Nourish an Elephant,
Nurture an Ecosystem

In celebration of World Elephant Day, make a lasting impact by donating a milk bottle!

Every milk bottle gifted will be matched – up to 10,000 bottles. Help us reach our goal of 20,000 bottles – and support the transformation of an entire ecosystem!

Every bottle makes a difference!

A DONATION WITH A DIFFERENCE

The lasting value of every milk bottle!

Every Reteti milk bottle supports and changes lives, livelihoods, and our precious land!

Thanks to your incredible support, more than 22,000 bottles of goat milk were donated in the past two years – and this is the impact it’s had on the ground here in Namunyak!

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.
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.

Give the gift that keeps on giving this World Elephant Day!

A donation with a difference

Every milk bottle gifted up to 10,000 bottles will be matched! Help us reach our target of 20,000 milk bottles for World Elephant Day – and transform lives, livelihoods, and our land!

YOUR IMPACT

Thanks to your support and donations of fresh milk bottles,
13 elephant orphans were strong enough to be released this year into a healthy and thriving landscape!

We also provided world-class care for Reteti’s orphans, increased the Milk Mamas to more than 1,200, and provided meaningful employment to the Samburu community. Reteti’s fresh milk bottles and your generous donations are ensuring a brighter future for all!

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 start of a 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.

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 1,000 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.

At Reteti, we feel privileged to keep learning from nature – as well as every elephant orphan in our care.

The Samburu’s ancient knowledge about the preservation of wildlife and the environment forms the heartbeat of our community-led conservation movement. We witness time and again how nature has all the answers – and knows best how to heal!

In awe of elephants – our ecosystem engineers!

Elephants have a profound influence on their environment – and it benefits all!

While they’re moving around and foraging for food, they create clearings and access to light – which gives other species the chance to make the most of nature and thrive!

This World Elephant Day, we’re reminded of their contributions to our ecosystem, and climate recovery as a whole! Dispersing seeds over vast distances through their dung, they are creating new habitats and boosting wildlife diversity!

Evolving together over millennia, animals and plants have continuously improved their chances of survival! Working towards the conservation of both elephants and Namunyak’s landscape and resources puts us at the heart of this dance of nature – and it’s such a privilege!

Join us in celebrating their incredible contributions to our environment – and give something back to the gentle giants of the bush this World Elephant Day!

Make a profound difference – donate a milk bottle!