Our Charity

Proudly Maasai, distinctly Tanzanian™

Inside "Kiliwarrior Charity"

Our Charity:

Maasai Joy Children's Center

Educating and Caring for less fortunate Maasai children by giving a brighter future to the society

We are honored and blessed to be part of a wonderful project started by Edward Ernest Kutingala, a Maasai and one of our Kilimanjaro guides. He appears in the picture above.

The Maasai Joy Children's Center (MJCC) is a registered not-for-profit organization in Olturumet (Ekenywa Village) in Arusha in Tanzania.

Certificate of Registration
Constitution	PDF Download

GOALS

To identify the less fortunate Maasai children and orphans in the region.
To establish innovative and developmental programs that meet the need of the identified children.
To enhance better life in the society through caring for children at the centre in terms of providing them with food, clothing, shelter, education and training to better their future survival.
To co‑operate with other Non‑Governmental Organizations in sensitizing the communities, government departments and community based organizations to realize that the family is the primary unit for better child rearing and self‑appraisal.
To identify the social and economic difficulties hindering children from receiving better care and preparing them for a brighter future.
To establish a children orphanage village for offering education and vocational training services to the already affected children so as to acquire knowledge just like other advantaged children. The aim is to establish a Centre which, after some time, will be able to support itself in offering such services.
To ensure that we leave a legacy of education and training excellence in these children and society as their future potential pride in the generations to come.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

Project Genesis	A Problem and a Solution
The Beginning	In 2004, Ernest realized that many Maasai families in his village were too poor to properly provide for their children. The traditional nomadic Maasai living in the outskirts of Arusha did not have enough land to graze their cattle and the results were devastating. Most men were uneducated and without their cattle they had no permanent sources of income. While it is hard to assist a whole generation of unschooled parents, Ernest felt that the best approach was to educate their children who in turn can help provide for their parents in future years. And so he began his quest of convincing the poorest families to send their 3-6 year-old children to kindergarten school to start a new generation of educated Maasai who can once again be the proud symbols of East Africa. After attending kindergarten they will be better prepared for primary school; in the past the Maasai children were behind other kids when they enter primary school - causing many to have problems at school especially with the English language. The idea was to teach them the basics of English - the universal language of business! But he had two problems - a) Many children were from broken families and several were orphans. AIDS and despair have decimated once-strong family bonds, and b) There was no kindergarten in his village!
The Beginning	1. Ernest negotiated a one-year free contract with his local Church to use the building as a classroom. 2. He asked the parents and guardians of the small children in the village and surroundings to support the effort by walking their kids to school and back - the area is subject to flash floods, and many smaller children were scared of walking alone through tall maize fields and water streams. 3. It was agreed to hold school from 8am to 10:30am on Mondays through Fridays. 4. The next step was to recruit an English teacher who was willing to work for three hours daily under very challenging circumstances and a small wage of $80 per month. And in February 2006, the dream became a reality! 60 children between the ages of 3-6 showed up on that joyous first day! Some walked for almost an hour each way! At the end of year one, in January 2007, thirteen lucky children moved on to primary school while the remainder returned for another year in their happy kindergarten! And then in April 2007, the kids moved out of the church and into their new classroom. Project Genesis was successfully completed. The first classroom was in place and we could start to implement the next phase.

Project Pole Pole	In April 2007, about 50 kids were split in two groups according to their ages and the youngest ones moved to an external classroom under a blue tarp next to the main classroom. Despite financial challenges we employed a second teacher - a young lady - and the design started on the 2nd classroom and toilet facilities. Until now, all used the toilets in Ernest's house! The rising costs of fuel had a ripple effect in Tanzania and the costs of building materials skyrocketed - it became clear that our expansion plans were going to proceed very slowly. In August 2007 it was decided to stop building the bathrooms and to focus on the 2nd classroom. The second classroom was still unfinished but occupied in November 2007! We then realized that the kids needed to be split into 3 groups according to ages and abilities and this put us under pressure to employ a 3rd teacher! At the start of 2008 we signed a contract with a young male teacher and we had two groups of kids in the 2 classrooms and the youngest ones are still outside under the tarp - a third classroom will have to be built after the bathrooms are completed. Now it is already March 2008 and we need to: 1. Finish classroom 2 (while occupied it needs a ceiling, etc) 2. Finish the bathrooms 3. Continue to raise funds to pay teacher salaries, buy supplies and plan expansions

THE HISTORY IN IMAGES:

This photo was taken when the kids arrive on the very first day! Several parents/guardians can be seen outside the Church!
Registration time! Note how they write on the benches!
Some kids are clearly tired! They will get used to school!
Just look at the beautiful white and red dress and also the little Maasai outfit in the foreground!
The Church benches serve as seats and desks!
Here one can see why the kids need 2 teachers. While the teacher is working with one group, the other group must wait on the left.
Here is Ernest and some of the kids and a lady who volunteered to help manage the kids. She is working for free at this time.
The kids are learning fast! It is hard to believe they started in February 2006 and these pictures were taken only 8 months later. The teacher is Gideon Matthew Loomu.
Ernest is in green. The teacher Gideon Matthew Loomu is on his left. They are surrounded by the teacher's wife and three kids. The 3 small kids in front are neighbors who wanted to be in the picture!
One of our favorite images!
Ernest and one of the families.
Things are moving fast now - March 2007!





April 2007 - Success at last! The kids at their first and new classroom! THANK YOU to all who contributed!




In June 2007 the second classroom is nearing completion!
It is August 2007 and the bathrooms are under construction!



September 2007 and the small school is expanding to 2 classrooms (almost)!
End of October 2007 - this is the outside classroom for the youngest kids!
Teaching under the tarp!
Porridge is served under the tarp!
The second classroom is almost finished. note the foundations for the bathrooms on the left!

In October 2007 we received a visit from supermodel Angie Everhart and her friends after their Kilimanjaro trek with the Kiliwarriors!

Angie brought 50 backpacks filled with goodies! THANK YOU!
March 2008. Kiliwarrior owners Eben and Carol with the kids in front of classroom 1. It was one of our happiest days in recent years.
March 2008. Inside classroom 1.
March 2008. Classroom 2 is occupied but still unfinished. Note the bathrooms are starting to take shape on the left.
March 2008. One of our clients, Becky Peelen makes a donation to Ernest!

CONTRIBUTORS:

Please go here to see a list of our wonderful contributors!

WHAT WE PLAN TO DO?

There are lots to do! After one year, the expectations of the kids and their families are high. Naturally, they are unaware of the struggles behind the scenes to keep the operation going with a very low budget - so Ernest is under huge pressure to fund the school for the next year and beyond.

The kids have already suffered plenty of setbacks in their young lives. The kindergarten has become a place where they can just be children without the stress that they endure at home. If we can use the school to improve their lives we will do anything in our power to do so.

Our aim is keep the kindergarten open no matter what.

In a perfect world the kids will have a kindergarten with several classrooms, proper teaching aids, several teachers earning acceptable salaries and a play area!

Progress has been slow but we are on our way!

HOW TO HELP

A small contribution goes a long way in this rural village! Ernest is not trying to save the world; he is helping a small group of very young children and their families.

MJCC is completely unlike most international charities where board members earn huge salaries and work in fancy high-rise office buildings.

1. MJCC board members earn no income (in fact they donate time and money and work for free)

2. Administrative overhead is very low and sponsored by Kiliwarrior Expeditions. This means that 100% of your contributions go to the cause itself and not to "administrative services"!

3. Cash contributions are easy. Just send an international wire to the bank Please print this information sheet from Barclays Bank -

4. Pre-school books, stationary and other items are most welcome. Unfortunately shipping costs are very high (starting at $75 per box from the USA), so it is better to discuss this with us beforehand.

5. Why not visit our kindergarten yourself and meet the teacher and children? Kiliwarrior Expeditions will arrange your whole trip as part of a Kilimanjaro Expedition or Safari!

Let's take a look at the differences your contributions can make!

Any amount is welcome!	These are just examples! You can certainly ask that your money is used in a different or more specific way!
$10	Will buy plenty of pens and paper for the kids. Will also buy a small school bag for one kid.
$25	Will buy at least 2 nice school bags. Will also buy plenty of stationary.
$75	Will pay the shipping costs of a small box of school materials to Tanzania.
$100	Will buy several flip charts, stands and color pens. Will also buy at least two more black boards.
$250	Will buy more than 50 pre-school books (teaching aids) to help the kids learn English.
$500	Will furnish a classroom with desks and other furniture.
$1500	Will pay the salary of one teacher for a year and help him/her with extra expenses such as transportation, clothes and teaching aids!
$3000	Will build a waste management system and toilets
$10,500	Will build a single classroom - completed with electricity but no furniture.
$220,000	Will build a completely new kindergarten! See the plans above.

Contact Information:

Carol Schoeman at the Kiliwarriors:

	Phone: +1 703 3493215
	eMail:
	Address: PO Box 275, Troutville VA 24175