Our Story
The Founding
The Founder's Vision
New Dawn Hope was founded by Peter Lesuruai to reach the most overlooked and underserved communities in Northern Kenya. We believe that true change is built on compassion and that meaningful action is essential to breaking the deep cycles of poverty and exclusion.
What began in Maralal has grown into a dedicated organization with five regional branches across Samburu County, evolving into a full-scale campaign for human dignity. We are committed to providing life-saving health services, empowering the vulnerable, and safeguarding the future of young girls by ensuring they have access to education instead of early marriage. Through our community empowerment and youth sports initiatives, we are nurturing a new generation of healthy, educated, and resilient leaders. We are a community that refuses to leave anyone behind, driven by the conviction that hope must be tangible.
"Actions are not just words, we must embody them, be them, and serve as practical hope for those who have none."
Peter Lesuruai
Founder & Visionary
5
Mission Branches
The Land & People
About Samburu
310,000
People
Samburu is a pastoralist group of approximately 310,000 people. Their land covers 13,000 square miles — roughly the size of Massachusetts — and is located approximately 250 miles north of Nairobi. The Samburu are known as the "butterfly people" because of their vibrant dress and their deep dependence on livestock and traditional tribal life.
Men traditionally graze their animals while women manage the homestead, known as a "manyatta", alongside their children. Women — celebrated for their beautiful beaded jewellery — carry the heaviest household burdens, the most critical of which is fetching water. In Samburu, the daily search for water is not just a chore; it is a health crisis. Girls are kept from school to help carry it, and communities fall ill because the only available water comes from contaminated, hand-dug wells.
Every aspect of Samburu life — from health and education to women's empowerment and agriculture — is shaped by this foundational scarcity. It is precisely here that New Dawn Hope chooses to stand.
13,000 sq mi
Territory Size
250 miles
North of Nairobi
"Butterfly People"
Cultural Name
Our Purpose
Our Mission
We aim to ensure access to basic needs for the poor vulnerable communities in Samburu and remain committed to the vulnerable communities through health, education, women empowerment and overall wellbeing initiatives.
