The Maasai Girls Education Fund (MGEF) is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the District of Columbia. We were founded in 2000 to increase the literacy, health, and economic well-being of Maasai women in Kenya. At that time, less than 20 percent of Maasai women had ever enrolled in school. In 2003, Kenya instituted free public primary school education, and enrollment now has increased to 48 percent for girls. However, only 5 percent of those who enroll will make it to secondary school primarily because of forced marriages, but also because of teen pregnancy, circumcision (female genital mutilation), or HIV/AIDS. MGEF is working to get more girls in school by offering scholarships to those who would otherwise not be able to get an education, and we are dedicated to keeping them in school until they have the knowledge and skills to enter the workforce in Kenya.
MGEF is based in Washington, DC, and we work with an independent community-based organization in Kenya to achieve our goals.