Another year, we have our report on SUPPORTING THE MAASAI PEOPLE in the different areas Women, Education, Health and Sustainability and the actions carried out during the past year 2020. A year characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic that has severely affected the people who were already in a situation of social exclusion and / or vulnerability.
In the Maasai Mara, due to the restrictive measures of the Kenyan government, the entry of tourists into the country has been considerably reduced, even without coronavirus cases.
For the Masai community, which is totally dependent on tourist activity, these measures, added to the lack of aid from the Government, have led to devastating effects, producing a severe famine that is increasing day by day.
It has been a challenge for us to adapt to these adverse circumstances in order to continue providing care to the people that make up the Masai community and continuity to our project, maintaining the current Association structure, salaries and continuing to create and promote food campaigns.
If to this dependence on tourism by the Masai population we add the locust plague followed by brutal floods that occurred in the Maasai Mara, prior to the pandemic declaration, we are faced with a really difficult situation in terms of food subsistence.
Food delivery campaign
Since the situation was going to drag on over time, we decided to select the Masai women in greatest need in Kenya and make food distributions to the same groups for different periods of time, in order to support these poorer families. until the tourists entrance is activated and there are income options through their crafts.
Thanks to our collaboration project with Pikolinos, for more than 8 years, we have a lot of information to be able to make this selection, so we divided the deliveries by areas and groups with a total of 95 families served and 19,340 kilos of food delivered between corn , ugali and rice.
This campaign was financed by both companies and individuals, in addition to the sale of the limited edition “UGALI” bag, sold through our website and social networks.
Intervention Lines with which we work to promote the Masai Community development:
Líne 1: Women and marketing.
- PRODUCTION FOR THE PIKOLINOS GROUP
Thanks to the PIKOLINOS GROUP, with whom we have been working since 2010, we can provide stable work for 5 months a year to most of the women in our Masai cooperative, consisting at the elaboration with ethnic motifs on leather that later form part of an annual Masai sandals collection, marketed all over the world.
Our goal is to offer formulas for the commercialization of Masai women’s handicrafts and self-employment, in a way that allows them to generate income to cover the basic needs of their family and the community.
Last year 2020 due to the pandemic situation and seeing the company Pikolinos severely affected by sales worldwide, it was decided that the production carried out in 2019 be saved and maintained for the summer of 2021. Therefore, the realization is canceled of handicraft accessories that were directly linked to the sandals production.
We are deeply grateful to the Pikolinos Group for continuing to trust in our artisans, hoping that as soon as the recovery occurs we can continue with our collaboration.
- OTHER PRODUCTIONS::
We continue to collaborate with the footwear and accessories company TEMPE, to manufacture products with recycled leather, made by A Puntadas Empresa Social and decorated by our women with Masai crafts. These products are sold in the Solidarity Market that the company manages every year, assuming a stable demand that favors the continued work of our women.
This year the ESPERANZA PERTUSA FOUNDATION has selected Adcam as an NGO for its “Women for Change” program. This program is accompanied by a Gala dinner for a fundraiser that cannot be held due to Covid 19. However, the company placed an order for 400 bracelets that they sell on their website and stores.
- RETAIL CRAFTS SALE:
- Website: On our website we have an online store, where you can purchase Masai products made by our artisans.
- Sale in decoration stores.
- Direct sale in Manyatta, through people who visit our solidarity project in Kenya.
- Sale in various markets in the Alicante’s province, some of them in coordination with PRM-Women’s Reintegration Program association, where handicrafts from women at risk of exclusion are also sold.
Make a special mention and thanks to Torre Juana Alicante and the Show Room at the Corte Ingles in Alicante, where we were able to celebrate two events where we could show our crafts and offer a comprehensive explanation of our Masai project.
- MICROCREDIT AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT:
Another fundamental element for us when it comes to helping Masai women in their professional and economic development comes from self-employment and microcredit, proving that the help provided continues being well. Our project allows the living conditions and opportunities of Masai women to continue to advance, having a very positive impact on an improvement in the situation for the entire community.
- HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES
There is a local team for logistics management, although the true protagonists are the artisan women, who with their work make it possible for the community to have an income source.
Masai leaders and warriors also collaborate closely, engaging in activities such as taking care of children and preparing food.
The necessary material resources are basically the transport, the raw materials and the tools necessary for the handicrefts elaboration.
Líne 2: Education.
The year 2020 was the ninth year of operating the school, and the fourth in having all the grades (two for infantile and until 8º in primary). We have continued to work on organizational and pedagogical improvement with the entire team, managing to advance our goal of ADCAM Mara Vision School to become a reference educational center in its area.
Due to the pandemic, the school was closed from March to September, but thanks to funding from the Diputación de Alicante, we were able to keep all the school staff salaries throughout the year, which made them more involved if possible in the tasks distribution to students by neighborhoods and villages.
The lines of action are as follows:
- EDUCATIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ORGANIZATION:
Having consolidated the educational organization system established for our school, our work, from now on, is directed more towards training and support in more pedagogical aspects, allowing the evolution of the school to be the result of the effort and involvement of the team itself, based on their beliefs and capabilities. The implementation of the Education Reform at the national level by the Kenyan Education Ministry was a great challenge, since the educational approach is focused on enhancing the individual skills of each student.
- ACTIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCHOOL PROJECT:
- As every year we must highlight the great work of our volunteers. They offer us their experience, to do activities oriented to the real need of our school.
- School supplies. The school has educational material and various school supplies donated privately by the people who have visited us this year.
- Resources offered. During 2020 we have offered schooling to 185 students, 108 boys and 77 girls, of which 48 have been permanently housed in our two residences.
- TEACHING TEAM:
One of the ADCAM team priorities is the continuous teachers training, to improve their skills, knowledge and pedagogical methodology. This year we have been able to offer our teachers a computer science course, in order to adapt to technology.
- SCHOOL SUPPORT PROGRAM:
In order to face the cost of operating all this, we have been promoting a School Support Program for several years, in which those interested in helping us to ensure that the school is maintained and can continue to advance make us an equivalent periodic donation at the cost of one of our students at school.
We are very happy and grateful to have the help of all the people who participate and collaborate in our Program, although we still have a long way to go.
- IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL
Este año hemos podido realizar varias acciones de mejora en todo el recinto escolar.
Líne 3: Preventive Health
Through preventive actions that are allowing to counteract health problems such as malaria, respiratory problems, parasites, malnutrition, etc.
During the past year we have built a well for easy access to drinking water, installed mosquito nets, promoted deworming campaigns and offered food supplements to students, held medical days and provided medicines. Another fundamental aspect is the development of health education actions, promoting hygiene habits at school and with the entire community.
Líne 4: Sustainability and Environment
Our tourist and solidarity accommodation in the heart of the Maasai Mara, managed 100% by Masai warriors, thus contributing to the project global sustainability, offers all the comforts, services and activities necessary for our guests to feel well cared for, with the incentive of being located next to the school and the Masai Manyatta, which allows a unique experience of interaction with the community, learning about their culture, respect for nature and lifestyle.
ADCAM adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, working on its projects to meet all the proposed goals.
We also have a great environmental commitment through which we have worked this year in the maintenance of our solar system, the natural fence care with Kayapa, the trees reforestation, the continuity of the agreement with the WildLife in the Conservation Area of the Maasai Mara and the creation of an organic garden through Sinecocultura, a model of sustainable agriculture.
We have also carried out other notable actions such as information and awareness campaigns that you can learn more about in our full report.
The management and power to carry out a project like this is the result of the sum of many contributions, both at the funds level and sponsors, as well as collaborations, volunteers and the entire human team behind it. For them we want to give infinite thanks to all of you.
We encourage you to collaborate in this wonderful project, any help is welcome.
