Frequently Asked Questions

MGRC is a different take on charity. In fact, we don’t believe in charity, at least not permanent charity. We believe in helping our girls forge a path to financial independence and the right of self-determination that aligns with their interest, talent, and abilities. By using an entrepreneurial approach, empower these young women and others in their community to work as catalysts for changes that will last for generations to come.

Research shows that despite good intentions, government aid and several conventional charitable organizations have been unsuccessful in effectively reducing poverty in Africa. In fact, these initiatives have inadvertently contributed to an increase in poverty by undermining local industries, fostering reliance on handouts, and diminishing individual self-esteem. A new and innovative approach shows genuine potential for breaking the cycle of poverty. The Maasai Girls Rescue Center is adopting an entrepreneurial approach that aims to replace the chains of poverty with financial autonomy. 

Maasai Girls Rescue Center has a proven track record of using donations efficiently and effectively. From child sponsorships to the large philanthropic donors, we cherish all of our supporters. MGRC ensures that donor resources are used efficiently and cost-effectively.

Our independently audited financial statement and our estimated annual budget consistently show that out of every dollar spent, 100% goes directly to the care of the girls.

Because the Founder, President, Board of Directors, Angel Donors, and Marketing/Fundraising team members are all unpaid volunteers, our charity management expenses are zero. This support makes it possible for us to keep our promise: “that we will never use public donations to pay for our administration or fund raising expenses.”

Yes, Maasai Girls Rescue Center, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by USA law. When you donate, a donation receipt will be emailed to you for your records.

Maasai Girls Rescue Center accepts online stock donations using Stock Donator, a secure online service. The online form is short, secure, and straightforward. When you donate, you’ll get a free account with Stock Donator.

STEP 1: Fill out stock symbol, number of shares, and search for Maasai Girls Rescue Center under organization. The EIN/Tax ID will appear automatically.
STEP 2: Provide your personal information to link your donation to Maasai Girls Rescue Center.
STEP 3: Fill out your brokerage details.

After submitting your donation, you will receive a donation receipt via email. Maasai Girls Rescue Center, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by USA law.

In addition to our community outreach, we work alongside local governments and social workers who receive runaways from forced child-marriages, as well as orphaned and abused girls. We have had desperate grandmothers and mothers come to us seeking a better life for their young girls when they can no longer provide food or medical care.  Sometimes, girls show up on their own.

While the girls that reside at the rescue center are the most vulnerable, at-risk girls in Tanzania, they quickly blossom and grow into happy well-adjusted individuals given the loving and supportive environment of the center.

We respect many of the values of the Maasai Tribe and we believe that it is important to keep the girls connected to their Maasai traditions. We have a grandmother come weekly to teach traditional bead making and our House Mothers teach traditional Maasai songs and dance. While we provide school uniforms, athletic track suits, dresses, underwear, shoes, socks and personal items, we also provide new Maasai shukas, the traditional dresses of the Maasai women and girls. None of our girls have ever had a new shuka. The practice in the bush is that a father hands down his old shuka to his wife then the wife cuts hers to fit the children.

Meals include traditional Maasai foods as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and protein sources from their farm and garden.

In Tanzania, remote areas located at least 30 km away from any paved road and lacking basic amenities like water, electricity, shops, schools, and villages are commonly known as “the bush”. These areas consist of single mud huts built far apart to provide ample space for livestock.

Sponsoring a girl is a life changing experience for the girl and can be for you as well. Certainly, sponsorships include a financial commitment, one that lasts throughout the girl’s stay at MGRC.  But as a sponsor you give (and receive) so much more. A sponsor broadens the girls’ perspective on life and creates hope for the future in so many ways. Sharing your activities and interests helps the girls discover opportunities for themselves. Seeing their faces light up during a Zoom call warms your heart. Witnessing their pride in their achievements makes your heart grow. So, what does it take to be a sponsor? A giving heart, a willingness to share your life experiences, and the wherewithal to support a girl throughout her stay.

Our child sponsorships are monthly or annually, full or partial year. The expenses summary is available on our financials page. The sponsorships cover nutritious food, quality housing, immediate and ongoing medical care, clothes and shoes, school supplies, education/enrollment fees to attend a local school. Essentially, when you take on a full sponsorship you aren’t just covering food or clothes, you are giving a much deserved girl the opportunity for a brighter future. Learn how to become a sponsor

In Africa, many families survive on less than $3.00 a day. At MGRC, we basically adopt each girl, raising them as we would our own children.

We provide everything a girl needs to grow into their full potential. Clean and safe housing with full time House Mothers who mentor and teach each girl essential life skills.

