NEWS from MWEEP Maasai Women’s Education and Empowerment Program

Spring, 2013

Volume 6, Issue 1 Newsletter Editor Barbara Stark

Board of Directors: Elizabeth Drew Sue Edwards Ann Mossman Pat Guild O’Rourke Barbara Stark Barbara Coffey, Board Advisor

That was the day I spent with the women of MWEEP Kenya and nine MWEEP-sponsored girls from two different secondary boarding schools near the small town of Ngong, Kenya. I came away from this experience feeling that MWEEP is definitely making a difference in the lives of these girls. My two traveling companions, our guide-driver, and I began our day at 9:30 a.m. when we met four MWEEP Kenya women, Christine, Suzan, Helen and Josephine, at the MWEEP Kenya office in downtown Ngong, which is about a 45 minute drive from Nairobi. Here I could see great pride taken in the small, neat office where Josephine keeps immaculate records for every one of the 58 girls MWEEP USA and MWEEP Kenya are currently helping to sponsor in 15 different schools as well as the 15 students in post-secondary schools.

February 19, 2013 was truly one of the most inspirational

days of my life! The following article is an account of Sue Edwards’ (member of MWEEP Board of Directors) recent trip to Kenya. Photos taken by Jim Ernest.

Three MWEEP Kenya women joined us in our vehicle as we drove to Olooseos Girls Secondary School. There we talked to five of seven girls who are graduating from Form 4 (high school senior). The assistant Head Mistress described the arduous cur-riculum required of the students in forms 3 and 4: English, Kiswahili, math, chemis-try, biology, and religion. Students also choose two electives: business studies, his-tory, physics, geography, home science, or agriculture. Extracurricular subjects such as soccer, racquet games, volleyball, music, drama, wildlife study and journalism are also available.

After overcoming their initial shyness, the girls expressed their gratitude to MWEEP, their excitement about graduating, and hopes to continue on to col-lege or a trade school. One particularly memorable girl, Sarah, shared, “I came from a family of five siblings—we are three of us in secondary school, my mother is a widow and she doesn’t have a job. She does some bead work to help us go to school. I appreciate you as MWEEP for deciding to pay for my school fees and I promise you that I will work hard and be blessed.” Following our school visit, MWEEP Kenya chairwoman, Rosemary Sakuda opened her lovely home for a delicious lunch. Christine Silantoi shared MWEEP Kenya’s accomplishments and goals. After-ward, the group gathered outside Rose-mary’s home.

Christine, Suzan, Sue, and Josephine meet with Assistant Head Mistress Loinette Bingi at Olooseos School.

The beautiful beaded jewelry made by Maasai women has become an integral part of our annual visits. Sue and Suzan care-fully check the order after lunch. All profits from the handmade beadwork go toward sponsoring girls education.

Florence, one of MWEEP’S college graduates, also attended the lunch and shared, “Through your organization the community have built hope in all the students you sponsor, for they will be the community of tomorrow’s hope. Thank you and may God bless you for your dedication for the needy.”

Our last stop was at the Kimuka Girls Secondary School. All four graduating Form 4 girls enthusiasti-cally thanked MWEEP for their sponsorship and shared their hopes to continue on to college and careers in-cluding becoming a lawyer, a journalist, medicine, and tourism management.

GIFT OF HOPE MWEEP is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Donations may be made “in honor of” or “in memory of” payable to MWEEP

Mail checks to: MWEEP PO Box 1958 Silverdale, WA 98383

MWEEP MISSION

1. Provide funding for cost-share educational opportunities for girls and women to attend: >Secondary school >Post-secondary school >Empowering life, business, leadership classes. 2. Educate Americans about life of Maasailand women and organize fund raising for

support of Maasailand women’s education.

As the hot African sun slowly began to set, we drove back to Ngong to drop the MWEEP Kenya women off at their of-fice, then proceeded on our journey back to Nairobi. There were a few moments of silence as we sat absorbing our thoughts and experiences of the day. For me, this experi-ence was what it’s all about in our world today—to try to help make life better for those less fortunate, not just here in the U.S. but in a global sense. For MWEEP, this is particularly true since many of the Kenya girls we sponsor may not otherwise have an opportunity for education. Or, as the sign above at Olooseos Girls Secondary School says:

“Believe in thine own self, Believe all that thou hast hoped, and thou shalt achieve.”

Together, we give these girls a chance to believe in themselves.