MAASAI GIRL LIFE TIME DREAM FOUNDATION (MAGRIAF)
Introduction and Background:
MAGRIAF is comprised of Maasai professionals seeking funding and strategic alliances with likeminded organizations in realizing and protecting the rights of the Maasai girl child who has been disenfranchised by Maasai retrogressive cultures. MAGRIAF will act as an Advocacy Foundation that will push for:
• The right t
o education.
• The right not to undergo FGM.
• The right not to be married-off without consent.
-Recent gains in realizing the above were dealt a blow by a drought between 2008 and 2009; the Maasai community lost approximately 80% of their livestock. As a result, lot of school going children were affected by extension as school fees became unavailable leading to considerable dropouts.
-We estimate that 5,000 children in the Amboseli area namely: Olgulului/Ololarashi, Imbirikani and Eselenkei group ranches are not in school.
-Indeed, the Government has captured in its 2030 vision our Maasai girl child concerns but it’s palpable that this vision needs to be augmented by the efforts of other stakeholders like MAGRIAF for quicker results.
-MAGRIAF invites you to partner with us to empower the Maasai girl child in Amboseli thereby leveraging our efforts to realize the above mentioned fundamental human rights for the Maasai girl child. Short term goals:
MAGRIAF bursary program:
We propose a pilot project in the above mentioned areas in Amboseli with your support to salvage previous efforts and sprout a new tangent of hope for the disenfranchised Maasai girl child.
-A bursary program to fast-track enrolment for school going children to preferably boarding schools. We intend to provide support to young promising girls in Amboseli who are often excluded from education because of relatively high fees and culture that favors boys. The program hopes to finance a maximum 25 girls per year.
• A bursary package will entail: Tuition fees/text books/school uniform/exercise books/pens/pocket money/travel allowances.
• We will ensure a monitoring mechanism in place to capture success/failure rates for rapid response to prevent bursary pool hemorrhage.
• Independent audit of the bursary pool will ensure transparency and accountability on our side. Other Programs that will run in tandem with the bursary program:
Maasai woman empowerment programs:
We intend to use a two pronged approach that will also empower the Maasai woman, in her sphere of influence thereby empowering the community.
-Augment pre-natal, post-natal initiatives in Amboseli; for mother and child healthcare for posterity; reduce child mortality a rate, train midwifes for safe deliveries and so forth.
-FGM; Sensitization programs on FGM and early marriage and the consequences thereof to the girl child; fistula amongst other health issues.
-Environmental conservation; depletion of resources is a precursor to conflicts, poverty, human and livestock deaths, we will mobilize women on environmental awareness through programs such as tree planting, alternative green energy from cow dung, harnessing solar energy and so forth.
-Sanitation; Programs on water purification/waste disposal/pit latrines/ environmental clean-up activities.
-Health; Sanitary towels/ HIV/AIDS/ unwanted pregnancies/ malaria prevention/ TB prevention.
-Self help groups: Poverty eradication by empowering women through training/ skills and augmenting already existing entrepreneurial initiatives such as beadwork though funding and sourcing markets for the products, revolving funds, introduce better breeding methodologies e.g. cattle fattening for profitability. MAGRIF Structure/rollout strategy/implementation:
An executive that comprises of the founders
Roles and responsibilities;
-Vision bearers of MAGRIAF
-Branding and ex*****on:
Formulate brand identity;logo/website/communication materials e.g. T-Shirts/caps/ pre-project documentaries/post-project documentaries/ fliers/business cards/posters/banners/branded “shukas”/calendars/ for brand visibility and recognition.
-Solicit funding
-Program implementation
-Selection of bursary beneficiaries
-Bursary disbursement
-Follow up of beneficiaries
-Formulation of programs
-Act as signatories of the foundation
-Communication to donors
-As founders, we will institute a board of trustees when the need arises to whom we will delegate an overseeing role.
-Formulate a bursary committee that will involve community leaders who will act as MAGRIAF advocacies at grassroots’ level.
-Appoint international fundraisers. Midterm goals:
• Roll out educational facilities that will also serve as community centers for health care and information dissemination.
• We believe that for us to accrue maximum benefits on child education, clinics will be an essential feature in these learning facilities.
• These clinics will also serve as holistic community care centers offering. Prenatal/postnatal and outpatient services.
• Programs for adult literacy can also be conducted in these facilities.
• FGM eradication programs will also be conducted in these facilities.
• TB prevalence is rife in the Maasai community because of lack of ventilation in Maasai manyattas structures; such health issues can be addressed and information dispensed on the same.
• A school feeding program will be in order to supplement nutritional deficiencies in preferred Maasai diet thus ensuring healthy generations to come.
• Boreholes will also be an incentive to the community given the dire need for water in Amboseli, these can be strategically sunk in close proximity to the proposed learning/health/information dissemination facilities to encourage traffic in these multipurpose centers.
• Revolving funds for women empowerment; it goes without saying that empowering a woman is empowering the whole community. Long-term goal:
This comprises of our overall vision which is “To realize a sizeable Maasai girl child rights footprint in Amboseli” as we replicate our short and mid goals for the posterity of the girl child.
