Empower Maasai Girls in Kenya

Dear Friends,

As mentioned in the last update, I joined MGEF as the Director of Finance and Programs last April. And what an adventure it has been already! In June, MGEF President, Tracey Pyles, Executive Director, Zara Bott-Goins, Board Member, Jon Griffin, and I visited Kenya and our Kajiado team. It was a great introduction for me, and an inspiring opportunity to witness the commitment of everyone at MGEF, from the U.S. Board to our Kenyan outreach volunteers, and to see first hand what our work and your support have accomplished.

To start our journey we attended a scheduled MGEF-Kajiado board meeting where we thanked members for their service, discussed the progress we have made so far this year, and planned future programs and new scholarships for the coming fall. Over the next several weeks, the Kajiado team conducted eight MGEF Life Skills Workshops. These workshops educate not only Maasai girls but also boys about the hardships and health problems resulting from early marriage and FGM. They also cover important life skills lessons. This summer alone MGEF Life Skills Workshops reached over 600 children in the Ngong region of Kajiado, and our fall schedule for upcoming workshops looks just as busy.

We also visited many primary and secondary schools during our visit to check on our MGEF scholarship students. It was such a wonderful vision to see the smiles on the faces of these girls, many of whom have already overcome so much on their way to fulfilling their dreams. They are the faces of the future, and their success will have an enormous impact on their communities. And they are succeeding! One of our university students graduates this month with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Another MGEF student who is studying to be a doctor just completed her 4th year of medical school in Nairobi. In October she will be traveling to the United States for an 8-week medical internship with physicians at the National Institutes of Health and the John’s Hopkins affiliated Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Two other students who majored in education are now teaching in local Kajiado schools. These are all role models for our younger students and real-life examples of the positive difference MGEF works tirelessly to achieve.

Finally, it is both moving and impressive to see the large student and alumnae participation at our August Mentoring Workshop, a forum that fosters strong bonds among MGEF students as they support and encourage each other through hardship, and share and celebrate each others’successes. The growing list of alumnae and their significant accomplishments is powerfully motivating, and our graduates’dedication to helping younger girls remain in school and realize their own potential is among MGEF’s greatest assets. The skilled staff in our Kajiado office also actively support our students through any challenges they may experience at school or at home, and are always available to help them plan and decide their futures.

I myself will be attending the next Mentoring Workshop and MGEF Graduation Ceremony in early December, when two MGEF student will complete their primary education, and eight will graduate from secondary school! I am excited to celebrate their achievements with them, and I look forward to sharing the experience with you.

Thanks to your generosity and support, the Maasai Girls Education Fund continues to make a real difference and improve the lives of Maasai girls, women, and their communities.

With gratitude,

Heather Mckay

Director of Finance and Programs, MGEF