Maasai Girls Education Fund

The goals of these workshops are to instill respect for girls and women and to reduce teen pregnancy, FGM, the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Boys will learn about how HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are spread and how to prevent it, with emphasis on demystifying and destigmatizing the condom. They will learn how a woman gets pregnant. There will be discussion of the inequality of the consequences when a girl gets pregnant: the boy has no responsibility and goes on with his life; the girl has to drop out of school and be forced to marry any man who will take her, while the father has to settle for a lower bride price. The agenda will include discussion of child rights, the value of education, and respect for women.

The great strength of the Maasai Girls Education Fund is the engagement of the Maasai community. MGEF believes that the only way to overcome the economic, social, and cultural factors that prevent girls from getting an education is to work on-the-ground with the community. MGEF has included the community in every aspect of its development. From the beginning, women's advocacy groups, educators, local government officials, chiefs, and parents were consulted to ensure that all perspectives and opinions were considered, and that our work is appropriate to the culture and accepted by its people.