A leader’s perspective
When I founded MGRC in 2018, I had a vision. I wanted to provide Maasai girls with a safe, loving home and a path to a future of financial independence.
Now, just seven years later we have had our first graduate from MGRC. She is on her own, working in the hospitality industry and thriving. Her sisters (the girls of MGRC) are excited for her and can envision their own bright future.
I didn’t know how the vision would unfold. I didn’t know how to build a house or start a farm; I’d never raised farm animals or crops. I’d never dug a well or cooked enough food for a family of 70+. With a lot of help from donors, sponsors, and volunteers, this vision is indeed becoming a reality. We now have secure homes, abundant food, dependable clean water, a world class playground and a loving, dedicated staff.
We have started the next and most bold phase of the vision…making MGRC less reliant on fundraising and more focused on helping Maasai girls and the community. The ecoLodge, when in full operation, will generate adequate revenue to cover the operational costs for MGRC. Plans are being finalized for phase one of the ecoLodge and we hope to break ground soon so we will be ready to take reservations by the end of 2024.
From a financial perspective, the ecoLodge (a multi-year project) is by far the biggest and most bold initiative we have undertaken. But I have faith in the goodness and generosity of people to ensure the girls of MGRC are well taken care of now and into the future.
I have faith in you. The girls have faith in you. Help us spread the word so others will join the effort.
The lives of the girls depend upon it.
Rick Morro, Founder
Maasai Girls Rescue Center
Who We Are
Our Mission: Rescue and transform the lives of at-risk Maasai girls by providing food and clothing, shelter, medical attention, counseling, education and training in a loving, familial, and safe environment. We purposely and intentionally prepare the girls for a future of financial independence and self-sufficiency.
Our Vision: Change the mindset of how Maasai girls are valued and thus break the cycle of poverty and oppression in the Maasai Community by raising strong, financially independent and self-reliant women. MGRC women will possess the acumen, education, management skills, vocational training and life skills needed to be successful business owners, educators, professionals, community leaders and good parents. Our success utilizes a unique entrepreneurial model.
Accomplishments in 2023
Education: Our girls have made remarkable progress at their new school. We are proud to share:
- Five girls were selected by their teachers to be school leaders
- All 14 of our sixth-grade girls were ranked in the top 15 of their class of 92 students
- All 10 of our seventh-grade girls passed the national standard 7 exam, allowing them to pass into secondary school
- Four girls started at a private primary school and all received B’s at the end of the year
Infrastructure: We finished the construction of the ecoVillage which included the multipurpose complex and safe, comfortable homes, designed specifically for the girls. A playground, sports field and landscaping completed the campus.
Spiritual Development: Our girls continue to grow in their faith. We follow the Foundation Worldview curriculum, which teaches children to think critically about their spirituality. House Mothers sing and pray with the girls each evening.
Recognition: MGRC received formal recognition from regional social welfare for “our unique sustainable strategy, and keen individual focus for each of our girls’ futures.”
Sustainability: We raised enough funds to build the initial phase of the ecoLodge that, once operational, will allow us to be less reliant on fundraising and more focused on helping more girls and the community.
Year in Review
In 2023, our family of sisters grew again. We welcomed 10 new girls to the family; some of the girls escaped from abusive situations, others were left orphaned. But all the arrivals regardless of background receive medical attention, emotional support, and a lot of love. The girls are truly sisters, helping each other grow, thrive and be happy.
And we have some promising campaign stats. More and more people are learning about MGRC through our digital and social media campaigns. It is our hope that as our audience, donors and sponsors grow, we can help more and more girls.
Status of Students
MGRC adopts the girls residing at the center.
Background of the Girls
Age & Number of Girls
Health Concerns on Arrival
* Eczema, parasites.
** Trachoma /leads to blindness, childhood tuberculosis, fluorosis (bent legs), club feet, severe vision problems.
A Year of Firsts
Playground. The girls experienced the joy of swinging, and felt the exhilaration of sliding down a slide. They learned to play volleyball and basketball on a real sport field.
Clean water. The girls had their first drink of water supplied from our own well. No longer are we dependent on unreliable and expensive water from the government. Daily showers and adequate water supply went from a luxury to the norm.
ecoHomes. First night sleeping in their forever homes. The girls were thrilled to move from the temporary digs into the space that was truly designed and built with them in mind.
Public speaking. The girls gained enough confidence to read the scripture in front of the entire church congregation. This is no small feat as many girls would barely speak when spoken to upon their arrival.
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We celebrated our first graduate from MGRC. Yeyolai completed courses at a local vocational school and was given a job at a safari lodge. The entire family of sisters celebrated with Yeyolai and were so very proud of her.
