Maasailand Preservation Trust

Providing education opportunities to needy and underprivileged students continues to be a key focus of the Maasailand Preservation Trust (MPT). Under the wildlife scholarships programme, MPT seeks to provide sponsorships to needy students, giving them an opportunity to pursue careers of their choice. There are many needy children who do not attend school because they cannot afford to pay school fees and the demand for sponsorships far outweighs the available opportunities. In this post, we are happy to highlight MPT’s support to Fatuma – a 10 year old disabled girl whose mother is single and can hardly meet the basic needs of her daughter.

About two months ago, Fatuma sustained a wound due to poor care at home and was taken to the Aid Village Clinic Mbirikani where she was treated and is now recovering quickly. While at the clinic, we were alerted of her plight. Although Fatuma is already 10 years old, bright and cheerful, she has never attended school. This is because her poor mother who is single could not afford to take her to school and was even struggling to providing basic needs and care for her.

The good news is that MPT – thanks to generous support from Ann Lurie – will sponsor Fatuma to attend a special needs school. Last week, Fatuma was taken for specialized assessment which will help us find a place for her in an appropriate school. We are optimistic that Fatuma will join school in second term, beginning in May 2010.

We take this opportunity to thank Ann Lurie and other sponsors who have helped us to keep our sholarships programme running. There are many needy students on the waiting list for sponsorships and their needs and circumstances vary. Some cannot afford to pay fees because they lost almost all their livestock – and their only source of livelihood in the recent drought. For some students, their sponsors are unable to sustain their commitments due to adverse changes in their economic status. Also, traditionally many parents in Maasailand do not place much importance to girl-child education and prefer to marry them off at and early age to much older men. This happens often, even when the girls are eager to proceed with their education.

Please consider providing whatever support you can to assist MPT’s Education Programme to help needy students.

 Thank you,

The MPT Team