Empower Maasai Girls in Kenya

Dear Friends, 

The month of May was as busy as it gets at the MGEF-Kajiado office.  The office was teaming with students getting ready for their new school year.  Our staff was busy organizing and conducting not only Mentoring Workshops for our students but also our 11th Women’s Business Training Workshop

Scholarship Program

MGEF was proud to celebrate eight graduates from primary school and 15 from secondary school this past April.  This meant that we had many students transitioning to a new stage of their education.  The eight primary students had to be placed into their new secondary schools.  Meanwhile, the graduating secondary students now begin their search for a post-secondary school and, for many, this is when they need to decide on a career path to pursue.  The MGEF staff and alumnae are crucial players in these decisions and procedures.  

MGEF decided to add 17 new students to our Scholarship Program due to the increased need for assistance stemming from the pandemic’s toll on the economy in Kenya.  The hardest hit are often the communities that were already suffering from poverty.  Our office had more than double the number of requests for educational assistance from parents, siblings and often the girls themselves.  This is the last chance for many of these girls to avoid female genital cutting (FGC) and early marriage.  Many Maasai simply cannot afford to feed their families, so a small dowry and one less mouth to feed is often the only route for survival.  With the added 17 new students, MGEF now has 151 active students – 54 primary, 43 secondary, 37 post-secondary and 17 pending post-secondary students waiting for acceptance into schools.

All MGEF scholarships are need-based, and before we accept a student into our Scholarship Program, an MGEF-Kajiado staff member visits her home, speaks with her family and assesses her situation. This year, home visits were conducted by two MGEF alumnae, Beatrice and Jackline, who are excited to give back to MGEF and be actively involved in our mission. 

Mentoring Workshop

MGEF was able to finally conduct our Mentoring Workshop and Annual Parent Meeting in person in April, during the break between school terms.  This was the first MGEF Mentoring Workshop we have been able to hold since before COVID. It was a huge success and a critically important event. Once again, it was entirely facilitated by MGEF alumnae, all well-educated Maasai women. Topics discussed include current challenges facing Maasai girls such as teen pregnancy and school dropout, reproductive health, setting realistic educational goals, and career planning. Everyone enjoyed three days of learning, mentorship, discussions, games and sisterhood. This is an invaluable annual event in these girls’ and young women's lives, as they learn from each other and create bonds that will last a lifetime.

On the third and final day of the Workshop, MGEF alumna, Dr. Gloria Mumeita, MD, conducted a first ever Student Health Survey and then spoke with several of the students who had specific health concerns. The Health Survey was Dr. Gloria’s own idea and was a valuable new addition to our Annual Mentoring Workshop. Significantly, the students felt comfortable sharing personal information with Dr. Gloria -- one of their own. Over the years we have discovered that students are sometimes too shy or embarrassed to tell anyone about their health concerns and, untreated, conditions can worsen. But with Dr. Gloria they were at ease, and by the end of the session, she had identified health issues in 17 students. We are committed to helping our students with their medical concerns and are so glad that Dr. Gloria’s personal touch allowed our students to learn more about their health, and our staff to be aware and engaged in supporting them going forward.

This month, MGEF will be holding its first Mentoring Day for Graduated Secondary Students.  This event will be attended by all pending post-secondary students.  It will feature Judy, who is the Director of the Vision Empowerment Training Institute in Kenya. This institute is dedicated to providing professional training and is accredited by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority of Kenya.  Judy will discuss what different career choices entail and how to pick a career that is right for you. The students are very excited.  Some of MGEF’s alumnae will also be there to discuss their career choices. 

Women’s Business Training Workshop

MGEF conducted its 11^th Women’s Business Training Workshop this past week, which provided training, mentoring, and seed grants to 30 Maasai women. The 30 women divide into six groups of five people, and each group creates their business.  The Workshop was conducted by MGEF alumna Esther Lemanyi, who is a certified accountant, and who added some great new ideas to the curriculum. Lucy, MGEF-Kajiado Managing Director, assisted Esther and said it was an amazing group of women.  On the second workshop day, when Lucy and Esther arrived, the women were already gathered in a large group discussing all they had learned the day before and how they could also work together as one large group to help each other succeed.  With this group included, MGEF has helped 330 women start their own businesses. 

It is incredibly rewarding to watch our students reach their goals and become confident and empowered young women. We are inspired to see our alumnae paying it forward by helping other Maasai girls, just like themselves, reach their dreams

Thank you all for your support. We could not do this without you!

Heather McKay