In early October 2013, Acting Executive Director, Zara Bott-Goins traveled to Houston and shot a series of informational videos made possible through a generous in-kind grant from the GivingLibrary (learn more here). We are thrilled to share the first among a special series of clips, specifically developed to answer your most important questions about Maasai Girls Education Fund.
Question: What is #GivingTuesday™?
Answer: #GivingTuesday™ (#GT) is a movement to create a national day of giving to kick off the giving season added to the calendar on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Don’t know how much to give or how your contribution will help? Check out our special #GivingTuesday examples below, and click here to donate.
With the holiday season upon us, many will soon head online for their shopping needs. So, why not help a good cause at the same time? Check out the top three (and free!) ways to online shop while supporting Maasai Girls Education Fund:
1. Amazon.com will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Maasai Girls Education Fund whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.
2. iGive really is as simple as it sounds. iGive members can generate donations by shopping at 1,200+ stores. There are no costs, obligations, nor any hidden fees. Plus, if you join by November 12th, MGEF will automatically earn a $5 bonus! Get your iGive button here:
3. eBay.com enables sellers to donate a portion of their sales and buyers to shop while supporting their favorite charities.
October 29, 2013
The Maasai Girls Education Fund (MGEF) will continue to be the effective, committed, award-winning organization Barbara Shaw founded. With the unwavering support of MGEF’s dedicated team in the United States and Kenya, Board of Directors, and Barbara’s family, MGEF is in a strong position to carry out Barbara’s vision.
MGEF’s promise to every one of our 85 scholarship students remains securely in place and will be kept. We are steadfast in our commitment to providing Maasai girls with the knowledge and the skills needed to enter the workforce in Kenya and become economically independent. MGEF’s sponsorship of life skills workshops and mentoring programs is also ongoing. These workshops address the social customs and cultural beliefs that can prevent girls from getting an education including teen pregnancy, early marriage, FGM, and HIV/AIDS.
Barbara’s family and members of the U.S. MGEF leadership team will be traveling to Kenya in the coming weeks to honor Barbara’s legacy and celebrate her inspiring vision. They will host several events for the MGEF community of students, parents, alumni, and supporters in both Kajiado and Nairobi.
“My mother founded this organization and for the last 14 years worked tirelessly to send Maasai girls to school so they can become independent and fulfill their dreams,” said MGEF Board Member and Barbara’s daughter, Tracey Pyles. Tracey along with Cassidy, her daughter, and Barbara’s husband, Durwood Zaelke, look forward to visiting the students and personally pledging their ongoing support to MGEF and the Maasai girls and women. “My mom was so proud of what all the MGEF students and graduates have achieved for themselves and their community, and we, her family, will work hard to ensure their future success.”
During their visit, one important event will be the Annual Student Reception to be held at the Kajiado Children’s Home on December 7. This event will provide a wonderful opportunity for MGEF scholarship students to gather with their parents, MGEF alumni, MGEF supporters and successful professional Maasai women to honor Barbara and the programs and students she cherished and worked diligently to support. “Everyone is excited about the upcoming student reception,” said Lucy Ntayia, Kajiado Managing Director. “The alumni are role models for the young students. They are changing the way people think about education and as a result more girls are going to school.”
Upcoming events:
For Immediate Release
October 28, 2013
Contact: Terese Lilly
[email protected]
(Washington, DC) The Maasai Girls Education Fund (MGEF) announces the addition of a new member to the organization’s Board of Directors. Tracey Pyles, M.D., joins the board and will help fulfill the mission of her mother Barbara Shaw who founded the organization. “Tracey has been a longtime supporter of MGEF. She brings commitment and passion to our mission of educating Maasai girls and will be a strong addition to the leadership team,” said MGEF Board President Terese Lilly.
“My mother was committed to empowering Maasai girls and helping them to get the education and skills they need to support themselves and their families in Kenya. She was devoted to these girls, and I am honored to join the MGEF Board to fulfill my mom’s legacy.” Dr. Pyles is an Emergency Physician in the Washington, DC area. She lives with her daughter Cassidy who shares a dedication to her grandmother’s legacy.
We’re sending a hardy congratulations to Caroline Kashinin, who completed her Nursing degree at Kenya Methodist University in August 2013. Before graduating, Caroline also served as an MGEF Life Skills Workshop facilitator, a role that she holds today. We are thrilled for Caroline and confident that she will continue to make tremendous strides for herself, her community, and for the world.
Photo: Caroline with students from Eseki and Emuruadikir Primary Schools.
Caroline isn’t the only health professional in our midst. Read about Gloria Mumeita Kotente, an MGEF student in medical school.
We could not be more thrilled for Nancy Moita Koin, an MGEF alum who recently landed a position at APHIAplus (AIDS, Population and Health Integrated Assistance). She serves as an HIV Counselor, putting to use her diploma in Community Health and certificate in HIV Counseling. To learn more about APHIAplus, an incredible program co-sponsored by USAID, please visit: http://kenya.usaid.gov/programs/health/1207
Employment is the surest path to financial independence for Maasai girls, enabling them to make their own decisions, raise healthier children, and rise out of poverty. MGEF promises a complete education for our students, so that they have the skills and expertise needed to succeed in the Kenya workforce. Nancy and her fellow MGEF alums prove, through their determination and success, the vital importance of education.
Reposted with permission from the author.
Originally published on June 17, 2013
This is a picture of all the Maasai girls I support in Kenya, all 12 of them. They are not just photos on my wall that remind me what I work for everyday – now I have memories of meeting them in person. They are my inspiration.
Yesterday was one of the most incredible days of my life, and I will never forget it. My mom, dad and I started off by traveling to the “interior” to see a Maasai village and visit a school there. To see the limited resources they have was startling, yet they were only more determined to study harder and the school placed first academically out of 34 schools in the surrounding area. This made me feel grateful for my amazing school.
Most importantly, I got to meet the 12 Maasai girls I support – my 12 sisters from the other side of the world. There is no way I can succinctly describe the emotions that transpired. We spent most of the day together just talking about school life and comparing our lives, learning from each other. I was impressed with their dedication to school work — an average of 10-11 hours a day — and determination to succeed at school. They expressed how grateful they were for the opportunity to go to school, and their thankfulness extended to everyone who supports RTC. Each girl was humble and did not spend time focusing on how hard their lives were, but rather transferred that energy into taking ownership of their future with the opportunities they had. We all felt blessed.
After meeting these girls, I whole-heartedly believe in their ability to become successful and have a genuine, positive impact on other people’s lives. I don’t know where this will all lead but that is the ignorant beauty of the global chain in which we are all connected.