Each girl receives a medical check-up upon arrival at MGRC, and we provide continued full health coverage. Some treatments include worms, club foot, floriosis (bent leg), ear infections, head fungus, skin disorders and vision issues.

We provide a balanced diet, promoting their growth into healthy adults and teaching them the significance of nutrition for their future families. Full-time cooks who prepare meals for the girls, including meat, fruits, and vegetables they may not have tried before.

We provide clothing, everything from school uniforms, athletic track suits, dresses for church and after school, underwear, shoes, socks and personal items that many have never been exposed to.

We also provide new Maasai shukas, the traditional dresses of the Maasai women and girls. None of our girls have ever received a new shuka. In the bush, it is customary for a father to pass down his old shuka to his wife, who then cuts it to fit their children.

MGRC believes that it is important to keep the girls connected to their Maasai traditions. Our House Mothers teach traditional Maasai songs and dance, and we have a grandmother who comes weekly to teach traditional bead making.

Tutors help the girls with their homework and assists them in learning how to study and prepare for their assignments. This is not a practice that they have ever seen. The results are showing in the school reports they bring home.

See a breakdown of costs

What we want you to do as a volunteer is to share your culture with the girls at MGRC to help open their minds to a chance of a brighter future and to let them know that they have the capability of breaking free from cultural norms, poverty and oppression. When you come to the rescue center, you are bringing them hope and opportunity for a better tomorrow.

When you share your culture with the girls, it does not just have to be in the form of stories of your daily life in your home country or your plans and dreams for the future. You can help develop their minds through physical activities, like teaching them volleyball or conversational English at our learning center.

What we want for the girls at the center is for them to understand that they are responsible for their own future and what they want to do with it, not anyone else. Learn more about volunteering at MGRC

Karatu, Tanzania is in East Africa. We recommend you review the Tanzania Government website to see what vaccinations are necessary. They vary from time to time so it is best to review several months prior to coming. We have mosquitoes and thus malaria is a possibility. Your doctor can prescribe medicine that can prevent you from contacting malaria while on your visit. We also have mosquito nets and spray as an added protection at night.

Yes a visa is necessary to visit Tanzania. The cost is $100 USD and can be obtained at the airport upon arrival or you can procure prior to arriving. You can find the procedures for procuring the visa by viewing the Tanzanian Government website.

In Maasai culture, both boys and girls undergo circumcision. However, for girls, the term used is FGM (female genital mutilation). These procedures are harsh and performed on children without their consent. For girls the procedure is much more invasive and dangerous and runs a much higher risk of complications or death. The side effects are also much more extreme and long lasting. Examples include increased risk of complications during childbirth that put the mother and her baby’s life at risk, and fistulas.

There are many different methods of FGM, what the Maasai practice is classified as Type I by WHO, meaning total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce (clitoridectomy). Visit the WHO website for more information

The Maasai tradition requires female circumcision for girls to be recognized as women and eligible for marriage. Circumcision is generally expected by men for their wives.

In the Maasai community, is one of the most important traditions that marks a women’s passage to womanhood. It is also their belief that this procedure will lower her urge to have sexual interaction, thus mimizing prostitution and pregnancies before marriage.  Uncircumcised girls face social stigma and are referred to as “entaapai,” which negatively impacts their adult lives.

At a girl’s wedding, if she has committed entaapai (uncircumcised), she cannot enter through the regular boma gate. A temporary gate will be created for her and will be re-fenced immediately after she passes through it. A sign that she has broken with the traditional practice of the tribe.

In the Maasai community, female circumcision is a significant tradition that symbolizes a girl’s transition to womanhood. Despite being illegal, approximately 99% of girls undergo this procedure, with some as young as five years old. The procedure is painful, dangerous, and there is a high risk of complications or death.

As girls become more educated, they are realizing they have rights and can refuse circumcision, which is a taboo and harmful stigma for them to carry into adulthood. Support plays a crucial role in empowering girls to make this choice.

In Tanzania, about 99% of Maasai girls undergo this procedure. If the father insists, it’s difficult to refuse his orders without a safe place to run away to.

The government used to allow the Maasai to practice their traditions of FGM and early marriage, but they have started enforcing the law more strictly, often based on reports from pastors, school officials, or the girls themselves. There are few safe spaces for rescued girls to escape Maasai traditional abuses. The government will send a letter and social services will speak to the parents, warning them of potential arrest if they do not allow the girl to reach the legal marrying age. There is no effective protection from FGM unless the girl has a place to run away to.

It is difficult but can happen. The educated girls are learning they have rights and they can refuse. Some families do not care what the others think and let their girl decide. These families (most of which are Christian) are in the minority and often have some girls cut and some not.