A Model for Regeneration: The Three Phases of Village Empowerment & Transformation
Imagine a village where clean water flows freely, trees once lost to deforestation return to the land, and youth are equipped not just to survive — but to lead. In Western Kenya, this vision is taking root through Springboard Connectivity’s Village Empowerment and Transformation Project (VET) — a three-phase initiative built on sustainability, collaboration, and regeneration.
In a village of 3,500 people facing rising temperatures, food insecurity, and a lack of opportunity, we are working hand-in-hand with community leaders to change the narrative from one of survival to one of thriving.
At Springboard Connectivity, we believe every community holds the seeds of its own transformation. Our job is to provide the water, light, and nourishment to help them grow.
🌊 Phase 1: Clean Water for Every Home
Phase 1A: The First Well
In February 2025, we completed the first milestone of the Village Empowerment and Transformation (VET) Project: the installation of a solar-powered water well, two storage tanks, and three communal spigots that now serve the village — and beyond.
Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Tides Foundation, this well became a lifeline in the face of increasingly unpredictable droughts and floods.
“The water came at just the right time. Even people from outside our village are coming to fetch, and we are happy to share with them… Every time I meet someone, they thank me. It makes me happy to see the impact.”
— Oliver Juma, VETO Project Leader & Springboard Connectivity Founding Member
The impact has already been profound:
- Reduced waterborne illness
- Shorter walks for women and children
- Improved sanitation and hygiene
- Kitchen gardens thriving
- Livestock nourished
- Dignity restored
Phase 1B: Water Connection Expansion to Every Household
The next phase of the project expands this foundation into a full household water connection system for the entire Malaha Village.
While the current well provides essential access, families still travel to communal access points for water collection. Phase 1B is designed to bring clean water directly to homes through a professionally designed village-wide distribution network.
This phase will serve approximately:
- 3,000 people
- 600 households across 20 homesteads
The expansion includes:
- Installation of main transmission pipelines
- Secondary distribution systems within homesteads
- Household tap connections
- Additional elevated storage tanks
- A second solar-powered borehole to meet growing demand
- Community training and long-term sustainability systems
This phase represents the transition from shared emergency access to true household-level water security.
Water is the foundation for everything that follows:
health, food systems, education, economic opportunity, and long-term resilience.
🌳 Phase 2: Food Systems & Forests
With water now flowing, we’re into Phase 2 — the transformation of food systems and reforestation of the village. This stage is about long-term resilience and health, with a major emphasis on:
- A Tree Nursery: Natives, fruit trees, timber, and medicinal herbs
- Women-Led Micro Poultry Farms: Providing eggs for protein and income
- Team Training & Travel: On-the-ground implementation and education
- Soil and Seed Wisdom: Tools like grafting, permaculture, and regenerative methods to create abundance in unpredictable climates
Meet VETO — the Village Empowerment and Transformation Team. Made up of passionate local youth, this team is ready to activate change. Guided by Springboard Connectivity’s board member Jason Braunberger — a geologist, permaculture teacher, and regenerative farming expert — and in partnership with local leaders, the next chapter is already underway.
We’re not just planting trees — we’re planting leadership, knowledge, and hope.
Phase 3: The Learning Center and Food Hub
Coming next: the grand finale — a skills-based learning center and community food hub. Built on land purchased in the village, this space will offer:
- A technology education lab
- Virtual and in-person courses from global educators
- A community garden and food forest
- A replicable model of holistic village care
This is where we bring it all together: water + food + education = transformation.
Meet Oliver: A New Kind of Leader
At the heart of this project is Oliver, a Springboard Connectivity board member, youth leader, and founder-in-the-making. With our support, Oliver has launched his own nonprofit — GreenLeap Kenya — so that Malaha Village Projects can become self-sustaining long after Springboard’s three phases are complete.
His leadership is a model for what becomes possible when youth are trusted, resourced, and empowered.
His mother is now leading the Elder Women’s Circles.
His sisters are mobilizing the youth.
His whole family is part of this story — one of intergenerational healing and rising.
Why This Work Is Urgent
Malaha’s challenges are not unique — they’re global:
- Idle youth, vulnerable to despair and harmful behaviors
- Malnutrition, from a diet lacking protein and diversity
- Water stress, intensified by climate change
- Economic stagnation, with few job opportunities
Currently, most residents farm corn, beans, and sweet potatoes — but extreme weather is making this harder. Rain no longer comes predictably. Sometimes it doesn’t come at all. Sometimes it comes in floods. And still, families must eat.
We believe eggs, goat milk, and fruit trees can fill this gap — providing both nourishment and income.
But beyond food, people need purpose. That’s why we pair physical systems (wells, trees, chickens) with education and empowerment. This project is about health, yes — but also dignity, creativity, and community pride.
How You Can Help
This is how regeneration happens — one village at a time, led by the people who live there, with support from people who care.
✨ Support the launch of the Tree Nursery and Poultry Co-ops
✨ Help fund travel and training for VETO
✨ Sponsor a future teacher or food hub element
✨ Join the global movement for holistic, grounded, healing development
Because when one village thrives, the whole world ripples.
🔗 Learn More or Donate
Thank you and Bee Well!
~Tracy Tarlow, Founder of Springboard Connectivity, in Partnership with AI Klic Monvex