What we do
Our vision
To see an empowered, transformed Maasai community living lives freed from poverty and disease and reaching their God-given potential.
Maasai Academy
The Maasai Academy started in 2010 when RedTribe got behind a tiny school started by a handful of Maasai parents. Becca and Hennie’s three children went to the school when there was just one classroom with 20 children in the old wooden church. The school lunch was cooked on an open fire outside, goats and baboons would sometimes eat it before the children managed to get a meal!
Today there are 10 classrooms, a kitchen, store, office, toilets and 310 children! There are 14 dedicated teachers to ensure we can provide the best education! We are the top school in the Education Division for a third year running.
Beadwork
Our beadwork enterprise started with just one skilled widow, a handful of colourful beads and a budget of £10! It has now grown to between 20 regular artisans and employing sometimes up to 60 women when there is a larger order for our jewellery.
Becca has a background in art and design and so combining her skills with the Maasai beading tradition resulted in a very marketable product which continues to sell world wide.
Profits from this enterprise have enabled RedTribe to sponsor the most gifted girls from poor families through their secondary education and vocational training programmes as well as subsidising the fees for children from poorer families.
RedTribe also provided the funds for training teachers at the Maasai Academy.
Maasai Clinic
The RedTribe Clinic serves a Community of 12,000 people that are scattered over a vast area. We bring much needed services like treatment, vaccinations, dental care and emergency services. The aim of the clinic is to move from treatment to preventative care where possible. Regular data collection reveals where the problems are and how to best deal with them. The Clinic employs a very experianced and dedicated Nurse & Midwife a qualified Clinical Officer (Junior Doctor), Ambulance Driver and a Medical Records Clerk.
Water
The Medical Data collected revealed that waterborne disease is prevalent in many areas. To change from treatment of these diseases to prevention of them, our Maasai team began a series of water projects with help from friends. Together we investigated the water sources and discovered clean Spring Water in the forest high up in the Hills. This allowed us to protect the Springs and pipe water under gravity flow to the villages. 7 Communities and 3 Schools have now access to clean water – around 3,500 people. We are hoping to bring Water to another 6000 people in our Community in the next few years. You can partner with us to help fund a Water Project by giving here.
Mentoring
True change and sustainability doesn’t come through funding alone, but through a mind empowered and a heart changed. RedTribe’s focus is not AID but sustainability through empowering local people to address their own problems and find solutions for them. We are working daily on mentoring our leaders in the Team and Community and also by teaching the Bible as the core values to live by and serve the community by loving their neighbours as they love their God.
Farming
Traditionally Maasai are pastoralists who roamed the African Plains. As borders are established the Maasai have been forced to settle in specific areas. Farming maize was adopted by the Maasai from the neighbouring tribes only about 30 years ago and their knowledge of farming is therefore very limited.
RedTribe Clinic sees malnutrition often and it became obvious that nutrition needs to be addressed.
We started a small vegetable patch that has now grown to supply 16,500 meals every month -mainly to the School Children and the Maasai teams working on the projects. Our aim is to become Food Secure as a Community and to do this we will need to train community members to farm in a sustainable way.
We also hope to develop a school kitchen farm where children can learn through hands-on experience from an early age.
Infrastructure
The Olorte Maasai community is 4 hours drive from the nearest Post Office, Petrol Station or Hardware store. To develop any School, Medical Program, Water Project or bringing volunteers in, is a logistical challenge. RedTribe has addressed this by building an Airstrip for Volunteers and Doctors to fly in to visit the projects.
We built a Dam to provide Water for livestock. We have repaired roads to access Projects and villages so that our medical team can reach these more remote communities. We are building Classrooms and Dormitories at the School as well as small “Satellite” Clinics where our medical Teams can treat the Community nearer their homes.
There is a huge need to develop infrastructure in such a remote Community and RedTribe is playing an essential role in its development.
Gifted Individuals
We know that there are many young gifted individuals who, with the right support, mentoring and guidance will be able reach their full potential. Our dream is to see these “change makers” come back to help their communities and inspire many more children to reach their full potential and make a difference.
One of these people is Lesiamon Siara who was herding goats when we first met him. We were told that he was the brightest in his class but couldn’t afford to go to secondary school. Funding was sought to help him, and Lesiamon worked hard to achieve his best grades to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. VSS Academy sponsored him through University to study Medicine.
In June 2020, Lesiamon joined the RedTribe Medical Team as a qualified Medical Officer and is now helping his Community.
There are many more children like Lesiamon who have big hope and dreams- RedTribe wants to invest in these young people to help change a generation!
Show your support
Our work to empower the Maasai community would be impossible without the compassion and generosity of people like you.
General Donation
Make a one off or monthly donation to support the ongoing work by RedTribe supporting the livelihoods of the Maasai.
Education Appeal
A lack of Education traps talented children in poverty, but you can bring hope. Your support breaks poverty's chains, transforming lives.
Corporate Giving
Give your company and team a purpose by making a long lasting positive, social impact on the Maasai