Our Passion, Our Work
Water + Education + Healthcare + Women + Social Entrepreneurship
This is the Marafiki formula, which has evolved in the last 15 years, and the pillars that we support, and build up on. Although commonly known as “projects”, we don’t really like calling them that, because they are basic foundations of a healthy life, rather than a project that comes to completion at some point.
From our first endeavor at Southern Cross Academy, to our latest Digital Empowerment Program, we continue to put our best foot forward to support our communities in Maasai Mara, Nairobi and Mai Mahiu, to increase their opportunities of health and success in life.
Here, you will find a short description of our work, which continues to evolve as needs in communities evolve and change.
We invite you to come on board, as a donor or volunteer, and join this work in Kenya which is full of potential and hope.
Digital Savannah Initiative
Our Digital Savannah Program is a Digital course, tailor made per group, to empower Maasai Youth to further their digital skills.
Though many are well versed in TikTok, most of the youth have had limited access to digital skills and the potential these skills can give them in the long term.
We organise different courses and workshops, tailored to age and experience, where attendees can learn a whole set of skills, from writing an email or putting together a CV, to how to use AI in their daily lives. The sessions are currently taking place in Anyoraa Camp but we are fundraising to build “The Learning Shack”.
Eco Learning
The Eco Learning initiative has the aim of creating an ecosphere within the social enterprise, Anyoraa, while teaching local Maasai how to grow food from their land and recycle trash. Anyoraa, the Maasai word for “Believe” is where our HQ in Maasai Mara reside. This social enterprise is an ecolodge for tourists, but it is also the home of our “green work”, as the cabins where visitors stay are made with ecobricks (plastic bottles filled with sand)which are collected by the local maasai women.
We have planted over 500 trees and continue to grow fruit and vegetables in Mara. We also have a bottle cutting and branding program in order to recycle glass bottles.
Digital Empowerment Urban Nairobi
Digital skills are also lacking among more vulnerable areas that lack the resources and infrastructure to hold computer lessons.
Our work involves showing up at schools with equipment to teach, and organizing courses at our center in Nairobi. One way or another, the goal is to teach practical down to earth computer skills, as well as ethical online behavior and all the benefits that a society and community can gain when digitally empowered.
Southern Cross Academy School, Governor, Mai Mahiu
Southern Cross Academy is a primary school built in 2009 with the help of volunteers, for the IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camp. There are currently over 300 students enrolled aged 3 to 16, led by Teacher Edward. The school is made out of metal sheet as we fundraise to build a brick school. There are teachers for every class and all efforts are made with the students to place them in Secondary Schools once they are done.
Ripoi Primary School Ripoi, Maasai Mara
On the way back from a trip to the Maasai Mara in 2015, we noticed some children under a tree who seemed to be in class. Immediately we knew we’d found the right place to build a school. Since then, our volunteers have helped build five classrooms and now 200 students attend Ripoi Primary School. Going forward we hope to expand the school by building two more classes – ensuring that these kids can get a full education which will enable them to take control of their futures.
Water Project Ololaimutua, Maasai Mara
In 2017 it became really important to us to address a big issue at the Ololaimutua community – the provision of clean water. As we continue to work on building our HQ in Maasai Mara in a piece of land near the gate to the park, we found a spring of clean water. We have piped this water, brought it to the HQ, built a tower for water storage and we have 5 water tanks to produce good pressure. The goal of the project is to continue to build water towers and continue to be providing water to a thirsty community. We know that the provision of this water will allow children the necessary time to enroll in school too.
