Journal Entries Archives | Maasai Girls Rescue Center

Faraja, Sinyati, Nandoye and Rachel with purple cabbage and massive heads of cauliflower

Education, Empowerment, and Endless Possibilities

October 13, 2024 Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Maasai Girls

Change a life today: 7 girls need your support! Seven of our girls are still in need of sponsors. From extreme poverty to escaping child marriage, each of these girls has a unique story. By becoming a child sponsor, you’re not just providing financial support, you’re offering a lifeline to a…...

Growing and Learning: Recent Activities at MGRC

September 19, 2024 Education, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

Soccer Success and Community Engagement MGRC recently hosted two exciting soccer matches, where our girls competed against local children’s centers. The girls had a blast participating in the games, thanks to the coaching of our dedicated employees, Ernest and Diana. Beyond soccer, they also enjoy other sports like netball and…...

Yeyolai and Nemoipo in graduation caps and gowns

Celebrating the milestones in the lives of our new residents and recent graduates

May 30, 2024 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Maasai Girls

In the heart of Maasai land, where challenges are as vast as the plains, MGRC stands as a beacon of hope for at-risk girls. Faced with the threat of child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and limited educational opportunities, these young women often find their futures uncertain. MGRC provides a…...

A group picture of the girls on Easter morning

Maasai Girls’ ecoVillage Update: Catching Up on the Last 4 Months

May 4, 2024 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Girls

Journal Entry by Rick Morro This year has been flying by and there are so many things to catch up on. Here’s what’s been happening the last 4 months. Community celebration At the very end of December, we held our annual community celebration. It was a wonderful time to share…...

MGRC girls sitting outside their new home with their house mothers

ecoVillage update: Maasai girls settle into their new homes

October 14, 2023 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Girls

The girls have now moved into their new homes! The journey hasn’t been easy, but the joy of the girls makes it all worth it. Back in July 2022, we were informed that we had to leave the hotel we were occupying by January 2023, which was a much shorter…...

six girls sitting in front of their birthday cakes

The importance of birthdays at MGRC

July 15, 2023 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Girls

Most of the girls who come to MGRC have no knowledge of their birth dates. They don’t have birth certificates and have never had the chance to celebrate their birthdays. A lot of them were born in their bomas, enduring the tough conditions in which they entered the world. To…...

5 MGRC girls in their uniforms standing in row outside their school

Moving to a new school

May 5, 2023 Education, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

One of the biggest blessings of the move to our permanent location is the new school the girls are attending. It is significantly better than the last, with teachers that are more engaged and more opportunities for growth and leadership. And the girls are thriving. ...

Happy Spring!

April 8, 2023 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

It is a season of change, and here at MGRC we are seeing great change, as well. Though we are not yet where we want to be, we are better than where we were. Life here is rarely linear, but often a series of two steps forward and one step…...

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

January 2, 2023 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

The girls had a great Christmas and are enjoying their winter break! We hosted a Christmas celebration that was attended by the local government officials, neighbors, our staff and, of course, our girls....

Life in Tanzania is never dull

November 18, 2022 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability

Life in Tanzania is never dull, but some times are harder than others. Currently Northern Tanzania is in a serious drought. Our electricity comes from a hydro dam and the water level has been very low this year....

Baby Nosim

June 29, 2022 Community and Culture, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

Recently, I received a call from a local social worker about a mother who had died in childbirth. He asked if we could help because the father was unable to care for the baby....

Challenges are what make life interesting

May 20, 2022 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

I am thrilled to share with you that the security wall is complete! Thank you to everyone who generously contributed to this crucial first step towards completing the ecoVillage....

Education is key at MGRC

April 24, 2022 ecoVillage, Education, Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

Rainy season has begun in Tanzania, and we are already seeing new growth on the fruit trees we planted last fall. The girls are also growing and changing on what seems like a daily basis....

2022 is shaping up to be a big year!

March 29, 2022 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability

Elisante and I have been keeping busy with the wall construction, adding new staff members and planning for future projects here at MGRC....

First Annual Community Thanks Celebration

December 29, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoVillage, Journal Entries, MGRC Outreach, Volunteering

On December 18, Maasai Girls Rescue Center hosted our first annual Community Thanks celebration. Over 200 people gathered on the land that will become our ecoVillage....

