The Mamas: Maasai Entrepreneurs!

The first time we met the Mamas in 2012,  I knew they were very strong and resourceful women.  They were sitting on the ground working intently and creating beautiful pieces of jewelry from tiny, tiny beads.  We learned that they depended on sales of their art to feed their children.

They ran to meet us when we drove up.  What a joy and an honour it was to spend some time with them and support them by bringing home some of their beautiful beadwork!  Once Nashipay School was built, we proceeded to raise money to build a retail gift shop and workshop, Bead by Bead, which opened its doors in 2014.

Now, in 2016, Bead by Bead is home for the Mamas' business,  and does it look good!!  We shopped for pieces to bring home with us to sell at various fundraising events in Canada and you can see by the smile that everyone was happy!!  A good retail day at Bead by Bead😊

Rose -- a happy Mama!

The shop looks great!  Inside ......

and outside!!

How It All Started

Looking at all that has been accomplished since our first visit in 2012, I am humbled!! We were so inspired by meeting Clamian, meeting the Mamas, our safari and the beautiful people, animals and landscapes of Tanzania that I came home knowing that this trip was so much more than ticking one more item off my "bucket list."  I had to go back! I wanted to help in some way and we had the support of our Spiritual Community, The Centre for Inspired Living in Victoria, BC.  None of this would have gotten off the ground without their unconditional support.

We started by asking the Maasai, through our friend Clamian, how we could help them.  It took a couple of weeks for them to discuss this, because needs are great and resources non existent; there were big choices to be made.  They considered a medical clinic, water and a school -- all basic services that we take for granted but missing in the lives of these people.  They decided that education for their children was their #1 priority.  This was a goal that was totally in alignment for our Victoria group and we overwhelmingly agreed to help them. This was a Maasai community driven project right from the beginning!

The first thing the Maasai village asked for was a brick maker.  We raised $1200, they bought the brick maker and started making bricks for the first school classroom in late 2012.  We held 2 more fundraising events and raised enough money to build the small school.  In May of 2013 a group of 14 people from the Centre went to Tanzania to join the Maasai in "Raising the Roof" on the school.  It was life changing for the Maasai people and for us!!  One of the participants from this first group raised money and led an initiative to pipe water about 5km to the community -- a game-changer!  Another participant built a retail shop for the Mamas to sell their beautiful beadwork.  Two more women from our group were instrumental in introducing Friends4Good to our village and two more classrooms were built, one of them by a group of volunteers from Victoria -- in 8 days!!!  The mamas now have a second business; a sewing shop.  Friends4Good generously donated money to start a pig farm, which now has over 40 pigs and will support the operation of the school by 2018.

What's down the road?  It's mind boggling to me sometimes.  I Skype with Clamian about once a week; sows are birthing piglets, he's looking at a "poop to power" project to process the pig manure, the farm is being considered as a model farm for the region, water lines are being extended within the village.  They need to build roads, acquire solar panels, build more classrooms, hire new teachers and enrol new students. Maasai adults are learning new skills and being employed right in their own village.  So much to do -- I wish I were independently wealthy, so we could just move forward!  But I know we will find a way -- we always do!

The Best News!!!

We partnered with the Maasai of Makuyuni in Tanzania to build Nashipay Primary School and the first group of kindergarten students started on July 1, 2013.  I just learned today that they are doing exceptionally well!  According to the superintendent of schools, the children are more advanced than children of similar age in the public system.  That made my heart sing!!!

I know many of the children and I can just imagine their enthusiasm as they learn their numbers and alphabet.  The parents go along too and watch, so I'm sure they are learning as well -- what a perfect partnership this has been for us, a group of Canadians, and for the Maasai of Makuyuni.

Thinking it over, it really shouldn't be surprising that the children of Nashipay School would thrive. At Nashipay there is one teacher for about 35 children, in the public school there can be 60+ kids in a classroom.  At Nashipay each child has a seat at a desk or table -- in the public school we saw as many as 5 children at a single desk, crowded onto a bench.

