The Maasai Women's Group and Ngorongoro Bicycle Race

The Maasai people are a tribe of about 1 million people that are dispersed throughout Tanzania and Kenya. They typically live in more rural and isolated communities. As such, they are generally poorly educated (if at all) and lack access to health care. The Maasai Women's Group Charity focuses specifically on the plight of Maasai women in the Ngorongoro region and National Park. These women are burdened by the strong traditional gender roles that give women an inferior status in Masaai culture. Women are left as the sole providers of childcare without any sort of medical care during pregnancy, birth (with the exception of a midwife), or post pregnancy care or advising. They receive even less education than the men and have little opportunity for advancement. The goals of this group are to help women obtain the education, health care, and skills they need to realize their full potential and empower them to pursue their own dreams and ideals.

Our newest project aims at making a change to the lives of the Maasai women in Karatu. Whereas great improvements have been made in the education of Maasai men, the women are poorly lacking behind, due to their burden of a traditional inferior role within their community. At Highview Hotel you can buy jewels from the Maasai ladies to support them financially. However, the women strongly need some simple skills for example in accounting to improve their businesses. Moreover, health education in general and particularly about the topics of Aids, contraception and birth labor is lacking in their society. However, these women just have little opportunity for advancement. Therefore, Zara Charity aims at purchasing a land in order to build a Maasai Women’s Vocational Training Educational Centre in the highlands of Karatu. Certain skills can help these women to rise above their restricted positions in society and to grant their family a better living by establishing their own business or getting employed. Eventually, they can realize their full potential and be empowered to pursue their own dreams and ideals.

To raise funds, Zara Charity is organizing the “Make a change:  Ngorongoro bicycle race 2010” which takes place on the 31st of October 2010 to finance this project. If you also want to contribute to making a change in the lives of the women we are happy for donations.

Maasai Women Educational training center

Education represents the key to the Maasai women's empowerment. Only if these women could contribute to the income of the villages they would be increasingly respected by the men. Hence, the women strongly need some simple skills for example in accounting, health education and languages to improve their lives. Therefore, the ZARA Charity wants to purchase a land outside the Conservation Area in order to build a Maasai Women’s Vocational Training Educational Centre in the highlands of Karatu. We have already employed an architect, who has made a budget for the project of about 555.000 dollars. Hence, we take this amount as a goal. This might sound a lot for African construction in the beginning, however, not only a class room but also accommodation for students and teachers as well as washing and dining houses have to be built. Moreover, running costs have to be added as food, material and salary for the teachers. Nevertheless, it is important to build the Educational Center in this way because only by granting the women a total living, they could concentrate away from their daily tasks solely on their education for a certain period. Indeed, for their future the skills learned in the center shall help these women to rise above their restricted positions in society and to grant their family a better living by establishing their own business or getting employed. Eventually, they can realize their full potential and be empowered to pursue their own dreams and ideals.

Main goals of the project

• To buy land to build a Maasai women school in the highlands of Karatu, consisting of three classes and accommodation for about 20 women
• To offer various courses like accounting, hotel management, computer or secretarial education, health education business skills, language education or tour guiding, in order to help Maasai women to rise above their restricted positions in society and to grant their family a living by being employed or being able to have their own business.
• In order to make a change in their lives, considering the fact that the Maasai women are poorly lacking behind those improvement, which have been made in education for Maasai men.
• The buildings shall be expended in the following years so that the school can take about 10 new students each year

Sponsorship

Sponsors can contribute on two ways to the project. Firstly, international donors can give a direct donation or take over a long-term partnership for the project. Secondly, a local event will be organized and it is possible to sponsor Tanzania's first charity bicycle race, the "Ngorongoro make a change bicycle race". As a result, many people will enter the region which represents a business chance for various businesses in Karatu. Moreover after the race a charity gala for the Maasai women will take place at Highview Hotel where further money will be collected.

The bicycle race

The race will take place on the 31st of October 2010. There will be two routes, one will be for professionals and it will be on asphalted surfaces only. The other route will be for hobbyists; the route can be used with regular bicycles that tourists can rent from the Arusha Bicycle Club.   

The exact route description will be published on time, it will probably be from Arusha - Ngorongoro gate - Karatu town (distance around 140 km). If you want to participate in the bicycle race, please email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call: (255)-754-451-000. The participation fee is US$20. It is non-refundable.

ZARA Tours also offers a special package which includes participation at the bicycle race.