A Very Merry Christmas

December 23, 2021 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

Christmas in Tanzania is celebrated differently. It's much more subdued than an American or westernized Christmas....

Kindness, Life, Hope

November 1, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

It’s been a few weeks since I returned from the states and wrote a journal entry. Karatu continues to be good to MGRC....

Meanwhile… back on the farm

October 8, 2021 ecoFarm, Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Sustainability

While I was in the States, the farm moved even closer to completion. Since we broke ground in March, we have cleared the land, planted crops, built homes for farm staff, built barns, and installed a boiler for pasteurizing milk....

My Stateside Visit: Food, Fundraisers, Family and Friends

September 30, 2021 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Volunteering

Well, after two years and a global pandemic, I finally made it back to visit my family and friends. I did not realize how much I missed while living in Tanzania....

Rabbits, pigs, chickens and cows, oh my!

July 27, 2021 ecoFarm, Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Sustainability

Well, another week has gone by, and I cannot believe how fast this year is moving. We met with the Regional Executive Commissioner in Arusha to introduce MGRC to him....

MGRC Girls, Sustainable Food Projects, Outreach

July 1, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, Education, Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries, Sustainability, Volunteering

Our MGRC volunteers from the States are on Safari in the Serengeti National Park and have been sending me messages about their experience....

Volunteers at MGRC, Chickens, ecoFarm Updates

June 23, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Journal Entries, Sustainability, Volunteering

It has been a very busy time here at MGRC. The girls are on school break, and we have four recent high school graduates from the States visiting....

New van, new dresses, new visitors

June 16, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, Journal Entries, Volunteering

Well, it has been an interesting week or so. First, we received our new (used) van from Japan. First time I ever bought a vehicle without test driving or having my mechanic inspect it, but that is how one does it here in Tanzania....

MGRC visitor, happy cows, ecoFarm updates

May 11, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, Journal Entries, Sustainability, Volunteering

It was a very good week for us at MGRC. One of our girl’s sponsors visited us during the week. It is always great to have the girls meet and spend time with the people who make it possible for them to live here. The sponsored girl is not the…...

New rescued girl, ecoFarm update, dedication ceremony delayed

April 30, 2021 ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I’ve been told that some people might be interested in knowing how I spend my time while “vacationing” for the last 9 years in Africa. 😉 So, I thought I would keep a weekly journal of my day-to-day activities here at the Center and share them with you. Last week…...

Why volunteering is important to the girls of MGRC

April 3, 2021 Community and Culture, Journal Entries, Volunteering

Volunteering is a chance for you to give back to the world. When you volunteer for the rescued girls at the Maasai Girls Rescue Center, you open an entirely new world to them. You will have a huge impact on the girls’ attitudes and their future. When volunteering at the…...

Meet Elisante Loi Laizer, MGRC’s new on-site manager!

April 2, 2021 Community and Culture, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I have been working on finding the right person for this position for quite some time and it hasn’t been easy. This new position would include handing off management of the staff which, as you may know, would be one of the hardest things for me to let go. But…...

An extraordinary journey to a sustainable future

February 27, 2021 Education and Sustainability, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

52 girls. 14 adults. 6 cows. 70 mattresses and 30 bunkbeds. Furniture, hundreds of boxes of clothing, kitchen goods and other belongings. On January 30, the precious people, animals and cargo of the Maasai Girls Rescue Center made our way over rutted, muddy roads and steep mountain passes on a seven-hour journey from our old home in Longido to…...

2020 Year in Review

February 5, 2021 Education, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability

2020 was a watershed year for MGRC After going through tremendous growth in 2019, we shifted our focus last year to sustainability. We did a lot of work behind-the-scenes putting processes in place to make us more efficient to ensure our high quality of care for the girls for many…...

More than a safari

January 17, 2021 Community and Culture, Education, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

MGRC is located within reasonable driving distance to several world famous National Parks. While people on the other side of the globe dream of one day visiting these amazing places, the girls here at the center never felt like this was an obtainable ambition for them. Even though the admission for…...

A Christmas to remember

December 30, 2020 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

In Tanzania, Christmas is more about celebrating the birth of Jesus and less about exchanging gifts or Santa Claus. This year was no different. We attended church, sang hymns, and enjoyed a special holiday meal together. What was different was when a couple of donors asked me if they could…...

