Brighter Green and the Simba Masai Outreach Organization (SIMOO)

From 2008, Brighter Green, along with the Tribal Link Foundation, collaborated with Francis ole Sakuda and Daniel Salau Rogei of the Simba Maasai Outreach Organization (SIMOO) in Kenya to grapple with the realities of climate change for indigenous communities in Kenya and elsewhere. Like many rural areas of the global South (or “developing world”), the effects of climate change have been felt in Maasai communities in Kenya. Droughts that used to be rare are now common. Rainfall patterns, once predictable, are now erratic. The changing climate is putting at risk the long-term viability of the herding livelihoods of the Maasai and other pastoralist societies.

One project was to provide solar and wind energy for cooking and refrigeration to store vegetables and fruits. In health centers, clean and renewable energy would enable refrigeration of essential medicines and vaccines. Cell phones and laptops could be powered to facilitate the marketing of crafts and other locally produced goods as well as cross-cultural exchanges via the Web. New livelihood opportunities could be created for women, whose income, studies show, translates into direct benefits for children’s education and health, and household food security.