Project: Care for the Elderly Maasai – Ngrorongoro Naretu Elders
Location: Tanzania
Project Coordinator: Jenny Chapman and Ps Daniel Kipeen
Life-saving and transforming Health and Well-being Care for Ngorongoro Naretu Elders.
In the heart of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the elderly Maasai face critical challenges accessing basic necessities like water, medical care, and food during their later years, often relying on others for essential assistance. Pastor Daniel Kipeen, dedicated to aiding these elders, established the Ngorongoro Naretu Elders in 2021, working tirelessly with a team of volunteers to support three villages within the conservation area. Recently, a vehicle has been donated to increase access to these basic necessities, but this is only the beginning. Health Serve Australia are working alongside Pastor Daniel to cover the ongoing costs of the vehicle as well as investing into more secure housing options for the elderly in three villages across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
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Location and People
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is about 200k from Arusha in Tanzania. Arusha is about 100 k from Mt Kiliminjaro in the NE corner of Tanzania, on the border of Tanzania and Kenya. The Ngorongoro Crater, a famous tourist destination, is home to the Big Five and stretches across 20 miles It is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which has a land mass of two million acres or 809,000 hectares.
It is also home to the Maasai; the best known but among the smallest ethnic group in Tanzania, there being almost one million of them in Tanzania out of 64 million people and another two million in Kenya.
The semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists have always lived harmoniously with nature but with increasing restrictions over the past two hundred years.
Cattle herds are a central part of their existence, the milk and blood being vital for their existence. Meat of goats and lambs and herbs are their main source of nutrition and the land is not suitable for growing crops. Donkeys are their main means of transporting water and firewood.
Traditionally the Maasai are mono-theists believing in one God the creator Enkai, believing he dwells in the mountain Ol Doinyo Lengai of Northern Tanzania
The elderly Maasai living in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area have critical problems with access to water, medical help and living aids during the declining years of their life, relying on others to help them with everything from toileting to accessing food, water and medical supplies.
In the past three years the Maasai people have also experienced the ravages of Covid, a severe drought, loss of livestock and little if very basic aid from the Tanzanian government. There is much concern from humanitarian and scientific communities around the world about the future of the Maasai people being able survive in the area with life as they have known it for centuries.
Ngorongoro Naretu Elders
Maasai man Daniel OleKipeen, is a young leader in one such community who was educated at an English school and has grown up with a heart for the elderly Maasai with their struggles as they age and become frail. In 2021 Daniel and his father set up Ngorongoro Naretu Elders with the vision of helping the elderly across three villages with their physical and practical needs. This involves feeding, toileting, mobility, and medical needs and is a huge task with very little equipment and resources. Daniel’s father has since passed on and Daniel and a small team of helpers have dedicated their lives to this volunteer work.
Background to the project and Australian involvement
On NYE 2017 Jenny Chapman visited Daniel’s village as part of a Tanzanian cultural safari, before undertaking a brief voluntary teaching project at a Maasai Kindergarten. Daniel was the village spokesman and showed Jenny around, introducing the villagers and their simple lifestyle to her.
Five years later, Daniel sent Jenny a hello message on Whats App and told her about his work with the elderly. Being interested, Jenny continued to discover more and began to share more widely with her church friends about Daniel and his work. They too became moved by the dire needs and the willingness of Daniel to help.
The Needs
Provision of a 4WD vehicle was the number one need
A suitable 4WD Purchased August 2023 thanks to the generosity of the Burnside Family Church in SA.
Daniel undertook extensive driver training and received his license. There are two licensed drivers of the vehicle.
The impact of the vehicle’s arrival has been immediately felt with testimonies to the following benefiting the Massai of all ages.
- Closest medical help is 25 kilometre away and with the vehicle means that people can get help faster and without the pain of being carried on a stretcher by four people over 4-5 hours at any hour of day or night.
- Drinking water and firewood can now be transported in bulk much more efficiently.
- Daniel can visit the three villages in a more timely manner than walking allowed.
FUNDRAISER 1
- There is a Continuing need for Fuel and Ongoing maintenance of the vehicle. Target of $10,000 AUD in the first year.
- Fuel $6000
- Repairs and servicing $2700
- Insurance and registration $300
- Tyres $1000
A donation of $200AUD by 50 people would cover these costs for a year.
A donation of $50AUD by 200 people would cover these costs for a year.
FUNDRAISER 2
- First Aid Kits, Disposables,and Insecticide. Target of $2000 AUD in the first year
Three first Aid kits priced at approximately $500 and insecticide for preventing lice in bedding for 3 villages.
A Donation of $500 by 4 people or a donation of $250 by 8 people would cover these costs for the first year.
FUNDRAISER 3
- Funds for the building of three solar powered Bomas (grass huts) as day care centres for the elderly.
A target of one hut per year at a cost of $2000 for building materials
A target of one solar powered TV for the BOMA per year at a cost of $1350
A donation of $33.50 by 100 people would enable one hut to be built and furnished in the first year.
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