Feeling thankful even in a challenging year

November 25, 2020 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

2020 has been a difficult year, no further explanation necessary on that topic. When everything you see is negative, I would like to take a moment to share a few things I am thankful for… 1) Proof the Program is working: Words cannot describe how thankful, grateful, and overwhelming proud…...

To our “Prayer Warriors”

September 23, 2020 Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

With God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37 NKJV We are truly blessed at MGRC to have prayers coming from all around the world. Some of our girls are facing severe challenges or are in situations that could use extra support and encouragement. After we wrote about Bahati’s progress with…...

Regaining her vision: Bahati’s Story

September 14, 2020 Community and Culture, Journal Entries

Bahati came into our lives back in April when her father brought her to the Center asking for help. She was a sweet 5-year-old with a severe eye problem. I could tell right away something was wrong by the way her eyes “floated” in different directions. She was unable to focus on anything and wouldn’t be able to…...

Thanks for an amazing 2019!

January 14, 2020 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Volunteering

First, I would like to personally thank all of our behind-the-scenes and in-person volunteers for their time and support to the Maasai Girls Rescue Center. Because of their generosity and the generosity of so many new and faithful supporters, we were able to surpass our critical year-end fundraising goal and…...

Returning from my Trip to the States

September 19, 2019 Growth and Reflection, Guest Posts, Journal Entries, Sustainability, Volunteering

I have been back in Longido, Tanzania for a couple weeks now. During my trip to the States, we received commitment to sponsor 8 more girls. We also raised some funds to cover our short-term care of the unsponsored girls. We still have 13 more sponsorships to cover, and have…...

Life-changing experience, looking to the future, and my upcoming trip to the US

July 1, 2019 Community and Culture, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

It is hard to believe that 2019 is half over. Many things have happened at MGRC, too many to list them all here. We now have 36 full time girls living at the Center, plus one girl who is here for protection during school break. She is not allowed to…...

And then there were 33

May 10, 2019 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability

I am sitting here wanting to share many activities that have been going on in the life of MGRC. I always state that I am not the best writer in the world. I have been asked to do video messages as my gift for gab is better than my writing…...

Why I have to turn people away every week and how I plan to overcome it

April 19, 2019 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

It has been a very busy and interesting couple of weeks. MGRC is currently at capacity renting the LOOCIP hostel and facilities. The government brought four girls last week to us who they are protecting from forced marriage. Even though we are full, Sayuni who just had thyroid surgery is…...

With your help, our journey continues

December 29, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

2018 has been a year of tremendous growth for MGRC, and a lot of great things are happening. My goal for this project is to offer Maasai girls and the Maasai village a path to break a debilitating cycle of child-mortality, extreme poverty, FGM, and abuses of child-marriage. Your support…...

Why I’m asking for goats for Christmas

December 21, 2018 ecoFarm, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability

Raising goats at our center will provide sustainable food source for our girls. I believe in this sustainable project and as with everything I do I weigh the short and long term benefits – this project will make a lasting impact. Goats thrive very well in our climate and our…...

Upon My Return

December 11, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I returned from my annual visit to the States. It was a great time visiting family and friends. Everyone back home is doing well. It is great to see how grown-up my grandchildren are getting. My daughter’s oldest is now 16. Time really does fly by. It is a reminder…...

The luxury of storing food

November 13, 2018 Education and Sustainability, Journal Entries

The Luxury of Storing Food Whenever I visit the states it always reminds me of just how fortunate and blessed we are to have so many varieties of fresh meat and produce readily available to us. In the remote areas of Tanzania, meat especially is very hard to come by…...

Our First Year’s Accomplishments & Help from Unexpected Places

August 24, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, The beginning of MGRC, Volunteering

Our first year’s accomplishments MGRC is gaining traction and with any growth it is not always smooth sailing but the rewards are worth it. MGRC has just celebrated its official one year anniversary and we have learned a lot. Our first year’s accomplishments started with two girls last year and…...

It is Good

July 30, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, The beginning of MGRC, Volunteering

It is good yet challenging at times My friend’s deaf son was a passenger on a motorcycle when it was run off the road into a deep ditch. There were three people on the motorcycle. The driver lost a foot, my friend’s son has a broken leg and the third…...

