At the heart of our work is the idea of partnerships.
Maasai Partners (MP) maintains this by collaborating with and connecting other organizations to each other, building a network of community partners. Given the unique circumstances of the population MP serves, this model puts stakeholders at the forefront of our operations and creates relationships for long-term community development.
For MP, serving the Maasai community in Alailelai Ward means partnerships take place at all levels—with the Maasai community, with grassroots Tanzanian organizations, and with small and large international organizations.
Our network benefits the community through:
1. Knowledge sharing
2. Innovation in community projects
3. Targeted programming
4. Resource maximization
As the coordinating body of the network, MP prioritizes outreach and bringing high-impact projects with targeted goals to Alailelai ward (for example, our partnership with Maasai Stoves and Solar).
Through the network, successful projects are connected to other villages in the NCA that can similarly benefit.
Network partners are also given a space to explore opportunities for collaborating on new projects, pooling resources rather than competing for them, and sharing successes so we avoid ‘reinventing the wheel.’
This united effort brings a greater awareness of the challenges facing Maasai communities in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
MP also operates as an organization within the network, offering direct support to projects and providing grants to network partners. Additionally, we provide trainings in capacity building and organizational development with our Tanzanian CBO and NGO partners.
Our key investments for grants, operational support, and partner projects are in organizations that place local leaders at the helm of their projects, ensuring that change comes from the grassroots level and that local knowledge is a resource for community development.