Maasai women lead restoration in Kenya

At Justdiggit, we see every day how restoring land goes hand in hand with empowering people. In Kenya’s Amboseli landscape, this connection is especially clear. Here, climate change and land degradation are putting pressure on both communities and ecosystems and Maasai women are leading the way in restoring resilience.

Grass seed banks in Noonkotiak

Women at the heart of regreening

Through the GEF Special Climate Change Fund–supported Restoring Southern Kenya Rangelands: Amboseli Landscape project, we work alongside UNIDO and the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust to support women’s groups in practical, community-led restoration. Using water bunds (or as we like to call them: Earth Smiles), women help capture rainwater, reduce erosion and bring native grasses back to degraded land. These nature-based solutions reflect our shared belief that restoration works best when it is locally driven.

Water bunds in Amboseli, Kenya

Restoring land, strengthening livelihoods

The impact goes beyond the landscape. Women involved in the project are gaining skills in grass seed production, hay making and beekeeping, creating new sources of income for their families. Through savings groups and cooperatives, women are strengthening their financial independence and increasing their role in local decision-making — an essential step toward long-term resilience.

This work shows how inclusive restoration creates lasting impact, for both ecosystems and communities. We are proud to be a partner in this effort and to support women as key agents of change.

Read the full story on the GEF website to learn more about how Maasai women are restoring the Amboseli landscape.