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2022 in review

View of ecoVillage from the road

The girls’ health and well-being is the best measure of our success at Maasai Girls Rescue Center. And by this standard, we had an awesome in year! The girls continue to thrive and surprise us in wonderful ways. That said, we faced several unanticipated challenges and disappointments in 2022; but with the help of our supporters, volunteers, and staff, we made amazing progress.

We started the year with plans to complete the multi-purpose complex and Career Center as well as begin construction on the girls’ homes. We had not anticipated the arrangement for the temporary housing would be cut short by several months. Consequently, we pivoted and realigned priorities. We sharpened our pencils and revisited the design of the homes. With the help of many generous donors and cooperative partners we were able to begin construction on  3 of the girls’ homes; we even secured financing for a fourth home.

We expanded and experimented with new crops and animals at the ecoFarm. While we enjoyed success, we had not planned on losing all our cows to a deadly disease. This setback, while serious, was overcome.  We were able to find a stronger breed of cattle and we have recently started making our own yogurt, ice cream and butter! 

A small pasteurizing machine on a kitchen counter displaying blocks of butter in a row.
A pasteurizing machine on a kitchen counter displaying a bowl of butter.

Four failing rainy seasons since late 2020 have caused the worst drought in at least 40 years. Consequently, our water supply was intermittent and unreliable. Operating a farm without water is virtually impossible. Feeding and caring for the girls without water is equally impossible. We were forced to have water trucked in at an overwhelming expense of up to $100 per day. Once again loyal supporters came through and a substantial donation was made so were able to start drilling a bore hole to provide clean, reliable water.

Throughout all these unanticipated challenges our girls thrived. We are most grateful for our donors, volunteers, and staff and for all we have achieved. However, we recognize our biggest challenge is still ahead of us:  ensuring the future of MGRC by making the ecoLodge a reality. The investment needed for this phase is substantial. But the result will be a sustainable future for MGRC. Once complete and operating, the ecoLodge will

  • produce revenue to cover the operational costs for MGRC
  • provide westerners with an unparalleled eco tourist experience
  • ensure career opportunities in all aspects of hospitality for the girls and locals in the community. 
ecoLodge rendering from 2022

In the past week, we released our 2022 annual report. We encourage you to read more about our challenges and successes. And more importantly, we encourage you to read about the girls and their dreams for an independent future. We continue to rely on you for your financial support and to help us spread the word so others will join the effort.  The lives of the girls depend upon it.

Thank you again for your generosity and heart felt support.

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