CitNOW has partnered with charity Eyieunoto Nabaya, a self-help group located 100 km southwest of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, formed by the Maasai people to create a new way of life.
Forced to abandon their nomadic lifestyle following land reforms, the Maasai have had to take up permanent residence at a group ranch in Kenya. The Maasai are forging new lives on the group ranches however due to a changing climate which sees longer periods of drought, as well as restrictions in the way they can farm, more livestock are dying and people are facing significant hunger.
To create a sustainable life in the harsh environment, 19 Maasai elders formed Eyieunoto Nabaya which is focused on education, conservation, and eradicating hunger. The group has purchased beehives to provide a source of food for the community and to sell at market, as well as increasing meat production for the same dual purpose. The Maasai also recognise the need to educate their youngsters so in future they can ensure their needs are properly and extensively represented to the Kenyan government.
At CitNOW, rather than recycle or dispose of its old laptops, the company donates them to the Eyieunoto Nabaya group. The laptops provide access to technology to support the group in its endeavours to create a sustainable way of life, as well as being used by young Maasai who are heading off to school and university.
To arrange shipment to the group, CitNOW worked with Changemaker, who support companies to pursue positive and meaningful projects. Our relationship with Changemaker and hence with Emmanuel Mankura, who heads up the Eyieunoto Nabaya Community Organisation, is through our non executive director Chris Lacey. Chris used Changemaker to deliver an ‘Experiential Learning’ program based in Spain to over 6,000 delegates as far back as 1994.
Working in a highly advanced technological environment means equipment dates extremely quickly, yet the laptops which we need to replace are a far cry from being unusable. Simply disposing of the laptops or even recycling them was a complete waste of resources and we wanted to do something worthwhile with them.
We had worked alongside Changemaker in the past and they are very well known in the automotive sector particularly for providing training and a talent pipeline, but they are also involved in global sustainable projects including the Maasai charity. Suddenly, we had a home for our laptops which we no longer needed. It’s great that our equipment, which remains cutting edge but just not at the forefront of tech demanded by our sector, is being used by Maasai students to further their education and in turn help build a sustainable community for future generations.