When we went shopping for textbooks and workbooks in May, we bought one workbook per child and one textbook for every two children that attend Nashipay Primary School.  In the public school we visited, they had 3 or 4 tattered textbooks for the whole classroom of 60 or more children.

At Nashipay, the teacher is multilingual and one of her languages is Maa, the only language Maasai children of primary school age speak.  Just think, they can actually understand what the teacher is saying! The Maasai children who attend the public school have their lessons in either English or Swahili, and they understand neither language when they start school.  This was initially the primary motivator for building Nashipay School.

Now, the Maasai from other villages around Tanzania are pressing Clamian to build a boarding school. I have no idea how he's going to do that, but if anyone can do it, Clamian can!  His will to help his people is strong and his heart is big!  For now, we will start another class of kindergarteners in January.  Fortunately, we were able to raise enough money to put a solar panel on the school, which means they can run another class in the afternoon and even into the evening if necessary.

Our partnership with the Maasai of Makuyuni has had amazing results in such a short period of time; it has truly exceeded my dreams and expectations! It is so gratifying to have the connection with this Maasai village, to partner with them and to be able to cheer them on -- even if I am cheering across 2 continents and an ocean!!

Good News for the Mamas!

The Mamas work hard!  I can see it on their faces when I look at some of the pictures we took.  They have a hard life.  Hauling water for kilometres twice a day, procuring food for their children on a daily basis, rounding up firewood to cook the food, building and repairing their bomas (huts), raising their children and so much more.

 They want the same thing for their children that women all over the world want.  Education, safety, food, clothing -- the basics.  Traditionally Maasai women are master beaders and the Mamas use this skill to earn money to buy necessities for their families.  Like artisans all over the world, they have a challenge finding a distribution network where they can earn a living wage for their art.  Occasionally (like when we were in their village) they get to sell directly to the end-user, and to us the prices seem so reasonable, and for them, they had the best day ever.  It is really gratifying to know that we have helped them feed their children that day.

Now, we have the opportunity to help them build a workshop and retail outlet so they can sell their beautiful jewelry at a fair price.  Clamian has found a great location situated on the road to the National Parks. My latest project is to raise $8600 so that we can buy the land and building materials for construction.  The Mamas will actually own the land and building as a cooperative -- what a unique opportunity for them!

Just think -- they will no longer have to sit on the ground to work, or haul all their materials back and forth every day, or struggle to get a fair price for their beautiful tribal art. I can only imagine what a difference that will make in their day to day lives and the lives of their families.

More About Clamian

I first wrote about Clamian in my blog "Clamian and the Maasai" on March 6, 2012.  Since then, I have  gotten to know him much better through our partnership in building Nashipay Maasai School and during lots of conversations on our last trip to Tanzania earlier this year.  Here is a short video that I hope will inspire you half as much as he inspired me!

When It's Me or the Lion????

We learned how to kill a lion!  It was interesting to process that, since I am totally against killing anything.  I am one of those people who will capture a bug and put it outside rather than squash it.  But what if I had to make a choice; the lion or me!

I got to thinking about the controversy here over wolves and how ranchers protect their herds with guns.  The wolves are just being wolves and they really don't have a chance -- the odds are stacked against them.  The Maasai have to protect their herds and themselves from predatory lions now and then. I'm sure guns are available to them, but they live in their traditional way.  Take a look and see how they do it.  Looks like a pretty fair fight to me!

Meeting our Maasai Family

We were received with ceremony when we arrived at the boma. Clamian said they had been excitedly awaiting our arrival for days and this day they were watching for our dust on the road.  Bob and I were given a special place in the middle of the circle.  He was given a ceremonial "talking stick" -- a beautifully beaded piece of tribal art that chiefs carry -- when the chief raises the stick, everyone must be quiet and listen!  I told him not to let it go to his head!!!  I was given a beautiful necklace with my new Maasai name on it, Nagaloi, which means "caretaker".

The sun was setting as we settled into our tents and in the evening the people danced and chanted for us.  Their music is intoxicating and before long we were all dancing together, Maasai style.  I had no idea what to expect of this day -- I knew we would be honored, but words cannot express how we were unabashedly honored and respected.