As we reach the end of 2020, I have mixed feelings of relief, hope, and pride. Relief that we have all made it safely through this extremely challenging year. Hope that 2021 will be a brighter year for us all. And pride in what we have managed to achieve in 2020, despite all of the challenges that we have faced. Upon reopening, The Maa Trust team has worked diligently and responsibly to recommence as many activities as possible in a way that minimizes Covid-19 risks as much as possible. Children in classes 4, 8, and grade 4 have returned to school as per the government directive, and children in the scholarship programme who have not yet returned to school have been supported in their home environment with the materials and resources needed. The Child Rights Programme has started working with and mobilising community stakeholders on the anti-FGM campaign. Honey and beadwork skills training, as well as microfinance training with women’s groups, have recommenced in small groups. Members of Maa Beadwork were delighted to be able to get back to work, and thanks to the fundraising campaign, we were able to provide them with work creating a stockpile for the Maa Beadwork shop. Water, sanitation, and hygiene training workshops have resumed and the health programme has been catching up with activities that could not be undertaken during the lockdown period. Over the last three months, 20 free mobile medical camps have been undertaken alongside backpack services and continued door-to-door activities. We remain thankful to the Ministry of Health and CHP for providing these medical services to rural communities. |
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I am proud that we have been able to continue all of these activities despite the significant reduction in our income this year, caused by Covid-19 and the drastic drop in tourism in the Mara. We are extremely thankful to the individuals, family foundations, grant-makers, and organisations who have continued to support us, making these significant achievements possible. This includes long-standing partnerships like Tusk who have supported us since formation, Crossing Borders and I&M Foundation who have just started supporting us in 2020, and all others in between. The continued support from individuals, families, and family foundations despite the challenges that every household has encountered this year is truly humbling. We are also extremely grateful to Kicheche Bush Camp, Mara Plains Camp, Mahali Mzuri, and Olare Mara Kempinski for continuing to support the trust through the bed-night donation programme, even through these extremely trying times for camp operators. This continued support shows the dedication that the camps have to the families and communities living alongside wildlife in the Maasai Mara. As we look to the new year, we are hopeful that 2021 will see tourists returning to the Maasai Mara. After the recent rains, the savannah is lush and green and wildlife is plentiful but the absence of guests is painfully felt by all. In 2021 we look forward to seeing old friends and new coming to visit us at our new headquarters and learning more about the wonderful work being undertaken by the dedicated Maa Trust team.
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On behalf of us all here at The Maa Trust, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Warmest wishes,
Crystal |
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Programmes Report December 2020 |
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The Maa Trust resumed all its activities in July 2020 after its closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The programmes report for December gives a six-month's detailed update on all our projects; Maa Beadwork, Scholarship Programme, Child Rights Programme, School infrastructure, Maa Honey, Integrated Community Healthcare Project (ICHP), WASH Project, and New HQ Construction |
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The Maa Trust Staff Moves to New Houses |
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Thanks to two generous families, The Maa Trust team is delighted to have moved into their new staff houses. This October, the team has not only moved to the new houses but we have now also fully operationalised the new offices at the Vocational Training Centre (VTC). Both the staff houses and the Vocational Training Centre have been constructed using Maa Bricks. Maa Bricks is an initiative conceived by The Maa Trust and partner organization Builders of Hope out of the mutual desire by both organizations to improve housing conditions in the Maasai Mara region whilst making construction more sustainable and affordable. |
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I&M Bank Foundation Partners with The Maa Trust |
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We are delighted that I&M Bank Foundation has formed a new partnership with The Maa Trust and donated Kshs.1M to support Maa Beadwork. We are very grateful for this timely partnership given the challenging year that 2020 has been, especially for Maa Beadwork. The money is intended to support Maa Beadwork social enterprise which engages 579 Maasai women in an environmentally sustainable livelihood. Maa Beadwork aims to: diversify and increase household income streams lifting families out of poverty; contribute towards the reduction of gender inequality through women’s empowerment; reduce household environmental impacts, and; improve perceptions of conservation and wildlife. |
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Maa Beadwork Members Receive Payments |
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We have recently paid a total of Kshs.3.1M to the 579 beadwork women as their labour payments for the period ending in September. The ladies also received a food package as a supplement to the earnings. The Package consisted of 6 kg maize flour, a packet of tea leaves, a kg of sugar, and a block of bar soap. The idea behind supplementing cash payments with this food parcel is to ensure that the women can spend their income in ways to benefit their family beyond immediate food needs. This is especially important as children start returning to school. “Maa Beadwork programme has been very helpful during the COVID-19 period. They have supplied us with food which has helped to sustain our families. We pray for The Maa Trust to stand strong and continue supporting the community. Today we’ve been paid and also given food. I will use the money to build myself a house, buy a water storage tank, and pay school fees for my children when they will be going back to school.” Paranae Tome, Maa Beadwork Member. |
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The Maa Trust Empowers Women in Microfinance |
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The Maa Trust has been training members of Maa Beadwork, Maa Honey, and other microfinance groups about savings and loan procurement since June 2018. TMT acts as a bridge between the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) and women’s groups, providing them with access to social capital.
Since the resumption of The Maa Trust (TMT) in July after closure caused by #COVID19, our Gender Project Officer, Isen Kipetu resumed training women in the Maasai Mara about loan procurement. This is especially needed now after so many of the women’s businesses have been affected by the pandemic. |
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As we move past Thanksgiving and start thinking about Christmas, we recognize that 2020 has been a very difficult year for us all. COVID-19 has changed our lives, and its impact has been felt heavily by women here in Maasai Mara. We would like your support to help Maasai families through these challenging times.
Please click here to watch a short video to learn what The Maa Trust is doing to help women in the Maasai Mara pull themselves and their families out of poverty, and what you can do to help.
To donate towards this cause, please click below. |
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