ILAMAIYO is an indigenous youth organization founded by the youth and educated elites of mukogodo division. It’s registered under the department of social services of Kenya as a self help project. ILAMAIYO acts as an umbrella for several other youth and women groups. It undertakes activities covering the whole division. It targets grassroots’ participation in community development endeavors.
It’s a self help group structure working toward the future betterment of laikipiak youth and their community through proper use and management of the locally available resources .the implementation of the groups goals and objectives should be in line with overall government policy in development and resource mobility , the group as well prioritize activities that are friendly to the environment.
ILAMAIYO foundation thought.
”… when the Lion roars, roars and roars again the other creatures wrangle in horror that the king of the jungle is awake. We, the Lion boys, therefore shall roar tirelessly and scare the emblem of poverty out of our Community.” Merinyi Francis 2001

Background Description.
Traditional and historic definition; ILAMAIYO is a Maasai word for an organized lion hunt, a practice that signifies Maasai rite of passage for the same age-set. It is also carried out by Maasai Moran’s when lions become a nuisance killing cattle in the manyattas; in addition the same is carried out for traditional purposes where the tuft and the mane are used in the making of the traditional horn of initiation during a great inter-generational ceremony culturally termed as ‘eunoto’.

Modern definition; now that the world of science and technology has taken rage the laikipiak youth is also influenced. They have reflected back on their survival strategies to the changing global situation, often with the emergence of lethal phenomena.
Thus Ilamaiyo has been chosen to supports the idea of the renowned Maasai novelist writer Henry Ole Kulet in his book ‘Is it possible’ who asks whether it is possible to hold a spear in one hand and a pen in another.
Therefore ilamaiyo is determined to fight the spear less battle against the nuisance of:-
 The lion of poverty and illiteracy
 The lion of environmental degradation
 The lion of unawareness and unemployment
 The lion of drug abuse and idleness
 The lion of STI and HIV/AIDS pandemic
 The lion of harmful cultural practices and the inferiority complex of the Maasai girl child
 The lion of sound cultural erosion and emulation of western culture by the youth

Goals and objectives
 To support the youth by giving them assistance on how to participate and contribute towards project development as a way of improving their social-economic well-being.
 To promote and establish a level playing ground regardless of gender issue, good bargaining power to women to be regarded and given a sense of belonging and dignity by men.
 To fundraise, mobilize and solicit funds and resources for the promotion of the objects of the group.
 To advocate for a positive attitude and behavior change within the community through grass-root sensitization by organizing awareness workshop, seminars and meetings.
 To encourage the laikipiak youth to initiate income generating activities in order to build self-recognition and self-reliance.
 To sensitize the community on the importance of cultural integrity, conservation and respect.
 To mobilize and involve the laikipiak youth and the community as whole on environmental conservation and management.

OUR VISION: We envision a society in which the laikipiak youth will be able to explore their talents maximally and decide for their own future.
OUR MISSION: To enable the youth live, desire, identify and work with the community toward positive transformation of lives.

OUR MOTTO: Give us wings.

Program areas
Ilamaiyo head office is in Dol Dol Township of mukogodo division in Laikipia North district, 64kms away from Nanyuki. Mukogodo division is a rocky terrain division on the north eastern edge of Laikipia plateau.
The following are key priority areas which Ilamaiyo perceives viable and of paramount important to the community.
 Community health and HIV/AIDS;
Ilamaiyo Foundation educates and train the community on basic health care. This includes personal hygiene; community based health care system, reproductive health, sanitation and waste management through proper disposal. The organization also creates awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic through sensitization workshops, seminars and trainings.
 Women and Girl Child Empowerment;
ILAMAIYO will promote and strengthen the involvement and active participation of women development projects in the community. These involve sensitization, training and giving of legal assistance linkages to appropriate organs. The organization will secure data related to child abuse and neglect and intervenes where possible. However ILAMAIYO is working close with children’s department in order to assist in carrying out its activities in grass-root levels. We have however, fundraised to enable children from needy and poverty stricken households access secondary education with special considerations given to the girl child and orphans.
 Income Generating Activities;
ILAMAIYO will reorganize its members and give them entrepreneurial training so to invest on opportunities available and develop ideas that will improve their economic status. However ILAMAIYO has given widows a special attention by reorganizing them to form groups of bead work and markets their products. Other indicators of I.G.As include among others; livestock marketing, sand harvest, cultural centers and dances, bee keeping, weaving, hides and skins and other small scale enterprises.
 Conflict resolution
New challenges to pastoralists are constantly threatening the peaceful co-existence; proliferations of small arms into pastoralists hands has brought appalling results causing great suffering to innocent people and the wild fauna in terms of loss of lives mass displacements of populations, destruction of moral and spiritual degradations and creation of state of fear, helplessness, uncertainty, destruction of infrastructure leading to abject poverty among pastoralists facilitating fight and conflict
 Networking;
ILAMAIYO will be networking with other youth groups, women groups and other development organizations with similar or different activities so to share and exchange ideas. At grass root level we have established a youth network comprising of other youth groups and clubs that works together for the betterment of the entire Laikipia Maasai society in terms of awareness and overall development.