We ARE in KENYA

We are having an amazing time with our Maasai friends in the Rift Valley below the Ngong Hills.
I been able to have meetings with the girls who have finished secondary school and are now eager to continue their education. Some want to be teachers, others accountants, air hostess and also a lawyer. The girl who wants to be a lawyer is looking toward helping the Maasai community with their land issues as well as other topics.

I had another meeting of girls who are in secondary school and some of the post secondary girls came along since Koi Tirima was going to be our guest speaker. Koi was a professor of English at Olympic College in Bremerton, returned to Kenya to donate a kidney to her father and now has decided to stay. She is a professor at the Methodist University in Nairobi. She will be an important link for the girls. During their April school break she will do a 2 day workshop for them.

Meeting with the MWEEP women has been a real JOY. They are women of determination, courage and the will to make a difference in their lives, the lives of their families and the community.

We've been here at the right time to be part of a male circumscion ceremony - 2 days.
We were invited out in the BUSH to meet one of the MWEEP member's family. We had an hour of driving on tarmac and then 2 hours on dirt roads where it had rained--sliding all over the place but we were in a 4 wheel drive vehicle and we MADE IT. Another round of stories.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. December 15th, MWEEP is hosting a solar cooker class.
Look at the following website: www.solarcookers.org
Jon and I have been practicing with the cookits at the homes where we've stayed. So far we've made successful break and ugali. The rice didn't cook long enough. We took a cooker out in the bush and not one thought it would turn out but it was successful even on a partly cloudy day.
Each woman attending the class will receive a cookit.

On the 18th we will have our last day in the village at Lucy's home (she was the 2nd woman that Jon and I helped go to school to be a teacher). Amanda and the boys will fly into Nairobi on the 17th and they will go with us. We'll stop in Ngong to see some of the women who came to the business class (Project Baobab) -- egg business and dairy. Then on down into the valley to see a few more businesses. Jon and the boys will play football with some of the kids. Then the boys want to herd the goats with some of the boys and of course carry a stick like the Maasai boys.

Pictures are soon to follow.
We have much to be thankful for, many blessings and our safety and health. Those of you who are praying for us, THANKS.
Things are not always easy but God has been faithful.

Loanna

First Step A Night in England

Jon and Loanna Arrive in London
We had a smooth uneventful trip, just 9 hours of it. Whew, that all went well.
We decided to stay the night at a Heathrow hotel since it is too far to go to our daughter’s home in Wolverhampton for one night. There were a few glitches with getting to the hotel – 2 hours consumed. YIKES!! Maybe now any transportation problems are over. We met two different women who will be on our flight to Nairobi tomorrow. One is a nurse from the Seattle area and is working in Rwanda. The other is a mother returning to Nairobi, her husband works for one of the universities (possibly a connection for our girls). We’ll have another 9 hour flight when there’ll be time to talk with them.
We got a 2 hour nap and now at 8:00pm we’re still awake having dinner and I’m trying to see if I can get this blog to work.
We are now eagerly anticipating our arrival in Kenya. We are eager to see the women, girls and to meet the people at the Solar Cooker agency.

JON and LOANNA DAY to KENYA December, 2009

Jon and I are working non-stop to prepare our bags, house and selfs for the trip to Kenya to spend time with our Maasai friends and work on future projects.

It is strange to sit here in Washington State in pouring rain and realize that we will be in serious drought conditions when we get to the Rift Valley.

For those of you new to this blog, you can see by the website http://www.maasaiwomen.org/ that we are going on an outreach project to provide educational opportunities for the women.

We will continue our work with girls going to secondary boarding schools.

The MWEEP Kenya women have asked for more education from Project Baobab who offer the Entrepreneurial Skills and Life Skills Class.

NEW :

• work to have Project Baobab train trainers and mentors, & give seminars in 2010



• we will look for ways to offer help to gain education beyond the secondary level



• we will be offering a class to the MWEEP members and other

women in the community ( up to 20 funded) to learn how to use solar cookers, they will be able to take a cooker home -- this is a class the women have said they want to take.

We feel blessed that we again have the opportunity to spend time with these wonderful people. We are eager to hear more stories about how their businesses are doing, the difference the Life Skills have made for them and what the girls are wishing for more education.

We will try to add to this blog as the internet opportunities arise.

A Tribute to Denny(SIMBA) and Jeanne Grindall

Denny and Jeanne Grindall introduced people in Seattle and Kitsap County to the Maasai people in the Greater Oloshoibor area, Kenya. They spent 14 years of their lives living with the Maasai for about 6 months a year. They brought these people education, water and the word of God.

If it were not for Denny and Jenne, MWEEP would not exist. Due to the love shared between the Grindalls and the Maasai, we were able to visit and begin our own relationship which became Maasai Women's Education and Empowerment Program (MWEEP), both in Kenya and the USA.

We feel privieged to continue the education work, especially for the girls and woman, that Denny and Jeanne began.

Jeanne passed away August 19, 2008 Denny passed away August 6. 2009

Enjoying a Sunset over Hood Canal, eating Oyster and Hearing About the Need for Education for Maasai Girls and Women

Cindy Dodge with her husband Mike opened their home to an event that included an amazing view of Hood Canal. Cindy had two friends join her in hosting the event: Carole Osterhaus and Sharon Heim.

They gave MWEEP an opportunity to come and share the stories of the Maasai girls and women in Kenya and highlight the need for their education.

Jon Day brought oysters off the beach for a BBQ treat. After a good deal of conversation and yummy food, a presentation, and wonderful desserts, women were touched to share their resources to make a difference for a girl or woman in Maasailand.

Another "friend" of MWEEP, Sallie Snyder, we in attendance to help in the kitchen. She had things running smoothly. We appreciate each person who contributes to the success of an event.

A Peony Farm Benefit Event

Ann Mossman, with her husband Jim, opened her Boone Brier Peony Farm for a benefit event that touched all our senses. We had wonderful food, beautiful peonies and iris' to view.

Those who attended were touched by the educational needs for the Maasai girls and women.

It was a very successful event.

We are so grateful to our event hosts. They are making a difference for women in Kenya.

If you are interested in talking about hosting an event, please email mweepboard@maasaiwomen.com. We would love to discuss this with you.

MWEEP Participation at Kitsap Arts and Crafts Festival

Due to a fantastic suggestion by Maria Mackovjak at Old Town Custom Framing and Gallery in Old Town Silverdale, WA, the MWEEP board voted to have a booth at the Kitsap Arts and Craft Festival in Kingston, WA on July 24th, 25th and 26th. She supported our decision with the payment for our booth. The Festival was including non-profits. http://www.oldtowncustomframing.com/

The event itself was a great deal of work; however, it was very successful. In the three days, we spoke with 250 - 300 people. They did have a chance to make a donation to MWEEP or to choose Maasai beadswork for a donation.

Liz D. one of our board members made beautiful cards with photos of MWEEP women from Kenya and some of the girls who receive help with school fees.

Sheila T., 3rd grade teacher at Pearson

Elementary in the N. Kitsap School District, taught her students about Africa, an African artisit Tessa Edwards and about making charitable contributions. Her class created art work in the style of Tess Edwards, making them into cards and selling them to parents and friends and donating the funds to MWEEP. Seven parents gave permission for the artwork to be made into more cards. For a donation, people could acquire the cards. They were a BIG hit.