Foundation Projects
The Masai Women’s Empowerment Project (MWEP),
founded in February 2008, is dedicated to improving the lives of the impoverished Merimbeti Masai women and children living in Athi River, Kenya. Our purpose is to provide meaningful interventions that respect cultural belief and historical experience, but still help to combat the incidence of hygiene-related disease, HIV/AIDS, child prostitution, pregnancy complications, hunger, poverty, and lack of education.
Esarunoto ECDE Center (Preschool) – Close to one hundred young Masai preschool students walk from their mud huts to the three cement buildings that have been modified as classrooms and one newly-constructed classroom of iron sheets. Four classes of students, one a Nursery Class, one a “Baby” Class, a Toddler’s Class and a new First Grade help to prepare these little Masai children. Early Childhood Education is important for all but especially for these children. Sadly, education has not been a priority for the Masai tribe. Children (especially girls) are typically charged with “looking after” the herds each day and few are able to attend school. Girls are even less frequently permitted to attend school because of the fear that education will serve to make them more marriage-able and they will move away from their parents and the herds. Our preschool in Athi River is named “Esarunoto” which is a Masai word meaning “refuge”. “Refuge” is such an appropriate word. The school is a safe place, a shelter, a means of improving their future.
Esarunoto School Feeding Project - The 10:00 a.m. porridge at the preschool is enriched and usually a meal in itself. It is fortified with such cereal flour as maize, millet, sorghum, soy, green grams, groundnuts, pumpkin seeds and powdered milk. For some, this is the only meal of the day. At 1:00 p.m. the older students who remain fro classes until 4:00 are served a hot lunch.
Student Sponsorship Project - We assist Masai children (other than those in our preschool) with school fees, uniforms and textbooks. In addition to the 91 preschool students at Esarunoto, 64 Masai are attending primary and secondary schools due to Foundation sponsorship.
Masai Adult Education Project – The Ed Colina Foundation conducts Adult Education Classes in coordination with the Athi River and Kenyan Ministries for Education. English, Swahili and Mathematics classes as well as HIV/AIDS awareness sessions are conducted for over 75 Masai adults. In addition, a group of 12 TOTs (Trainers of Trainers) meet regularly to learn about issues of hygiene, the changing culture and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
Masai Youth Activity Days – During the three yearly school breaks, The Ed Colina Foundation provides Youth Activity Days for nearly 200 students. These days are designed to encourage the students to remain in school, do their best and study hard. Dancing, drama, food and drinks are all part of these fun-filled days. They are planned and carried out by Masai young adults. In fact, we assist in the education of the social workers that oversee the Activity Days.
Health and Wellness Screenings – In January 2010, we began providing monthly medical screenings and assistance to the Masai community, especially to children and pregnant women. Local nurses were contracted and they visit five local villages around Athi River. Initially they are providing vaccines and immunizations to the newborns and very young.
Emergency Food Relief – There has been no adequate rain in Athi River for quite some time. In fact, most of sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing a significant drought. The Masai women and children of Athi River are left with no food, dying cattle and therefore no meat and milk. The Ed Colina Foundation has made numerous emergency food drops for the most desperate cases. Maize flour, porridge, rice, and powdered milk have been delivered to the Athi River Masai. This food has been delivered to the Masai communities but also to a group of 36 Kamba widows who live in an adjacent community.
Income Generating Activities – Masai women are skilled at beadwork and raising goats. To support these skills, the foundation has provided seed money for the purchase of beads and materials to make traditional belts, necklaces and bracelets. We are in search for markets for these crafts. We have also provided seed money for the purchase of 75 goats. The sale of milk and kids (baby goats) will help the women purchase food, and pay educational fees. There are other income-generating activities planned for the future. They include a chicken project and a small agricultural venture – new to the Masai!
Jitahidi School (Kibera) Projects
The Ed Colina Foundation recently purchased 45 new sweaters for a small school in the Kibera slum. The Foundation also began construction of a latrine located just outside the small classroom. Kibera is one of the largest slums in the world; home to over a million inhabitants living on one square mile of land.
St. Timothy School Projects
St. Timothy’s is a preschool through 3rd Grade school located in the Canaan slum nearby the Foundation’s major projects at Athi River. We initiated a school feeding program that serves daily porridge and lunch of rice and beans to the school’s 152 students. In additional to some school materials and exercise books, we provide funds for the rental of three additional classrooms. In March, 2010, the Foundation purchased gutters and a 1500 liter water tank and some translucent roofing panels for better light in the classrooms.
