Kenya Masai Community Project

Where in the world?

The Masai Mara is the most prolific areas in Africa for wildlife, and is the northern stronghold of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. The tented camp where Exodus clients stay is sited approximately half an hour away from the small town of Aitong, where many of the projects we support are situated.

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What are we trying to do?

Exodus have been organising wildlife safaris to the Mara for many years. The owners of the tented camp where our clients stay are passionate about improving the lives of the local population, and have several ongoing projects that Exodus, along with Friends of Conservation, help support. It is possible for our clients to visit some of these projects during their stay. These include a number of small schools (Aitong Primary, Enkorien, Ballenites, Endonyo Rinka) as well as the CMF Aitong Health Clinic and the Mara Discovery Centre, which are all located in Aitong and greater area.

How did we set it up?

One of the camp owners has worked for Exodus for fifteen years, and it was him who brought to our attention the plight of a local school, which are not recognised by the government and so was without funds, apart from those raised from school fees. Since then a substantial amount of money has been raised, which has meant that in effect the whole school has been rebuilt with proper foundations for two new classrooms, a staff room, perimeter fence, ablution block and water tanks. We have since been able to help appoint a headmaster with the salary paid for out of the funds raised. From this one school we have now reached out to other similar schools.

What do we want to achieve in 2011?

Obviously as much as possible, but our key aims are:

• To support School bursaries and Community Based Organisation for Aitong. So far the Kicheche Community Trust has identified and supported 5 orphans in Aitong who will get their 2011 school fees paid for, and whom we want to connect with local Community Based Organisations in order to secure longer term funding. The CBO goes hand in hand with the work done at the Discovery Empowerment Centre where a small cyber café will be set up and revenues earned will contribute towards these school fees. The Discovery Centre’s building is in construction and hopefully finished in the next 3 to 6 months.
• At the CMF Aitong Health Clinic we are looking to improve on the power supply at the clinic by adding onto the solar system currently being used. The first phase of this project has been completed earlier this year 2011 but phase 2 and 3 are still in the pipeline. We aim for the clinic to be able to operate all electrical equipment simultaneously where as now some activities have to wait for other to finish due to power shortages.

What can you do to help?

If you would like to make a donation this can be done in cash whilst you are at the camp, or via Friends of Conservation in the UK.

Would you like to know more?

Paul Goldstein, our resident and award-winning photographer, holds regular talks in the UK on the amazing wildlife of the Masai Mara. You can contact Paul direct on pgoldstein@exodus.co.uk

Update on 2009

In 2009 Exodus raised over GBP24,000 for the Masai Community Project. Over GBP16,000 of this was raised by Paul Goldstein at a special Mara evening in December at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London, in conjunction with Travel Africa Magazine, and renowned travel journalist Simon Calder and wildlife expert Chris Haslam.

The project achieved the following in 2009:
• Paid for the ongoing expenses of the headteacher, books and stationery at Olkimitare Nursery School. We also provided two more toilets, repaired the gate and provided further training for the teachers (which is ongoing)
• At Balanites School we provided water tanks, office furniture, books and paid for the teachers to attend a computer course. We also provided bursaries for 18 children to enable them to attend school.
• At the CMF Aitong Health Clinic we purchased a dental chair and provided funding for a regular supply of medicinal drugs.
• The Mara Discovery Centre and Tree Nursery was set up in January of 2009. Its main activities are traditional bead working, keeping bees for honey and planting saplings in a tree nursery. In 2009 we paid two part time salaries for cleaning up the streets of the village as well as providing bins for rubbish collection. The bee hives and tree nursery are doing well and the Kicheche camp shop buys beaded souvenirs to sell to its guests from the Centre.
Posted on website May 2010