Our Story
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In August 2012, Mr. Jun Shen, the LBHS MUN advisor, visited a school in Maasai Mara, Kenya. Oloolaimutia Elementary School is exactly what one would expect a remote school in a developing country to be - impoverished, overcrowded, underfunded, lacking in the most basic services and comforts.
There, Mr. Shen met Gladys Kiu, one of the teachers of Oloolaimutia. When asked for donations, Mr. Shen didn't have much cash to give at the time, but exchanged email addresses with Ms. Kiu instead. They began a partnership to help not only the Kenyan children, but the entire village that surrounds the school. After hearing about Mr. Shen's experiences in Kenya, LBHS MUN students Tomora O'Hara, Dani Tomczak, Sarah Nederlander, and Kimberly Hackney decided to start a foundation within the MUN class to help Oloolaimutia and the Maasai people. Thus, the Laguna Maasai Foundation was born. |
Oloolaimutia Elementary
Mr. Shen and Gladys
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Our Partner
One of the advantages of our program is that we communicate and transact directly with our beneficiary. This would not be possible without the dedication of Gladys Kiu, a teacher at the village school.
It is difficult for us to comprehend how she manages to accomplish so much given the challenges facing her. With no computers at the village, our correspondence is done almost solely through her smartphone. When our program has special needs, Ms. Kiu must travel 65 miles to the nearest town to access a bank, post office, or computer.
In spite of all these challenges, having Ms. Kiu as our direct partner benefits us in ways a large non-profit organization cannot. For example, she is able to "keep her finger on the pulse" of the people of Oloolaimutia and provide us with continual updates. This allows us to react to conditions in the village only a resident can experience, such as the effects of drought, disease, government action, and the shifting economy.
Working with Ms. Kiu is the essential feature, and indeed, the pride of our organization. She has not only been a tireless advocate for her people but has also become our close friend.
It is difficult for us to comprehend how she manages to accomplish so much given the challenges facing her. With no computers at the village, our correspondence is done almost solely through her smartphone. When our program has special needs, Ms. Kiu must travel 65 miles to the nearest town to access a bank, post office, or computer.
In spite of all these challenges, having Ms. Kiu as our direct partner benefits us in ways a large non-profit organization cannot. For example, she is able to "keep her finger on the pulse" of the people of Oloolaimutia and provide us with continual updates. This allows us to react to conditions in the village only a resident can experience, such as the effects of drought, disease, government action, and the shifting economy.
Working with Ms. Kiu is the essential feature, and indeed, the pride of our organization. She has not only been a tireless advocate for her people but has also become our close friend.
Our Team
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Co-Directors of Culture and Outreach
Nicholai Grombchevsky Anoua Carrie |
Maasai Coordinator
Lili Bazargan |
Head of Social Media
Ciara Paul |
FACULTY ADVISOR
Jun Shen |
