Maasai Mammas Christmas Appeal

Maasai Mammas Christmas Appeal: Where There is Love, There is Hope 

For the past two years, our efforts have focused on the Bwindi Christmas Appeal, supporting children and communities in Uganda. This year, we’re turning our attention to the Maasai Mammas and their families in Amboseli, Kenya, as part of our ongoing mission to spread love and hope where it’s needed most.

These resilient women face immense daily challenges, and with your support, we can bring tangible improvements to their lives. Every initiative we undertake is guided and approved by the Maasai community, ensuring it aligns with their values and cultural beliefs. 

The Maasai People in Amboseli, Kenya 

Nestled in one of Kenya's most stunning landscapes, Amboseli is not only home to iconic wildlife, including some of the last remaining tuskers (Elephants), but also to the Maasai people, whose rich cultural heritage is intertwined with the land. During Sharlene’s time there, she uncovered the deep cultural richness of the Maasai and their commitment to conservation. However, she also witnessed the significant struggles these communities face in their everyday lives. 

The Challenges Faced

The Maasai, once nomadic herders, now live in settled communities where harsh and changing climates make life challenging. During her five weeks living with the Maasai Mammas and their children, Sharlene witnessed some of the daily hardships they face: 

• Struggling to afford school fees. 

• No toilets or bathrooms—only bush toilets and washing buckets.

Imagine: 

• Being forced to leave school due to unpaid fees, only to face the danger of a life-threatening elephant encounter on the way home. 

• They have no proper sanitation facilities, relying instead on open areas in the bush—literally no more than a spot on the ground.

• Girls and women lack private spaces to wash, especially during menstruation. 

• Feeling too afraid to leave the village at night to use the bush toilet, fearing wild animals, and holding on until sunrise. 

Our Solution: Schooling & Sanitation Facilities

We aim to create two life-changing solutions for one village of the Maasai this Christmas: 

1. Support Education

We aim to ensure that as many Maasai children in the village can attend school consistently without disruptions or days of dropout. With your help, this year's target is to support 6–10 children. Continuous education builds confidence, resilience, and future opportunities. Sharlene has already witnessed this transformation in Uganda, where the Bwindi Christmas Appeal has supported 21 children over the past two years. We aim to bring the same life-changing opportunities to Kenya this Christmas. 

2. Build Toilets and Bathrooms

We plan to construct two toilets and two bathrooms within the Maasai village. These facilities will: 

• Provide safe, secure spaces for sanitation at all times of day, benefiting over 100 people in the village and reducing reliance on bush toilets. 

• Protect the environment and local waterways by preventing contamination from open defecation. 

• Eliminate the fear of venturing out at night and encountering wild animals. 

• Offer girls and women the privacy they need during menstruation and when washing. 

Many of us take these basic needs for granted. With your support, we can create a tangible, lasting impact, offering the Maasai people dignity, safety, healthier ecosystems, and the opportunity to thrive. 

How You Can Help This Christmas

Every donation goes directly to the project, as we operate entirely with volunteers and no administrative fees. While we are not a registered charity and cannot provide tax-deductible receipts, this ensures that 100% of your donation supports the cause, with no overhead costs. Please note that a 5% fee will be added at checkout to cover the platform provider's merchant and processing costs—this is not a Maasai Mammas project expense. If you'd prefer to make alternative payment arrangements, feel free to contact us directly.

As a token of our gratitude, you will receive a heartfelt Christmas card featuring either your sponsored child or the Maasai Mammas and children collectively benefiting from this appeal. 

1. Build a Toilet/Bathroom
Your donation of any amount will help build the much-needed bathroom facility, providing the village with safety, privacy, and proper sanitation. Our goal is to raise AUD 4,000 to build this facility 

2. Full Child School Sponsorship – $400
Give a child everything they need for an entire school year, including: 

• School fees 

• Lunches 

• Uniforms, shoes, and a bag 

• School books, pens, paper and other resources 

Your contribution also supports Judy, one of our dedicated Maasai Mammas. $36 of your donation ensures she oversees your sponsored child's attendance, provides updates, and shares photos and report cards. 

Bonus: You’ll receive a $30 handcrafted beaded bracelet your sponsored child or their mother made just for you. 

3. Tuition-Only Child School Sponsorship – $190
Cover the cost of school fees and lunches for one year.
Your contribution also supports Judy, one of our dedicated Maasai Mammas. $18 of your donation ensures she oversees your sponsored child's attendance, provides updates, and shares photos and report cards. 

Timeline: 

The campaign will conclude on 22nd December at 11 PM. Sharlene will be with the Mammas starting the first week of December and will oversee the effective and fair use of your support dollars. 

Where There is LOVE, There is HOPE This Christmas 

Your generosity can bring joy and hope to the Maasai village this holiday season. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of the Maasai Mammas and their families. 

Donate to the Maasai Mammas Christmas Appeal and be part of something extraordinary this Christmas. When you gather around your Christmas table, you can share the heartwarming story of your Act of Kindness. 

Please help us spread the word by sharing this campaign with friends, colleagues, and family. As a collective, we can achieve even more remarkable change! 

If you'd like to make an even more significant impact but can’t do it alone, consider organising a group effort with your work colleagues, sports team, church, community group, or business. Transform your Secret Santa exchange into a meaningful contribution that creates real change for children and families this Christmas. 

Merry Christmas from the Maasai Mammas and Kirsty, Kim, and Sharlene.