The New Beginning

July 2, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture, Sustainability, The beginning of MGRC

The New Beginning The girls have just finished with a month-long school break. Each girl got a chance to visit with their families during the break. There was a few tears when some of the younger ones returned after being with their families. The girls all have adjusted to being…...

It is all in how it is said

June 4, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Sustainability, The beginning of MGRC

It is all in how it is said Communication is critical when trying to work with people. A team member must be able to communicate effectively if the work or project is to be completed successfully. I am a problem in this area. I have been in Tanzania living in…...

It Takes Time To Understand

May 25, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, The beginning of MGRC

It Takes Time to Understand Well things are moving ever so slowly but they are moving. I am constantly learning how much I do not know about the Tanzanian, African, and Maasai cultures. I am trying but some days are easier than others. The biggest problem I have is language,…...

It is Just a Little Different

May 4, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture, The beginning of MGRC

It it just a little different Well, it is just a little different. I have been here for over two years and I sometimes think I understand the differences in mine and the Tanzanian culture. If I learned anything, it is that I really don’t appreciate the real differences. I…...

One Day at a Time

May 1, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, The beginning of MGRC

I have been back in Tanzania for over four weeks now. It is a bit stunning that in some ways it seems I never left and in another way, as if I just got here. I really enjoyed my visit with family and friends. This was my second trip back…...

Returned from Much Needed Vacation

April 5, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture, The beginning of MGRC

Returned from much needed vacation I returned from a much needed vacation on the 3rd of April, a 30 day vacation in the States. It was great seeing family and friends. I was getting burned out with the constant grind of trying to help a people who have been conditioned…...

Visiting Family and Friends back in the States

March 16, 2018 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I am back in the States visiting family and friends. It is great to see my children and grandchildren. A hot shower has been the other highlight of this trip. My daughter is feeding me too much but says I can diet when I return to Tanzania. I will need…...

Preparing for the Trip Back to the States

February 28, 2017 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I am in Arusha making final preparations for my trip back home. I have had the privilege of meeting and working with an NGO in Arusha that takes at risk babies and cares for them until they can find suitable parents to adopt them. The organization is called Neema House (Arusha).…...

The Great Adventure

February 24, 2017 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, The beginning of MGRC

Sunday was a good day for me despite setbacks in our projects. I took a break and went to Arusha, spending the night before returning to the boma. To reach home, I took a challenging dirt road after Namanga, but since there had been no rain for over two months,…...

Three Weeks until I visit my family

February 9, 2017 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I am in Arusha today so I thought I would take advantage of faster internet and send another note. The drought continues. People are working hard to keep their livestock upright but the real need is for rain. The local bore holes are rationing their water as the wells are…...

Challenges and new NGO partnership

February 6, 2017 Community and Culture, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

This week has been quite interesting. It had its share of highs and a few lows. Each day seems to present more challenges than the previous one. Perhaps I’m starting to feel tired or simply missing my family and friends. Despite having lived here for a while and believing that…...

Sometimes it is difficult

January 22, 2017 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I am in Arusha so I am able to send this note. Things are getting better in some ways anymore difficult in others. I now can access email on the web browser from my house, provided I sit at the window and point the modem towards naming. Not the easiest…...

The new year

January 3, 2017 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

I am writing this from my house in the pages word application software on my Mac. I will try and cut and paste when I get on line and can access my blog. Since I am not a techie I am not sure if it will work but it is…...

Better late than never

November 20, 2016 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

It has been a while since I have blogged. Many of my friends, ok, two of my friends have given me a hard time about not writing. I can not write from the Boma where I live, the internet connection is not strong enough for me to connect to this…...

A tough place to raise children

October 23, 2016 Community and Culture, Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries, Maasai Culture

It is the dry season in the area I am staying. It has only rained once in the last six months. The Maasai live off the cattle, goats and sheep they raise on their Bomas. Water is scarce, with a few run off dams still holding some water. This water…...

A new beginning

October 7, 2016 Growth and Reflection, Journal Entries

Well today is a good day. I officially received my new Tanzanian Residence Permit. I originally came to Tanzania to work as a volunteer for a church funded NGO. That did not work out as I expected so I reapplied through a new organization which a Tanzanian friend and I…...