Launched an intern program to help the girls who opt for a vocational path. The girls are becoming proficient at skills that will help them become financially independent.
Even though the girls came from dire circumstances, they learned the joy of giving back back to the community by picking up trash and volunteering at the church.
For the first time in our history, MGRC found sponsors for all the girls.
Financials
January 2023 – December 2023
Expenses
Because the founder, president, board of directors, angel donors, and fundraising team members are all unpaid volunteers, our charity management expenses are zero. All expenses are Tanzanian expenses used for the direct care of our girls or for building the ecoVillage.
Our expense per girl in 2023 was under our target of $180 per month/per girl, and we are forecasting to remain the same in 2024. This is significant based on inflation with ALL our expenses. Utility costs have more than quadrupled from 2022. By producing most of our food on our ecoFarm, we were able to control costs and improve the nutrition of our girls. We have built a business system that provides a direct line-of-sight of our donations to the actual expenses – this is updated daily.
Expenses by Month ($ USD)
Expenses by Expense Category ($ USD)
Income
Annual Donations
Donations by Donation Type
Capital Expenditures
MGRC continues implementing the vision of building a permanent home for the Maasai Girls Rescue Center in Karatu, Tanzania. In 2023, we have completed multiple major capital projects: $274,000 for a multi-purpose building, $456,019 to build 3 houses, $63,000 for water well and infrastructure project, $39,000 for equipment and furniture, and $50,263 for a sports field and playground. These expenses were spent over 2022 and 2023.
We raised over $275,215 in 2023. Contributions ranged from $50 to $100,000 from generous people with the MGRC Board of Directors providing additional funds needed to complete construction of the capital projects, and fund the ecoLodge project.
We are extremely proud of our local management, who worked very hard with local construction companies to complete these projects, under budget and on schedule. The expenditures below are cumulative through December 2023.
Capital Expenditures by Month ($ USD)
Capital Expenditures by Project ($ USD)
Updates
ecoVillage
The ecoVillage, has unequivocally, become the heart of the MGRC. The girls are thrilled to be in their new homes and much like any large family, each day is filled with challenge, surprise and joy. The sisters help each other with their schoolwork and chores, as well as their bible studies. The newly finished playground and sports field has provided so many new experiences and opportunities for play and building team skills.
Having our own source of dependable, clean water has drastically improved the lives of the girls in so many ways. Simply knowing water will run from the tap or the shower is an incredible gift to girls who were born in the bush.
The multi-purpose complex, in addition to housing the kitchen, dining hall, preschool and administrative offices, is home to the internship program where the girls learn important vocational skills including baking, sewing, farming, gardening, and cooking. Computer literacy has recently become part of the training as well.
Fully landscaped to minimize erosion during the rainy season, the ecoVillage is indeed thriving under the direction and leadership of the dedicated and knowledgeable staff.
ecoFarm
Even as the MGRC family grows, the ecoFarm continues to produce all the protein and vegetable needs for the girls and staff. In addition to nutritious food, the ecoFarm provides a learning platform for teaching the girls critical life skills related to agriculture, farming, and animal husbandry. The new water well has allowed us to experiment with new crops including bananas, beans, and watermelon.
Innovative farming techniques, a dependable water supply and a determination to succeed has yielded impressive results. For every dollar we spend on the farm, we produce between $3 to $4 of food. We KNOW we can feed ourselves. And we fully expect to supply the ecoLodge restaurant with most of the food to serve our guests a true farm to table meal.
ecoLodge
In 2023, we embarked on the next and most bold phase of our vision, to make MGRC less reliant on fundraising and more focused on permanently helping Maasai girls and the community.
We are completing the building design, securing permits, finalizing the construction budget, and clearing the land. Simultaneously, we are developing relationships with safari and travel companies.
We intend to break ground in early 2024 for the main lodge which will include a restaurant, conference rooms and areas for relaxation, as well as two private villas; landscaping will ensure beautiful views and protect the environment. Quickly thereafter, we will hire and train staff so that we are ready to take reservations in late 2024 for the 2025 tourist season.
Like the ecoFarm and the ecoVillage, we know we can and will succeed in proving that financial independence is a better alternative to a simple financial handout.
Thank you
Without a doubt, 2023 was an incredible year of achievement. The ecoVillage is now complete and thriving; the ecoFarm continues to produce nutritious food for the growing MGRC family and the girls are becoming the best versions of themselves. You helped make all this happen. Thank you!
We now embark on the next and most bold phase of the vision making MGRC less reliant on fundraising and more focused on helping even more girls and the community. The ecoLodge, when in full operation, will generate adequate revenue to cover the operational costs for MGRC. I know we can count on you to make this happen too. By doing so, we can help more at-risk Maasai girls live happy independent lives.
