Rainwater for the Maasai

What began as a round of phone calls in 2020 became 500 rainwater harvesting units across the Maasai regions outside Arusha. Daily water collection fell from roughly nine hours to under two. This is how it happened, entry by entry.

Dec 2020 — First Fundraising Effort

Raised $20K through phone calls, emails, and outreach for the first rainwater harvesting unit.

Dec 2021 — First Visit to Tanzania

Visited the site for the first rainwater harvesting unit and walked with Joseph, a local Maasai tribesman, to understand the community's challenges firsthand.

Jun 2022 — Second Round of Fundraising

Launched another round of fundraising, raising $27K and engaging more families to join the effort.

Dec 2022 — Surveying the Maasai Community

Brought six students to Losimingori to survey the Maasai community and assess the impact of the rainwater harvesting unit.

Feb 2023 — Deployment of Three More Units

Deployed three additional rainwater harvesting units, further expanding the reach of the project.

Apr 2023 — Speech in Arusha

Spoke in front of 600+ international delegates at a conference in Arusha, discussing the project’s impact on the Maasai community.

June 2023 — Impact Summary

Summarized the impact of the deployed units and began sharing the results more broadly to gain further support.

Oct 2023 — Involving Middle Schoolers

Engaged middle school students in fundraising efforts to expand the reach of the project.

Nov 2023 — Fundraising Dinner with Mbayani in California

Hosted a fundraising dinner with Mbayani, a Maasai leader, in California to raise funds for the 100 rainwater harvesting units.

Nov 2023 — Community Meeting with Deepak Ramola

Organized a dinner with 40 people in the Bay Area to discuss the work and future goals for the project.

Dec 2023 / Sep 2024 — Remote Sensing Studies

Studied remote sensing, satellite imaging, and related technologies to enhance project outcomes.

Mar 2024 — Melvin Jones Humanitarian Award

Received the Melvin Jones Humanitarian Award for the project’s impact on the Maasai community.

Jun 2024 — Deployment of 10 Tanks

Deployed 10 more 5000-liter tanks, expanding the program to involve more families and students.

Aug 2024 — Third Fundraising Round

Raised $40K in the third round of fundraising through multiple pitches to families and supporters.

Sep 2024 — Presidential Volunteer Service Award

Received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the project’s impact on the Maasai community.

Sep/Oct 2024 — Deployment Plan for 100 Units

Started the project to deploy 100 rainwater units in zones identified through satellite image maps.

Nov 2024 — Completion of 100 Unit Deployment

Successfully completed the deployment of 100 rainwater units, providing sustainable water access to the Maasai community.

Dec 2024 — Presentation to NeurIPS

Presented the project at NeurIPS, a leading AI conference, to discuss the use of AI in water access projects.

Every deployed unit, plotted with the field photograph taken at its site — plus the Nanja Dam catchment rings used to pick the next hundred locations: map.roshan.codes →