Development Cooperation

Solidarity programme in Tanzania

In northern Tanzania, near Arusha, Maasai land, you can appreciate great contrasts down to the fact that it is the passageway safari in the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro climbing routes. But although many people cross these dry and harsh lands, there are few of them who linger more than needed to do some photography from the Jeeps.
Luckily, the Masai, who struggle to survive in a place where poverty and drought are so extreme that not every day they can afford to feed their children, are not entirely abandoned to their own devices thanks to Maria Carpio Pérez and its Foundation. Maria Carpio is a woman who left a well-off life in Europe to give his life every day helping these people.

In Masai culture, unfortunately, women are inferior to men and it is she responsible for carrying out the toughest tasks. The widowed are deprived of all their goods and hand over to the family of the deceased, so she ends with many children to feed but no means to do so; because polygamy and arranged marriages with large age differences between spouses, many women are in this situation.

The reason of this project is to deals with the socio-economic status of women in their environment, creating self-development initiatives and income generating activities to procure a sustainable economy. Thanks to the extraordinary work of the Fundación Marjal, we provided support for projects that Maria Carpio is developing in the country.

First we visited the Masai communities to know their status and their actual needs, ajusting our intervention to the context. Later on was decided to act on behalf of 305 widows, located in three villages: Arkaria, Lendikinya, Eluwai.
To develop the project we purchased goats and chickens, in a view to a subsequent sale of milk and eggs in the market and earn money to feed their families. We also bought material for group of widows who are developing some nice handmade mirrors inspired by their ceremonial necklaces, which are then sold as souvenirs. There were also funded the fabrics and other weaves that women sew for wrapping mirrors or other craft items. All purchases were made in local markets, thus supporting also the economy of the area and its inhabitants. Specifically it was bought:

  • 135 goats for 11 widows of the town of Eluwai.
  •  6 goats for 75 widows of the town of Lendikinya.
  • 8 goats and chickens for the 95 5 widows of the town of Arkaria.
  • Material for craftsmen mirrors involving 20 women Arkaria ..


Thanks to this project, these women can now work and have access to education and health, not just feed their children.
This group of women with whom the project was developed was extremely excited and grateful for helping them, and held us a meeting where they dedicated dances, songs and wonderful smiles.

We had the pleasure to share unforgettable moments with them, and we have the satisfaction of seeing the effort of Fondación Marjal change the lives of many women and their families.
 

News images

 

Related pages

« Back

  


La Fundación Marjal es el proyecto social de Grupo Marjal © 2011  -  Legal Notice