Without action, we will lose all grazing land in 10 years and our livelihoods with it.
🕐 THE COST OF WAITING
⚠️
1 acre of Opuntia = 0 animals fed, and it kills animals that eat it.
⚠️
1 acre restored = 100 animals saved from starvation.
Our community has no other income. If the pasture dies, families lose food, school fees, and culture.
EYI's core values
✕
1. Land is Life
We do not separate ourselves from the land. The health of our pastures, the flow of our water, and the safety of our wildlife are not environmental issues they are survival.
✕
2. Youth Must Lead
Pastoralist youth are the most urgent stakeholders in Mayianat's future so we lead the work, we learn by doing, and we take responsibility for the outcome. & livelihoods.
👁 OUR VISION
Mayianat restored: grass for our cattle, safety for wildlife, culture for our children, and secure livelihoods for our families.
🎯 OUR MISSION
We mobilize pastoralist youth to clear Opuntia, regrow pasture, protect livelihoods, and pass on traditional knowledge.
📺 LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Recently interviewed by a local TV presenter at our restoration site showing the community our work with semi-circular bunds visible in action.
OUR APPROACH
Youth-led. Elder-supported. Community-owned.
Youth volunteer to restore land. We lead by doing.
Elders share traditional knowledge and guide our journey.
The entire community takes ownership and benefits together.
1. RESTORE THE LAND + LIVELIHOODS
Phase 1: Volunteer Pilot
We started as volunteers with no funding – only commitment.
✓
Youth came with their own tools and cleared ½ acre of Opuntia stricta by hand.
✓
No lunch was provided. We worked on our own commitment.
✓
I personally bought 1 sack of grass seeds for Ksh. 1,200 and paid Ksh. 500 for transport with my own money.
✓
We planted Eragrostis superba and Cenchrus ciliaris — indigenous grasses animals love.
Phase 2: Community Engagement & Support
✓
Held a community meeting where members saw the restoration results.
✓
Community donated Ksh. 50,000 in support of the project.
✓
Balance of Ksh. 7,000 was carried forward to the next event.
🐄 WHY ½ ACRE MATTERS
Clearing and planting gives healthy pasture a chance to return. That ½ acre can feed and save 100 animals from starvation, protecting our entire livelihood.
BARE GROUND LEAVES OUR RANGELANDS VULNERABLE
⚠️ Bare ground exposes soil to erosion, reduces water infiltration, and limits grass growth needed for healthy grazing lands.
We construct semi-circular bunds and water-harvesting structures to:
Capture and retain rainwater
Reduce soil erosion
Improve water infiltration
Support grass regeneration
Restore degraded rangelands
💧💧💧
Who We Are
About EYI
Founded by Raison Kaiyok Letutan and pastoralist youth determined to reclaim their land, culture and future the Ereto Youth-Led Initiative(Ereto meaning help) is a grassroots conservation movement rooted in indigenous knowledge and community love.
Our Story
In 2025, Raison Kaiyok Letutan and a group of pastoralist youth in Mayianat, Laikipia looked at their degraded rangelands overrun by invasive Opuntia cactus and refused to accept the future that was unfolding. With no funding, only machetes and commitment, they began clearing land by hand.
What started as one cleared half-acre and 250 semi-circular bunds has grown into a movement. In 2026, a total of 3 acres were restored: 1 acre of semi-circular bunds and 2 acres of cleared Opuntia.
EYI brings together youth volunteers, community elders, and local families to restore the pastures, protect the wildlife corridors, and preserve the pastoralist culture that has shaped this land for generations.
What Drives Us
Our Core Values
🌱
Restoration
Every acre cleared and every grass seed planted is a vote for the future we believe in.
📚
Indigenous Knowledge
We honor and pass on the ecological wisdom of our elders — it is our greatest resource.
🤝
Community First
Every decision is made with and for the community. Ownership means everyone benefits.
🔥
Youth Leadership
We don't wait for permission. Pastoralist youth are leading the restoration of our own home.
The People
Our Leadership Team
Raison Kaiyok Letutan
Founder & CEO
The visionary who started EYI with nothing but conviction. Raison personally funded the first grass seed purchase and rallied the community to clear Opuntia by hand turning personal sacrifice into a movement.
Wilfred Tulito
Director
Provides strategic direction and operational leadership across EYI's restoration programmes and partnerships.
Faith Josephine
Youth Leader
The driving force behind EYI's volunteer mobilisation, inspiring young people to restore their own land.
Anosi Lekwale
IT & Technology
Manages EYI's digital presence, donor systems, and online storytelling.
John Shuel
Marketing & Communications
Leads media relations and outreach campaigns, bringing EYI's impact to national and international audiences.
