Becoming a Senior Elder (Part II)

In Tanzania in general and especially in Alailelai, where daily life is spread out on foot across miles, every car ride counts. Forget seat belts, capacity limits or anything even close to personal space—every body that can fit is squeezed in, plus a few extras for good measure. So it was that we made our … Continue reading Becoming a Senior Elder (Part II)

Becoming a Senior Elder (Part 1)

We hopped out of the Land Rover and followed our guides, running as fast as we could wrapped in shukas across uneven fields sprinkled with stinging nettle. “Come Judy, come Kim, come Jim—have your camera ready!” Mbekure urged us on. We were late to the start of the evening’s event—the first night of the Oring’eheri, … Continue reading Becoming a Senior Elder (Part 1)

Helping His Society

Some people are born to be movers and shakers. Without prompting, they happily devote themselves and their time to bettering themselves and in turn bettering their communities. Somiani Ngaluma is one such person. A young Maasai man who grew up in Alailelai, he has become MP Partner Organization AMSO’s newest staff member. Somiani, who also … Continue reading Helping His Society

Educating a Girl

The odds of Nashipai doing well academically were not high. As a young girl born and raised in the remote village of Alailelai, any education at all—let alone a solid one—would normally be hard to achieve. But given the opportunity to attend a private school in Karatu, Nashipai has flourished. The 10-year-old Maasai student received … Continue reading Educating a Girl

Health is the Way to Make Life Good

This guest blog was written by Mbekure Metemi, director of AMSO, one of our partner organizations.  After many months of planning and coordination, AMSO and several other organizations conducted an eye clinic in December. The clinic relied on the supervision and connection of a number of NGOs within Ngorongoro division—including AMSO, NDI, Kiretono Resource Organization and … Continue reading Health is the Way to Make Life Good

Four Brides and Four Grooms

In a traditional western wedding, dozens or hundreds of pairs of eyes are focused on one woman, and one woman only. So imagine our fellows’ surprise when we arrived at a catholic church in Karatu recently to find no less than four brides and four grooms paired for betrothal. With a baptism thrown in to … Continue reading Four Brides and Four Grooms

Holiday Catalog 2016

The end of 2016 is rapidly approaching, but there’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to Maasai Partners in 2016! Our projects improve life not only on an individual, but a wider-reaching level. Whether four goats grow an entire family’s herd, an efficient stove drastically improves air quality while saving all the women in … Continue reading Holiday Catalog 2016

Adding Chips to the Menu

Alongside a small shop and sitting on a main road, Sweetness Enoke’s restaurant offers simple, local fare. Wooden walls, a roof and cement floors set her apart from similar businesses, as she serves chai to neighbors and passersby. Finding money to expand an operation can be difficult anywhere, especially in rural Tanzania. But it’s often … Continue reading Adding Chips to the Menu

A party in Tloma

When our Karatu loan hub began several years ago, local ladies unanimously elected Josephine Silo as the perfect powerhouse to head the program. At nearly 70 years old and still running a small farm, keeping a beading business and until recently serving as GWOCO chairwoman, Josephine has more than earned her retirement. So it was … Continue reading A party in Tloma

Giving Out Goats

Hundreds of goats bleated, kept together in small groups with hand-braided rope, as bass pumped from a stationary car’s loudspeaker and colorful Maasai and Iraqw shoppers strolled the mnada for what they needed. Mnada, literally translated as auction, is a large market that takes place in Karatu two times per month. Everything from used clothing … Continue reading Giving Out Goats