Sustainability Archives | Maasai Girls Rescue Center

MGRC ecolodge and villas with the sun setting over the valley

Building a future beyond handouts: The MGRC ecoLodge progress and vision

November 2, 2024 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Girls, Sustainability

As we approach the holiday season, we’re excited to share the progress of the MGRC ecoLodge project—a project that represents not just a facility but a powerful, sustainable future for the MGRC and the community. This eco-friendly lodging, designed with sustainable architecture and permaculture design principles, aims to be a…...

From humble beginnings to modern farming practices: MGRC ecoFarm journey

July 28, 2024 ecoFarm, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Girls, Sustainability

The Maasai Girls Rescue Center (MGRC) is a safe haven for young at-risk Maasai girls in Tanzania, providing them with education, safety, and a nurturing environment. But MGRC’s vision goes beyond just these immediate needs. We want to empower our girls to become self-sufficient, capable of not only feeding themselves…...

MGRC interns learning how to prepare and cook meals for the future ecolodge.

How the MGRC ecoLodge supports the growth and well-being of Maasai girls

December 6, 2023 ecoVillage, Education, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Girls, Sustainability

A successful ecoLodge is not only essential for the financial stability of the girls currently residing at MGRC, but it also guarantees that MGRC can continue to support a greater number of girls in the future. However, in addition to financial security, a thriving ecoLodge will have numerous other positive…...

Recognized for sustainable strategy with individual focus for girls’ future

October 17, 2023 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Girls, Sustainability

Word is out in Tanzania about MGRC. We are being recognized for our unique sustainable strategy, and keen individual focus for each of our girls’ future. Our innovative social enterprise business model is setting an example for other social enterprises to follow in achieving sustainable social impact. A model for…...

Saying goodbye to water shortages with new clean water system

July 1, 2023 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Sustainability

Having access to water is something we all take for granted. You turn on the tap and you expect water to come out: cold water, hot water, clean water....

Press Release: Rescuing, Empowering, and Building a Sustainable Future for Abused and Abandoned Girls

June 10, 2023 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Sustainability

The Maasai Girls Rescue Center is proud to share its remarkable achievements in rescuing and developing over 60 abused and abandoned girls from the Maasai community....

2022 in review

March 16, 2023 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Growth and Reflection, Sustainability

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…...

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....

Momoi (center holding microphone) was able to use her language skills to translate her friends' testimonies at the Community Celebration. She speaks Maa, Swahili and English.

Impact comes from action

July 17, 2022 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Growth and Reflection, Sustainability

Life in Africa, much like the rest of the world, is beginning to return to “normal” post pandemic. Tourism is on the rise and hotels in Karatu are filling up....

An entrepreneurial approach transforming African aid

July 2, 2022 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

Generous people around the world (with the U.S. being the largest donor) provide billions in aid to countries and causes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Much of that aid fails to effectively address long-term problems, and in many cases creates negative unintended consequences....

New career center expands options for MGRC girls’ future

June 15, 2022 Community and Culture, ecoVillage, Education, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

If you ever wondered how much a life can be transformed with loving intervention by caring strangers, consider the remarkable journey of Momoi....

Eco farm produces better nutrition than the traditional Maasai diet at lower cost

April 8, 2022 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Sustainability

This month we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our ecoFarm. A three-acre parcel that grew from undeveloped land to lush crops, a livestock barn and a bio-gas fuel source capable of sustaining 70 people....

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....

Environmental sustainability roots MGRC

March 7, 2022 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Sustainability

Living in one of the world’s most scenic places, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the natural beauty....

Social sustainability starts with well-being

February 18, 2022 Education and Sustainability, Guest Posts, Maasai Culture, Sustainability, Volunteering

I met Mary and her older sister Momoi in an impoverished area near the Kenyan border, where their grandmother was raising them because their parents were too poor to care for them....

Stitching our way toward economic sustainability

February 6, 2022 Community and Culture, ecoVillage, Education, Maasai Culture, Sustainability, Volunteering

Sayuni came to Maasai Girls Rescue Center three years ago when she was 10. Her mother brought her, saying she could no longer support her child. Then the mother left and hasn’t been back. ...

2021: A year of miraculous transformation for MGRC

January 18, 2022 ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Education, Growth and Reflection, Sustainability

A year ago this month, we began a seven-hour journey from our old home in Longido to our new home near Karatu....

A Grassroots Alternative to Failed African Aid

December 11, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoFarm, ecoVillage, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

Generous people around the world (with the US being the largest donor) provide billions in aid to countries and causes in Sub-Saharan Africa....

Giving and receiving: the importance of community

November 12, 2021 Community and Culture, Education, MGRC Outreach, Sustainability, Volunteering

A crucial part of our work at MGRC is connecting with our local community. Since our move to Karatu earlier this year, we have been building relationships with community members and government officials....

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....

Why support MGRC’s ecovillage?

September 1, 2021 Community and Culture, ecoVillage, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

The Maasai Girls Rescue Center’s ecoVillage is founded on the premise that the only lasting way to help people is to teach them how to help themselves....

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....

Elisante Sitting at Desk donated by MGRC

School desk donation generates smiles, speeches and a goat!

June 2, 2021 Community and Culture, Education, MGRC Outreach, Sustainability

Maasai Girls Rescue Center recently donated 30 wooden desks to the local primary school our girls will attend when we move to our permanent site at the ecoVillage....

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…...

MGRC ecoVillage teaches girls to “fish”

March 6, 2021 ecoVillage, Education and Sustainability, Sustainability

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. –Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 4th century, BC What they don’t say is, “And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.” ― Trevor Noah, Born a…...

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…...

How MGRC helps to curb starvation

November 13, 2019 Community and Culture, Education and Sustainability, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

Many of the new girls that we take in at MGRC are suffering from starvation. Our waiting list is so long that I can only take in the most at-risk girls, so each case is extreme. This creates a unique challenge, because in order to accomplish our main goals of…...

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…...

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…...

Sayuni’s Story, Staying Busy & Planning for the Future

March 12, 2019 Community and Culture, Maasai Culture, Sustainability

I am behind in writing my blog. I could use the excuse that I have been extremely busy but there is always time to send information and keep people informed. It has been a very exciting year so far. We had several successful projects that will help our girls now…...

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…...

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…...