Kursa Piroris
Elders Advisor
Brings generations of indigenous ecological knowledge to guide restoration decisions and cultural preservation.
Our Journey
How We Got Here
From a single cleared half-acre with no funding to a community movement restoring livelihoods across Mayianat.
2025 — Beginning
Volunteer Pilot Launched
Youth cleared ½ acre Opuntia + ½ acre 200 circular bunds by hand. No funding. No lunch. Only commitment and a belief that something had to change.
We mobilize pastoralist youth to clear Opuntia, regrow pasture, protect livelihoods, and pass on traditional knowledge — because the land is our life, and our life depends on the land.
Vision
Mayianat Restored
Grass for our cattle. Safety for wildlife. Culture for our children. Secure livelihoods for our families. A Mayianat where the land feeds and shelters every generation that follows.
Mission
Youth Leading Restoration
To mobilize, train, and equip pastoralist youth to clear invasive Opuntia, restore native grassland, build water harvesting infrastructure, protect wildlife habitat, and preserve the intergenerational ecological knowledge of our elders.
Strategic Focus
Four Pillars of Our Work
01
Land Restoration
Clear invasive Opuntia stricta, plant indigenous grasses, and restore the ecological integrity of Mayianat's rangelands. Every cleared acre becomes productive pasture within one growing season.
02
Water Harvesting
Build semi-circular bunds, check dams, and water catchment structures that slow runoff, capture rainwater, reduce gully erosion, and recharge the soil moisture that grasses need to thrive.
03
Wildlife Protection
Restore the habitat corridors that link community land to conservation areas. Healthy rangeland supports biodiversity — from birds and insects to zebra, elephant, and lion.
04
Knowledge Transfer
Document and teach the traditional ecological knowledge of Maasai elders — which species grow where, seasonal movement patterns, and land management practices that sustained this landscape for centuries.
Our Impact So Far
Progress Made
½+
Acres of Opuntia Cleared
100+
Animals Saved from Starvation
1,000+
Semi-Circular Bunds Dug
3
Acres of Pasture Restored
⭐ Featured Event
🐛 Pasture Day
Cochineal Bug Launch Against Opuntia Stricta
🤝 Partnership with Mayianat Community Conservancy
📅 13 December 2026
📍 Loosukut Village grazing zone — elders have already selected the site
👥 70 youth + 2 cochineal experts from the conservancy
The Mayianat Community Conservancy already operates a cochineal bug greenhouse and has a trained expert team. EYI is partnering with them to release these natural Opuntia-eating insects across the selected grazing zone — a low-cost, long-term biological solution that works alongside our manual clearing efforts.
Budget Breakdown — Ksh. 32,000 Total
Expert allowance (train youth)Ksh. 10,000
Lunch for 70 youth + expertsKsh. 15,000
Gloves (protective handling)Ksh. 5,000
Bug transport from greenhouseKsh. 2,000
How it works: Cochineal bugs feed directly on Opuntia leaves and pads, slowly weakening and killing the cactus without chemicals — a method already proven at the conservancy's greenhouse.
From hand-clearing Opuntia to biological control, tree planting, and wildlife trips — every EYI event is purposeful, fully budgeted, and community-led.
7
Total Events
5
Upcoming
2
Past Events
251,500
Ksh Total Budget
8 events
#
Status
Event
Date
Location
People
Budget
Actions
5 Upcoming · 2 Past · Budget funded by community & donors2026/27 Total Budget: Ksh 251,500
Results on the Ground
Our Impact
Real change, measured in acres cleared, animals saved, families fed, and a community that believes again in the future of its land.
½+
Acres Cleared
100+
Animals Saved
1,000+
Bunds Built
3
Acres Restored
Voices from the Land
Community Stories
👩🏿🌾
Halima legei
📍 Mayianat Village
Before EYI cleared the Opuntia, my cattle were starving. Now the grass is returning and my animals are fat again. My children will go to school this year.
👦🏿
Solomon lekuiye
📍 Youth Volunteer
I thought I would have to leave Mayianat to find work. Now I am part of restoring our land. This is where I belong — and I am making it better.
🧓🏿
Mzee lekitari seketeti
📍 Community Elder
These young people are listening to us. They are using the old ways with new energy. I have hope for Mayianat again for the first time in many years.
,,
Be Part of the Change
Get Involved
Whether you donate, volunteer, partner, or spread the word — every action helps restore Mayianat's rangelands and secure the future of its people.
How You Can Help
Four Ways to Make a Difference
💰
Donate
Every shilling goes directly into the ground buying grass seeds, funding clearing days, and building water structures.
