Water, Water Everywhere – Kenya 2026, blog post #8

On our first Saturday in Kenya, we woke up at Anyoraa, the beautiful safari camp run by our friend, Izzo. Anyoraa means believe in the Maasai language, and it is our friend’s belief that we can all make a positive, lasting impact.

We slowly got moving that morning and had the usual breakfast of crepe-like pancakes, fried potatoes, and chai tea. Then we wandered out to the edge of the camp, where remarkable things were happening. 

Sometime before 2018 (when I first saw these filled water tanks), Izzo discovered a spring up the hillside from one of the other safari camps he had been taking volunteers to. He tapped into that spring, ran the water into these tanks, and provided clean water to the town’s people. And added more tanks.

It was his dream ever since then to build his own water bottling plant, to not only continue giving water away to the locals, but to sell it to the many safari camps in the area, offering employment to the women living there as well as generating income for his other projects.

The plant was only in its second day of operation when we wandered inside. The women were hard at work and happy to be productive. They run two shifts – one from 8 am to 5 pm, and the other starting at 6 pm and running until they are caught up on orders.

We thought it was a busy place when we were there on Saturday. But then we walked in the door Sunday morning . . .

The night shift had worked until 4 am and didn’t want to stop then, but they had run out of space for the filled bottles. One problem is that the building runs on solar power. During the day there is plenty of sunshine to keep on the lights and the industrial hair blowers used to shrink-wrap the labels and seal the caps, as well as wrap 24 bottles into a case. But at night, the batteries provide only enough power to keep the lights on inside and the filtration unit running.

So, while the women were in church that morning, we got to work. 

Using a gadget to print the lot number, date bottled, and expiration date on the labels.

Putting on the labels and cap seals, then shrinking them.

 Then putting 24 bottles together in a case. 

To really put the icing on the cake – or seal on the cap – I watched a young man load three cases on his motorcycle to deliver to one of the camps. Can’t get much more full circle than that. Even Izzo, the boss, got into it. 

Even Izzo, the boss, got into it. 

It was an amazing day.