A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Our Story

Our story begins with a chance encounter by two individuals from diverse backgrounds and separate continents. From this meeting in 2017, a friendship developed. And from that friendship, a shared passion was discovered, which blossomed into a plan to help the local people of the Maasai Mara, their pristine land, and the endangered wildlife that roam there. MNF, a US non-profit, is guided by the two friends, Michelle Nirenstein and Prince (Harrison Pemba Taga). Currently, MNF supports projects at the 15 acre Mara Napa Center and the surrounding communities. Come take a look or help with a project while you stay at Mara Napa Camps located at the center.

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BUILDING SELF RELIANCE

Sustainable Futures

Whether MNF is building a meeting hall for women, a home for an elder, or filling potholes in the town center, we employ local Maasai, experienced or not. Those who have already acquired skills, teach others, helping them become useful, employable members of the community. They learn construction, plumbing, auto mechanics, hospitality and more. A great sense of pride and ownership is fostered in everything we do together. It takes a village. Everyone is valuable.

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EMPOWERING WOMEN

Opportunity Brings Success

In the Maasai culture, women do most of the work. To honor and empower them, we have built a special gathering place - the first of its kind in the Mara - where women of the community can gather, sheltered from the harsh sun. Here they enjoy companionship, sharing ideas, attending lectures, and learning new skills. Entrepreneurship, design, and product development are cultivated, and self-reliance grows. We provide basic lessons in small business administration, health education, environmental safety, spa and medicinal products development. Here, women feel valued and empowered to lift themselves out of poverty.

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CONSERVATION

Wildlife and Habitat Protection

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Reverence for wildlife is developed through education and positive encounters. By learning how similar animal families are to their own, children begin to care about their fellow inhabitants. We bring films and lectures to local schools and take the children to Maasai Mara National Reserve for their first safari. Human/ wildlife conflict is an ongoing challenge in the Mara. But it can be mitigated through education, land leases (that ensure wildlife have enough free range), drone surveillance to provide radio contact with the locals to warn of wildlife encroachments, or to turn wildlife away from human interactions, and providing alternatives to cattle grazing in the conservancies. These are just some of the conservation efforts of MNF.

CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Interactive Museum...Coming Soon!

A state of the art hands-on museum is planned at the Mara Napa Center. Currently, there is no cultural center, book store, or museum in the Mara Triangle. There are few photographs or historical accounts of Maasai life. In order to preserve and share the customs and artifacts of this important tribe, we are in the process of curating objects, art, and costumes, as well as recording oral histories and photographing the Maasai population in the Mara. On site, the women of the village have constructed an authentic manyatta (traditional mud hut), for visitors to explore and learn about Maasai culture and their way of life.

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