This article is one of the finalists of the African Forests Story Grant, an initiative of the UN-REDD Programme, the African Forest Forum (AFF) and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF).
In the steep escarpments and mist-shrouded highlands of Elgeyo Marakwet County, water flows as the very heartbeat of life itself.
High in the Cherang’any Hills and the ancient depths of Embobut Forest, crystal-clear springs emerge from rock and rich soil, giving birth to rivers and streams that wind toward the sun-baked Kerio Valley, transforming rugged terrain into lifelines of survival.
From rituals passed down to protect hidden springs to youth-run tree nurseries and county-supported restoration projects, their accounts reveal a living system sustained not by distant policy alone, but by daily commitment across generations.
These precious sources feed an intricate network of gravity-fed irrigation furrows meticulously carved into rugged escarpments by generations of indigenous hands. Some stretch more than 50 kilometres, nourishing terraced farms that have sustained the Marakwet people and neighbouring communities for centuries.