Empower Maasai Girls in Kenya

Dear friends,

After years of drought, the rainy season hit Kenya hard this year.  The country experienced severe and dangerous flooding, and, as a result, the Ministry of Education decided to postpone the opening day of Term 2.  The original opening date was to be April 29th but the students did not return to school until May 13th.   

The Maasai Girls Education Fund was very fortunate, however, and we are happy to report that all our students, alumnae and staff made it through the severe weather safely.  A few students did make their way to the MGEF-Kajiado office the week of the April 29th, thinking they would be returning to school.  For everyone’s welfare, MGEF staff contacted all of our scholarship students to make sure that they knew that classes had been postponed and directed them to please stay safe at home. Flash floods can come fast and without notice.  The students and parents knew that MGEF-Kajiado was the place to call for the latest update on the opening of schools.

Despite the school delays, it has been an exceptionally active year for MGEF. We currently have 162 students on our roster: 34 primary, 66 secondary, 2 vocational, 48 postsecondary, and another 12 are pending acceptance into postsecondary programs. Everyone was excited that the delay wasn’t too long and are happy to be back at school. 

Life Skills Workshops

March was a busy month. We were fortunate to be able to hold seven Life Skills Workshops (LSWs) before the rains became too severe. The Workshops addressed traditional topics that hinder or directly affect the education of girls, such as early marriage, female genital cutting, domestic violence, and the rights of children under Kenyan law, to name a few.  We were thrilled to add two new topics this year to the curriculum—dental hygiene and climate change. MGEF alumna, Jane S., now a dentist, demonstrated dental hygiene practices and explained why good dental health is important for overall health. Because of the severe drought and the recent rains and floods, a new facilitator was invited to speak about climate change. He discussed what the Maasai can do proactively, such as plant trees, and other ways of adapting to the impacts of climate change.  

College Mentoring Workshop

MGEF also conducted our third College Mentoring Workshop, designed to assist secondary school graduates applying to postsecondary programs. Last year’s Workshop was incredibly successful. An unprecedented 12 MGEF students were accepted to postsecondary schools by late 2023, and we anticipate a similar success rate this year. As with all our workshops, MGEF alumnae play an important role organizing, facilitating and mentoring younger students. Our 115 alumnae work in just about every field, and their experience and advice are invaluable to the young women preparing to embark on their postsecondary journeys.

We are happy to announce two new positions at the MGEF Kajiado office.  Alumna Esther L. has accepted our offer of Program Director.  She will be in charge of our LSW’s and the Women’s Business Training (WBT) workshops.  She will work closely with MGEF-Kajiado Managing Director and US Executive Director, to not only plan, budget and facilitate the workshops, but to also enhance the curriculums.  

Alumna Beatrice K., who has been an intern for MGEF for several years, has accepted the position of Administrative Assistant.  She has become a crucial part of the behind the scenes work and will be of great help to both the Managing and Program Directors in her new role and responsibilities.  

We are very happy that everyone is safe and sound and back in school and that the rains have subsided.  We look forward to a successful summer.

Thank you all for your support.