Dear members and friends, Although many of you have already left on summer vacation, we would like to give you our latest news, because we mustn't forget M.A.A is an association that works for those "who don't get the right to go on holiday". We are referring here obviously to children in Africa who, not only don't get any rest and perform nearly all the domestic and agricultural work, as well as little improvised jobs, but also don't get the chance to go to school, lacking means. Here is our news:

 

• MAA held its traditional stand on June 20-21-22 during the Music Festival in Geneva , in the old town. Many volunteers came along to help us out, sometimes standing on their feet to serve for hours.

At times, we could count up to 7 different languages spoken at our stand! All of that to say that cultural diversity is something that the MAA members and volunteers hold as very important, and that solidarity between people doesn't stop at language barriers.   Thank you once more to those who came round to say hello to us and treat themselves to a drink or a plate of food at our stand. The competition is harsh as about 50 charitable associations take part every year in this event after having been selected by the Town Council of Geneva on very strict criteria. MAA dedicates the whole profit from this activity to paying scholarships for young Massai girls without means in Kenya . The number of children's sponsorship by individuals being relatively stagnant, we are trying to cover the scholarship fees of most divested Massai pupils with volunteer activities that generate funds, just like the Music Festival.

• MAA has sent a membership request as NGO in consultative status with ECOSOC – UN Economic and Social Council. After a correspondence exchange and many corrections to meet the requirements of the « NGO Section/DESA » Committee, our application will be taken into account. To this day, there are 3051 organisations worldwide that have been granted with the consultative status by ECOSOC.

 

• MAA has submitted to the International Solidarity Service of the state of Geneva an ambitious project that will take place over 3 years in 6 different districts in Kenya , concerning consciousness-raising and aiming changes relatively to FGM (feminine genital mutilation). It's based on the axis: targeted information ® children-parents awareness ® involvement of the local child welfare authorities ® health organisations ® organising alternative ceremonies to prevent harmful traditions on the school, village, religious levels ® multiplying changes by a "distribution effect" of initiated centres (each initiated person will have the task to initiate people in the next year).

  Thousands of young girls are victims every year of mutilations in Kenya and dozen or hundreds die, due to bleeding consequences. Hundreds of rural women die giving birth, even in hospital facilities, because the damages due to FGM are beyond repair, irreversible and deteriorate health on a long term basis. The project is being elaborated with the help of suggestions from the State International Solidarity Service.  

We submitted her with some questions to understand better the approach of Muslim women, who largely perpetuate the harmful practice of excision. Our goal being obviously to better define the subject, keeping in mind our multi-language and multi-confessional campaign in Kenya . Mrs Koita answered us with precision and much kindness, and we thank her very much in deed. We hope to be able to invite her soon for an open-to-all conference in Geneva , where she will have the opportunity to share her immense experience and her out of ordinary route. She is very asked for all around Europe and worldwide for her courage and her infallible involvement.

• MAA has sealed a partnership with the ERMGF (Research Group for Feminine Genital Mutilation) in Mauritania .

Under the direction of Prof. Sow, this group is linked with Nouakchott University , in Mauritania , Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences. Mrs Annie Corsini-Karagouni has been invited by the ERMGF to give a set of seminaries about FGM in Mauritania , in hospital and rural background and among local women's associations. The ERMGF will in return be an important support for MAA's projects concerning the eradication of excision by providing advice about Muslim people's culture, tradition and sensitivity, a population very affected by the harmful tradition in Kenya as well as in Mauritania .

• Mrs Annie Corsini-Karagouni, president of MAA, took part in July in the meeting organised by the UEMOA – West African Economic and Monetary Union – in Dakar , on the topic « the Agenda 21 for Culture ».

This was a unique opportunity to note positively the different views on notions like culture development, towns and governments' local cultural politics, intercultural dialog and diversity promotion, seen by partners such as, on the one hand the Towns of Lille and Marseille (France), the Town of Barcelona (Spain), and on the other, local and parliamentaryelected representative from Cotonou (Benin), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), Bamako (Mali), Niamey (Niger), Dakar (Senegal) et Lomé (Togo). A wonderful experience as regards North-South cooperation, which emphasised our cultural differences but even more our shared needs concerning the set up of arrangements (infrastructure, training) by municipalities and governments. Huge efforts therefore still need to be done.

Dakar , UEMOA Colloquium, July 2008.

Dear members and friends of M.A.A.,

This report gives you in detail all the activities carried out by MAA during our 4th year since its foundation.

As you can read, we carried out various, challenging projects. By the end of 2007, M.A.A. provided school sponsorships –grants, to 200 needy children in Kenya , in majority girls from Maasai ethnic group. The first caracteristic in MAA’s actions is the continuity and the constant support given to Maasai villages we are working with. Our support was especially appreciated in Narok and Kajiado Districts of Kenya .

 

Projects and realizations

• The number of sponsored pupils by MAA in all education levels (from kinder-garden, primary and secondary schools) has progressed from 90 children in 2005 to 200 children in 2007. Majority of these pupils from Maasai origin comprise (90%), (85%) being girls.

This encouraging result has been achieved thanks to private donors who take nominatively a child under their protection (paying for her food, school fees, uniform etc). Every Godfather/Godmother is informed about the sponsored girl and receives once every year pictures and school report on her progress. We greatly thank BNP Paribas Foundation for providing school sponorships through MAA.

• One year after constructing a dormitory and school kitchen beside the primary school of Ilntumtum village that caters for50 Maasai children living far from school, we decided to further help this project. MAA came up with an idea of providing a yearly food plan to 12 girls from nearby villages, while they board in the dormitory during the week. Indeed the Kenya governement provides all District schools with a day meal for every pupil, but this is not enough while boarding in the dormitory. Because many parents are unable to afford the other two meals for the day, MAA provides these meals to these girl pupils in order to encourage them to learn and to protect them from early forced marraiges.

