More than Milk

This International Women’s Day, we honour the remarkable Milk Mamas.

Every day, through their strength, nurturing, and care, they are changing lives, livelihoods, and landscapes for generations to come!

The Milk Mamas are ready to expand and grow their program to reach and support more Indigenous Samburu women. Join us in helping their program grow!

PROGRESS BAR

The power of women to nurture and lead

In the elephant world, herds are guided by matriarchs – wise females whose knowledge sustains generations. At Reteti, that truth plays out every day. As Africa’s first community-owned elephant sanctuary, and the first to employ female keepers, women are at the heart of what we do.

And it all begins with Northern Kenya’s Milk Mamas – Indigenous Samburu women connected by a shared purpose, where ancient wisdom meets women-led conservation. Their achievements show that when women are empowered, entire communities and ecosystems thrive – and even the smallest act of giving creates benefits for all.

A proven model of community-led conservation

Through the Milk to Market Program, Milk Mamas sell their goat milk to feed the elephants orphans in our care. It’s a beautifully simple exchange – nourishing baby elephants while creating independent income for women where there was none before. 

That income ripples outward, supporting children’s education, healthcare, and giving women the stability to start small businesses of their own. And because milk income depends on healthy herds and healthy land, Milk Mamas are leading sustainable grazing practices that give rangelands the chance to recover.

Honouring the Milk Mamas

International Women’s Day is rooted in the ideals of advancing women, celebrating their achievements, and driving even greater impact. It’s powered by the profound force of collective effort – just like the inspiring Milk Mamas, who leave no stone unturned to provide nearly 700 litres of milk to Reteti daily, ensuring that 45 elephant orphans receive their bottles of superior nutrition every three hours.

But the Milk Mamas’ impact does not stop there….

Your donation supports more than milk

The Milk to Market program’s impact has a profound ripple effect and contributes to:

  • 1. Nourishing Elephant Orphans

    The Milk Mama’s contribution to Reteti’s superior goat milk formula supports the elephant orphan’s rehabilitation and ensures successful release back into the wild.

  • An Samburu woman, holding a milk bottle at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.

    2. Women Earning an Income

    In a remote landscape and patriarchal culture, 1,280+ Milk Mamas are earning steady incomes, opening bank accounts (many for the first time), and planning for the future through the sale of goat milk to Reteti.

  • 3. Investing in Children

    The steady income allows Milk Mamas to provide for their children and support more consistent schooling to unlock their potential and invest in their future.

  • 4. Healthy Families

    The Milk Mamas are able to afford transport and access to healthcare to ensure that they can keep providing milk and that their children can stay in school.

  • Aerial view of a African savanna landscape with small water pools, scattered green bushes and a herd of goats.

    5. Thriving Landscape

    Championed by the Milk Mamas and The Sarara Foundation, various regreening projects (including digging bunds, establishing seed banks, creating goat-dropping fertiliser, and controlling erosion) are transforming rangelands and bringing life to the land.

  • A woman feeds goats in a dry, bushy outdoor environment.

    6. Women-led Change

    2025 saw Milk Mamas championing leadership in rangeland health – and the launch of Women Champions for Rangelands Rehabilitation (WCRR). The Milk to Market program has shown Samburu women that they can lead and contribute to their community.

When women gain, everyone gains.

Give to gain this International Women’s Day – and help keep Reteti’s elephants fed and the women-led ecosystem thriving.

Donate to Expand Milk to Market

SUCCESS STORIES

Milk Mamas leading the way grazing compliance, championing rotational grazing plans and improved rangeland health.

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Learn more

What is the Milk to Market Program?

Launched during the worldwide pandemic to supply Reteti’s orphans with locally sourced milk, the program opened doors to economic independence for the Milk Mamas through the sale of their goat milk.

Since its humble beginnings, when women from a single manyatta (homestead) provided 160 litres of milk to Reteti daily, the program has grown into a flourishing enterprise. Today, more than 1,245 Milk Mamas across 21 manyattas provide nearly 700 litres of milk to Reteti daily, nourishing 45 elephant orphans!

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What will my donation contribute to?

Now in its fifth year, Milk to Market has evolved into a proven model of community-driven conservation that’s always been about more than milk.

This next chapter will see us working to see more women earning stable incomes, more children unlocking their potential through learning, more families accessing early healthcare, and more female-led restoration initiatives – for the benefit of everyone who calls this precious wilderness home.

Donate today

What is the theme of 2026’s International Women’s Day?

Every year, International Women’s Day celebrates collaboration, generosity, and the transformative power of women-led initiatives. This year’s theme, Give To Gain, resonates deeply with our belief that championing female leadership creates a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable world – in which everyone not only gains, but truly thrives.

At Reteti, we’ve witnessed the collective power of women first-hand. Since its launch in 2021, The Sarara Foundation’s Milk to Market Program has transformed lives, livelihoods, and landscapes.

None of this would be possible without the passion and encouragement of our like-hearted community of supporters.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the journey we continue to walk with this ever-growing global family, who share our values and vision for a brighter tomorrow.

Give today, shape tomorrow!