Nourish an Elephant,
Nurture an Ecosystem

Today, you can help us raise US$ 400,000 (250,000 litres of milk) to feed the Reteti Orphans in 2026.

This will also have a profound ripple effect throughout the Namunyak ecosystem and the Indigenous Samburu community – who have coexisted alongside elephants for centuries.

A milk bottle is a gift that never stops giving.

Make a lasting impact!

THIS GIVING TUESDAY, HELP US TO…

let it flow, let it flow, let it flow

We will need approximately 250,000 litres of milk to feed the Reteti Orphans in 2026. Here’s what you have donated so far this Giving Tuesday…

[VIDEO]

Here's what it takes to feed a baby elephant

  • $12

    1 Bottle of Milk
    2 litres of nutritious milk

  • $96

    8 Milk Bottles
    1 day’s milk for 1 elephant

  • $672

    56 Milk Bottles
    1 week’s milk for 1 elephant

  • $2,880

    240 Milk Bottles
    1 month’s milk for 1 elephant

The lasting value of every milk bottle

With every bottle of goat milk, the elephants at Reteti receive superior nutrition to help them one day return to the wild. At the same time, the Samburu Milk Mamas who supply the milk earn an income for the first time in their lives – supporting an Indigenous Community, their vital conservation efforts, and their thriving landscape.

But the chain of positive change doesn’t end there!

The Mamas also receive training from The Sarara Foundation in animal husbandry, rangeland management, grazing practices, and more. This enables them to take better care of their livestock to increase milk production and avoid overgrazing.

One bottle of milk doesn’t just boost the wellbeing of the community; it heals the land itself – the very landscape to which the elephants will ultimately return when they’re released back into the wild.

This donation reaches far and wide…

  • 1,200+ Milk Mamas employed

    Milk Mamas have started their own businesses, opened bank accounts, and now save, support their families, and pay for their children’s school fees.

  • 1,600 bunds built to regreen the land

    The bunds the Mamas and warriors have built are transforming and regreening our land. These simple structures capture rainwater, bringing life back to our landscape.

  • Reseeded over 100 acres of land

    Milk Mamas have established a seed bank of indigenous grass seeds, ensuring that the bunds they’ve built can be reseeded and thrive.

  • Better grass leads to more milk

    Better grass leads to higher yields per goat, allowing Mamas to reduce their herd size while increasing their production.

  • Thriving land for the release herd

    Healthy ecosystem for the release herd

    Thanks to all these sustainable practices, we’ve created an ecosystem that now supports the 13 elephants we’ve just released.

  • Erosion control

    Countless gabions have been built to control erosion ditches, to create a healthier landscape for all.

  • Goat droppings fertilising the land

    Milk Mamas turn goat droppings into fertiliser, enriching the soil for healthier grass, which leads to better milk.

The History of the Milk to Market Program

Travel restrictions during lockdown meant that Reteti could no longer import powdered milk for the fragile elephant orphans. This led to The Sarara Foundation starting the groundbreaking milk program that economically empowers Samburu women, while helping Reteti’s elephants get a more sustainable, cost-effective supply of milk.

Most of the Samburu families have excess goat milk after tending to their family and livestock needs. The Milk Mamas sell their excess milk to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, providing a sustainable supply of unique and superior milk formula which uses goat’s milk as the base.

The income earned by the women greatly improves livelihoods and leads to a thriving Indigenous Community.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Follow the daily milk journey…

  • 06:00

    At daybreak, a new milk journey begins by milking the goats. The milk that’s not needed for household use is brought to the milk market.

  • 08:00

    The milk market opens! We collect milk from more than 1,200 Mamas across the conservancy with the help of a team of motorcycle riders.

  • 09:30

    Upon arrival at Reteti, the milk goes into our solar-powered pasteurisers; and then to our milk kitchen where the bottles are prepared.

  • 11:45

    Bottled and ready for the noon feed. Our (t)rusty wheelbarrow helps transport our milk bottles to the boma.

  • 12:00

    Glug, glug, glug! Each elephant drinks a 2-litre bottle every three hours. The milk that was delivered will be used in the bottles of the next 8 feeds.

  • Impact

    Mamas are earning an income for the first time, allowing them to save, send their kids to school and support their families.

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity, celebrated each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, when people around the world come together to support causes they care about.

Your generosity ripples through this landscape, safeguarding ecosystems and creating a future where elephants and people thrive together. We are deeply grateful for this global family that shows up for us again and again.

Make a lasting impact with Reteti today!

Donate a Milk Bottle