The impact of your donation

Your donation will directly contribute to:

Upgraded Infrastructure

Additional pasteurisers, cooling systems, and a larger fleet of motorbikes to transport milk
safely to Reteti.

100+ new Milk Mamas

Infrastructure expansions mean we can open participation to 100+ new Milk Mamas.

Thriving Ecosystem

Expanding the program will allow us to scale and refine this proven women-led conservation model.

More than Milk

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

Every day, through their strength, nurturing, and care, they’re 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!

Support the Milk Mamas

The power of women to nurture and lead

Every year, International Women’s Day celebrates collaboration, generosity, and the transformative power of women-led initiatives. This year’s theme, #GiveToGain, 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, it all begins with 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

Since 2021, the Milk to Market Program has transformed lives, livelihoods, and landscapes through one profound connection: milk. What began with a single manyatta providing 160 litres a day has grown into a flourishing enterprise. Today, more than 1,245 Milk Mamas across 21 manyattas deliver nearly 700 litres to Reteti daily, nourishing 45 elephant orphans.

Through the sale of that milk, women are earning steady incomes, opening bank accounts for the first time, and building the financial stability to invest in their children's schooling and healthcare. And the impact ripples further – with milk income tied to healthy herds and thriving landscapes, the Milk Mamas are championing the sustainable grazing practices that give this landscape the chance to recover. They give, and everyone gains.

The next chapter

This following phase is about expanding sustainably to support more Samburu women, their communities, and the landscapes they depend on.

Your support will fund much-needed upgrades to our Milk to Market infrastructure, including additional pasteurisers and cooling systems to a larger fleet of motorbikes to transport milk safely to Reteti. Every contribution reinforces women-led livelihoods, protects wildlife, and sustains healthy rangelands – ensuring Milk to Market keeps delivering long-term benefits for the entire Namunyak.

Your donation supports more than milk

The Milk to Market Program’s impact has profound ripple effects and your donation 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, 1,245+ 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.

  • Supatii soap, made by Samburu Milk Mamas

    7. Creating Alternative Income Streams

    Goat milk doesn't just feed elephants, it brings new opportunities. In 2025, Milk Mamas produced 1,400 soap bars, 40 litres of lotion and 45 lip balms through the Supatii Soap Project – creating a new revenue stream from the same herds that sustain the program.

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 are leading community grazing plans that give grass time to recover – protecting the land their goats, families, and wildlife depend on.

Read more

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!

Learn more

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!