• Two new classrooms were successfully constructed by MAA for Elerai Enkare Primary School in Rombo / Oloitokitok area of Kajiado District). The principal sponsor for this project was the State of Geneva, Service of International Solidarity which covered 50% of the provisional budget. A generous private donor, as well as several municipalities in Geneva Canton have contributed financially to this project. The two class rooms (50 m2 each), completely furnished are able to host 80-100 additional pupils in Primary School. We give our sincere thanks to all sponsors especially the “UN Women Guild” in Geneva .

 

• During 2007, MAA has intensified its preventive action regarding FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) among Maasai community. Ways in which MAA is fighting against FGM includes giving information campaigns in villages and schools, awarness dissimination by seminars and workshops, and encouraging alternative solutions in Kenya and Switzerland .

Precisely, during 2007 MAA :

• Has organized more than 10 seminars and workshops reflecting the bad effects of FGM. These seminars and workshops have been attended by more than 800 women and men in Kenya. We conduct our seminars especially into small rural villages, in churches, in schools, sometimes in the meeting point of the village, under trees.

• On 24th of March 2007 MAA held in Geneva Switzerland a diner meeting with religious and community leaders. This reunion was destined to the immigrant of Somali women community of Geneva . 25 Somali women attended this event, where FGM information was given simultaneously in French and Somali language, thanks to the help of DARYEEL – a Somali association in Geneva .

• MAA is supporting financially 7 Maasai women cooperatives in Kenya registering 20-50 women each. The members of these women groups are Maasai mothers committed NOT to cut their girls. The decision to create women groups was taken by the mothers after they had attended our seminars and because they are determined to change the bad tradition. They prepare traditional Maasai beadwork in the villages, send it to MAA ( Switzerland ) where they are sold in every event we organize along the year. Once or twice a year MAA sends back money to the women cooperatives in Kenya . By doing so, MAA rewards the commitment and courage of Maasai mothers who often undergo domestic violence and physical abuse because of resisting to husbands pressure and wanting to preserve their girl’s body integrity.

Finally,

• Between November and December 2007, MAA held 4 alternative ceremonies in 4 different parts of Kenya , allowing 170 girls to escape from the ritual FGM . Our staff and local trainers held alternative “Rite of Passage” ceremonies in schools and churches. These ceremonies allow girls from 12 to 14 years to go through another ritual, similar to the “traditional circumcision” avoiding the “cutting part”, mutilation and bleeding. These initiations lasted 2 days in every village :
• The first day of the seminar comprises of a workshop for the initiates and their parents, and
• The next day is the celebration ceremony for the whole village just like in the traditional circumcision ceremonies.

The testimonies from these ceremonies are very encouraging. Village people loved “the other way”, and the feed back from parents and teachers is more than positive. Everyone enjoyed the ceremony, the girls sang and dansed ritual songs and danses, performed traditionally by the mutilated girls and their mates. MAA offered T-shirts to all girl graduates with the wordings: “I am a free FGM generation” as well as certificates of graduation. As a result of this first positive impact on replacing FGM ceremony with an alternative ritual, MAA is wishing to multiply by 10 next year the operation. We hope to find the funds necessary to exetnd the concept in more villages and schools. However, FGM issue is quite taboo in Western countries as in Africa , thus making it difficult for us to get funds for this purpose.

• M.A.A. participated as usual at the « Fête de la Musique » 2007 organised by the City of Geneva on the summer solstice day. This local musical event lasts a whole week-end taking place in the middle of the old town. MAA participates every year with a stand selling Kenyan food, Greek food and Brasilien coctails (all the nationalities of MAA committee members). Eating chapatis and Muchuzi and drinking Caipirhinia (Brasizilian cocktail) is a way for the Swiss public to enjoy the feast and at the same time help us with funds for the children projects in Kenya . The committee members worked tirelessly for 3 days and nights, under the “music fever”. We thank all the volumteers who helped us to make it a success.

• MAA paid the orthopedic surgery operation to 3 small Maasai children, suffering congenital infirmities (no legs, a club foot, a one handed girl). The surgery took place in Kijabe Hospital , by the Dr Tim Mead – CURE Kenya .

• The well known Brasilian photographer Erico HILLER followed the FGM campaign in Kenya during May and June 2007, accompanying Annie through the village seminars in Rombo. Therafter he realized an article published in MARIE-CLAIRE Brazil (October edition) about FGM bad tradition and how Maasai women are copying with it. He also describes MAA role in FGM eradication and sensitization. The response from the Brazilian public was very positive. Many were shocked to learn that not far from us an ethnic group is still practicing dangerous traditions that can have severe bad effects to a woman’s health. As a result of our collaboration with Erico, we published the calendar 2008 “Maasai women portaits” in 100 examples only, which sold out very rapidly. The photos were offered by Erico to MAA.

• Two committee membres, Annie and Judith travelled to Kenya in the course of the year to supervise our projects and meet collaborators and beneficiaries..

To all our donors, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting and supporting MAA actions. Our special thanks go to:

• International Solidarity Service (State of Geneva )
• Town council of Présinge, Lancy, Satigny and Chêne Bourg
• The Geneva UNWG (UN Women Guild)
• The BNP Paribas Suisse Foundation
• All the members and donors for their support.

Special thanks to our principal Kenyan collaborators: Mrs. Alice Seleyian and Mr. Joseph Nkanoni Ole Lempira for their commitment and excellent work.

1 February 2008, Geneva.

Annie Corsini-Karagouni

President