Oreteti is the Maasai name for the Ficus tree. The Oreteti symbolizes life, hope, and longevity.
The Oreteti Foundation believes in education, especially for girls, as a fundamental cornerstone for pastoralist communities to bring hope, a better life, build resilience, reduce poverty, and improve development outcomes into the future.
Our Beginnings
Informally, and for many years, husband and wife Kokel Melubo and Teika Simango (Maasai), with help from their friends, have been supporting girls and some boys in their high school education since 2010. Thanks to the unwavering support of just a few people around the world, more than 100 girls and 40 boys have been supported.
There are so many more girls that need to thrive.
These girls are from pastoral communities in Ngorongoro. They face existential threats from the impacts of climate change, fluctuating market prices, livestock diseases, and unfavorable policies. Pastoralists are the least educated in Tanzania.
Some key figures:
- 60% of pastoralists cannot read or write
- 76% of pastoralists have not completed a secondary education
- 50% of pastoralist girls are married by the age of 18
In fact, when compared to boys, girls are more disadvantaged from the time they are conceived through to their adulthood. Persistent gender discrimination, including culturally-held gender beliefs, lack of safety, and lack of equal access to education are particularly persistent among the pastoralist communities.
To confront the realities of the modern world, girls must have education.
Education is both a gateway that can lead to the fulfilment of other human rights, as well as a powerful weapon to fight poverty, social justice, land loss, and other social ills in society. Evidence shows that well-educated youth can transform their families and communities, giving them a voice for their future.
Pastoralist communities in the Ngorongoro are in dire need of a helping hand due to forced displacement and unfavorable government policies on pastoralism.
Oreteti Foundation focuses on education for girls from pastoralist communities in Ngorongoro.
Objectives
Access
To promote access to quality education for girls from pastoral communities
Support
To promote educational financial support to female students
Health
To improve the health of vulnerable women and girls in remote pastoralist communities
Empower
To empower pastoralist women through economic independence
Awareness
To raise awareness about harmful social and cultural practices that hinder the potential of Maasai women and girls
Oreteti Foundation, Inc. is a registered Non Governmental Organization in Tanzania.
