rains and flash floods continued into March across the country. It said 18 people died, and at least 12,000 people were "in dire need of relief aid." The floods caused extensive damage to property and food supplies, and precipitated fears of contamination by water-born illness.
In addition, the floods prolonged problems with the supply of livestock, which many Maasai people rely on to survive. The Red Cross said that more than 1,500 animals went missing during the flood.
Already, the drought had killed off many cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys. The losses forced many Maasai pastoralists to leave home and school to search for fertile grazing land. Even though the dry period has ended, the available animals not suffice to make a plentiful living.
"There is much pasture for our livestock, but few livestock are there to feed on the pasture since most of them died during the drought period," said Tipanko. "People still struggle to find what to eat since there is less milk, and cows and goats to slaughter for food, or to trade to buy the limited foodstuffs at the markets."
Despite these conditions, High Cloud and MAGSA have continued school programs aimed at improving both academic skills and self esteem. These projects have been lending educational support and food to more than 100 children in Ntashat Village. Students have completed spring exams and have been on a break for the month of April.
Rachel Herbers, High Cloud's liaison to Africa, said that the community's ability to keep school going through harsh conditions proves its resilience and dedication to education.
"While one could imagine being devastated by these challenges, the perseverance and commitment of people like [them] to still focus on a more hopeful future is humbling," she said.
In addition, Herbers said this dire situation calls to mind how complicated the problems of developing nations can be.
"When first hearing about the droughts, I'm sure everyone was hoping and thinking, 'If only a little bit of rain would come,'" she said. "But now we can see that the rains did come, and not only are they too late to reverse the damage in the case of the lost cattle, but the rain in itself has caused damage as well. The susceptibility to the forces of nature is so much more evident in Joseph Tipanko's case than I would ever experience in my life in America."
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