Frog Pond Productions

Please visit: www.quenchthethirst.org for more information about our efforts to help the Maasai. 

As Francis so aptly says, “Success in any other sphere of life, directly or indirectly depends on water.”

In June 2005, MCEP received its first anonymous donation of $30,000 to fund the drilling of a well and we hit water in December 2005.  A year later, in 2006, two additional wells were drilled – one in the village of Ilngarooj and the other in the village of Olmeroi. The Ilngarooj well, dubbed St.Peter’s Well, was funded by an anonymous donation and hit water on August 31, 2006. St Peter’s Well provides water to approximately 3,500 people and more than 10,000 livestock. The Rotary Club of Doylestown, USA, sponsored the well in Olmeroi, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Langata, Nairobi. This well hit water on September 27, 2006, and benefits about 2,500 people and 10,000 livestock.

November 2008

Dear Friends of the Maasai,

I send greetings and much love from the Rift Valley of Kenya. We still have drought in many parts of our country and in many places where the Maasai live at the Great Rift Valley. I am so happy today to thank you all for the help we have received through our organization (SIMOO) aimed at improving the lives of many poor families in our Nomadic society.

I am so pleased and honored to inform you that SIMOO has successfully accomplished many projects during this year.

a)     Water projects – (i) we were able to drill a well at Ereteti which we have been informed to be the best producing water well in our district. It is producing over 14,000 litres of water an hour .i.e. approximately over 4000 gallons an hour. (ii) We have also laid a pipeline that will serve several institutions including two schools, a health centre, a maternity care centre, and over 2,500 people .The pipeline is 7 kilometers long and 5 km have already been covered and people are now drinking clean water.

b)     Education of Children from needy families – (i) this year we are able to send 209 children to elementary school. All of them received 2 pairs of uniform shoes, school bags and books. We were also able to help candidates to receive an extra tuition in Ngong where they have better facilities. We also sponsored an educational trip to the Kenya Museum, National Archives, Snake Park and animal orphanage in Nairobi for the Ilngarrooj primary school sponsored children. (ii) SIMOO is currently sponsoring 44 High School children.

c)     Women Empowerment – this year we held several seminars aimed at improving the welfare of Maasai women. Many women were involved. MCEP was able to sell some jewelry to help support the women empowerment program. Currently Maasai women are involved in a climate change and global warming mitigation process. Parts of this include collecting seed from acacia trees to make jewelry using the acacia seed beads. The women are also using sisal to make mats and other products. This has increased their income and helps Maasai women to start owning property, which was not the case in traditional Maasai customs. SIMOO is really empowering women and is helping to stop FGM.

d)     Other projects – SIMOO held workshops to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, food security and used a cultural fair to create awareness on various issues.

I thank you all and wish you a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year 2009. We would be so privileged to continue working with you. I am so humbled by the support we have received from you. We thank MCEP and other donors for their continued support.

Francis ole Sakuda

Executive Director SIMOO - Simba Maasai Outreach Organization

November, 2008 marks the fourth year since MCEP was created to help the Maasai tribe. Working in harmony with Maasai leader, Francis ole Sakuda, and SIMOO (Simba Maasai Outreach Organization), our hopes and goals have gone far beyond our expectations. Our community has warmly welcomed and supported the needs of our Maasai friends and to date has contributed to the successful drilling of four wells and provided education funding for over 100 students. Money has also been donated to provide miles of pipeline carrying water from the new wells to schools and health centers. The Maasai are using their own manpower to dig the trenches and bury water pipes in the rocky, arid land carrying precious, clean water to help schools stay in session and help infirmaries treat patients with bacteria free water. This past year has presented many difficulties related to drought and political unrest which prevented farmers from planting crops and therefore increasing food prices. MCEP is prepared to send food relief along with other necessary funding for water projects and education. Last spring, the Maasai visited from mid April-mid May speaking at the UN, eleven local schools, rotaries, churches, chamber of commerce and community events as well as our third fund raising walk at Lake Galena. The rain didn't dampen our spirits at the lake and we had over 100 participants along with musicians, food and fun. Continuing in the absence of the Maasai, MCEP volunteers further the cultural exchange with schools and community by giving presentations and selling Maasai jewelry during the year. We look forward to our guests returning in April, 2009 and two or three Maasai children have been invited to attend a peace summit at Buckingham Friends School. We are very excited to welcome the Maasai children in April, '09 and have them visit our schools and provide a unique cultural exchange with our students. Thank you again from the MCEP volunteer program and the Maasai tribe. We hope you will join our walk next May 17th and contact us if your organization or school would like a Maasai presentation.

Sincerely, Phyllis Eckelmeyer

In December, 2004, MCEP was organized by a group of volunteers in Bucks County, PA. For the past three and a half years, members of the Maasai Cultural Exchange Project have shared the fascinating, diverse culture of the Maasai tribe of Kenya, East Africa with thousands of American school students, businesses, church groups, families and senior citizens. MCEP founders linked with SIMOO (Simba Outreach Organization), a Maasai NGO in Kenya, to bring worldwide vision to our community in a global effort to provide clean water, knowledge and better living conditions to our Maasai friends. In addition, our citizens have been reminded by the Maasai of the precious gift of water and given an appreciation of our natural resources and advanced infrastructure, which are sometimes taken for granted. Through community contributions, US citizens have generously supported fund raising efforts to drill five wells and provide school fees sponsoring over 125 Maasai students. Two of the five wells were generously funded by U.S. and Kenyan Rotarians.

Since 2004, our Maasai guests have made cultural presentations at 67 schools, 14 churches, 30 businesses, three hospitals and 13 rotary clubs.

A Maasai documentary film called “Quench” is being produced by MCEP from footage gathered by professional volunteers during the 2005 visit to Kenya. Editing has been done on a volunteer basis and the six minute trailer which was completed in ’06 has been successfully used at US presentations. The trailer can be seen on the web page-www.quenchthethirst.org. which was also created professionally by volunteerism.

Maasai women are responsible for fetching water everyday for their households. Before the wells were available, the women walked six to eight hours to fetch water from open streams and springs. The availability of above-ground water is limited due to drought and often polluted and dangerous for human consumption. With the blessing of well water, the women now walk shorter distances and are assured reliable, clean water. They now have more time to complete other household chores, take care of their families, grow small kitchen gardens, develop cottage industries and pursue educational goals. Many married women are returning to school to complete primary school and high school.

http://www.hairzing.com

“Hair Hugger Maasai Collection” sold on QVC.com

Dear Friends,

In May and June, 2005, Maasai tribal members presented many cultural programs to area organizations including the Doylestown Rotary. Mike Scobey, Intelligencer Newspaper publisher and Rotarian, heard the story of the Maasai's desperate need for water. The newspaper published a front page story on the efforts of MCEP (Maasai Cultural Exchange Project), a Bucks County volunteer nonprofit effort working to raise funding for wells and education for the Maasai in Kenya. Many area residents responded to the newspaper article with an outpouring of financial support by way of tax-deductible donations made to MCEP. Among them, a sophomore college student from Bucks County graciously and generously made a donation of $30,000 to the Maasai well project.

Education Fund

MCEP has established a student sponsorship program to help provide school fees to educate Maasai children and women. Primary School: $150; Secondary School: $700; College: $3,500.

Working directly with SIMOO in Kenya, US schools and organizations are currently sponsoring students in four Maasai schools.

Please make your tax-deductible donation payable to MCEP, and designate your donation in support of the Education Fund.