Our History
Quiet Way was founded by Utah businessman and entrepreneur, Ronald Hatfield, and his wife, Maurine, in 2002, after meeting a Kenyan woman who invited them to participate in her efforts to aid her village in Kenya. The Hatfields started by making small contributions towards school supplies, digging of wells, and supporting a small micro-enterprise operation. In 2007 the Hatfields officially formed Quiet Way as a 501(c)3 corporation in the state of Utah, and registered the organization as a society with the Government of Kenya.
Two-thousand and eight marked the beginning of efforts to scale the initiatives started by the Hatfields. A surgical mission was collaboratively organized with another non-profit group, as well as the shipment of over $1M USD of medical and humanitarian supplies. In 2008 Quiet Way was introduced to the Vice-President of Kenya, and was asked to pursue as a priority the provision of water in ASAL regions. This same year Quiet Way facilitated the shipment/purchase of food for those most stricken by the drought, feeding 10,000 people according to Phillip Kaloki, MP of the Kibwezi district. Quiet Way also befriended the then Ambassador of Kenya to the United States, and has been the primary funder of the construction of an orphan feeding center in Western Province.
In 2009 Quiet Way built two river catchments (dams), and after analyzing these dams questioned the effectiveness and sustainability of simply building catchment systems without a regional strategic plan. Research revealed, for example, that Excellent Development has been building catchment systems in the exact same region for over 25 years, and already has a marvelous program in place for which they have received numerous awards! Revelations such as this prompted Quiet Way to pause and fully investigate the current standing of water resource provision in order to most efficiently meet the needs within the current system, and avoid a duplication of efforts and increase collaboration.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of Quiet Way’s eight years of experience is the varied type of projects, collaborations and relationships which have provided the insights into charitable operations that have positioned Quiet Way to recognize the true needs and issues in Kenya’s water sector.
