African Roots Foundation

Success is in the eyes and the minds of those who step forward and try! Our Twin Peak Challenge 2010 ended with complete success;  a big thanks to the Brad, Stuart and Team Leader Clare who kept the boys in check over the two week trek of Two peaks in Two weeks. The great news is that all three challengers reached both summits of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the donations and pledges raised will be utilized in the coming year to deliver in one form or another fresh drinking water to the Maasai community of Eselalei.

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Esilalei village has been a settlement since 1977 before which time the Maasai, it’s current occupants, lived a nomadic life. They still enjoy free access across the land, including across the country borders.

Nowadays, Esilalei village comprises over 500 people living in around 50 separate Bomas (traditional Maasai settlements), covering the area between Manyara lake and the mountain ranges running from the North-West to the East. (more…)

Mr Seymon Dukach, of Russian descent, grew up in Moscow, moved to USA at a young age and now lives in Boston. Successfully raised 3 daughters and several businesses, he thought he would dedicate his time to helping others and came up with his new business “Global Cycle Solutions“. (more…)

A clear example of our emphasis on community driven initiatives, as opposed to a top-down approach, is the problem of access to water in Eselelei. In this case, the Maasai themselves decided the best solution would be to pipe in water from the village of Mto wa mbu, 25 km’s west and had already started collecting money amongst the community members. When ARF was presented with a plan and costing, we were able to contribute the missing funds out of village fees collected through the cultural tourism program and donations received from visitors. (more…)

The Maasai are one of the tribes found in the Northern part of Tanzania, around the Arusha region. As one of the 125 tribes of Tanzania, they are believed to have originated from Sudan and to have migrated through the river Nile into Kenya and then Tanzania, due to their nomadic lifestyle whereby they move from one region to another in search of greener pastures for the lifestock.

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