About Us
About Us
Empowering Maasai Women Through Business and Education
Naretoi Women Organisation is a non-governmental, community-based initiative working closely with 26 Maasai women in Orkeeswa and Murandawa villages in the Monduli District of Tanzania. Rooted in a vision of empowerment and sustainability, the organisation supports women in transforming their lives through business education, financial inclusion, and community development.
At the heart of Naretoi’s mission is the belief that when women are equipped with the right tools, training, and resources, they can become powerful agents of change in their communities. To achieve this, Naretoi provides regular workshops and hands-on training sessions within the village, focusing on entrepreneurship, leadership, and financial literacy. These sessions help build confidence and equip the women with practical skills necessary for running and sustaining their own businesses.
Once a woman completes the training, she becomes eligible to receive start-up funding from the organisation. However, funding is granted only after her business idea is reviewed and deemed viable. This ensures that resources are invested wisely and that each venture has a strong foundation for success. The funding comes with a clear agreement: after a three-month business cycle, the women are required to return the original funds along with a predetermined portion of their profits.
These repayments are managed by Naretoi’s Finance Team, who then reinvest the funds to welcome new members into the programme and grow the organisation’s impact. Any profits earned beyond the agreed amount remain with the women as their personal earnings—an incentive for innovation and diligence.
In addition to the formal training and funding programme, the women have initiated a weekly group savings and loan activity. Every Friday, members gather and contribute a minimum of one dollar each. Attendance is recorded, and the pooled funds are carefully managed. These collective savings are not only stored safely but also offered as short-term microloans to members, particularly on local market days, enabling them to capitalize on immediate business opportunities.
These repayments are managed by Naretoi’s Finance Team, who then reinvest the funds to welcome new members into the programme and grow the organisation’s impact. Any profits earned beyond the agreed amount remain with the women as their personal earnings—an incentive for innovation and diligence.
At the end of each year, the accumulated profits from these weekly contributions and loan activities are shared among all members. This annual dividend is purposefully timed to support preparations for the farming season and help cover school-related expenses for their children. In this way, Naretoi not only fosters entrepreneurship but also reinforces the broader goals of family welfare and food security in the community.
Through these efforts, Naretoi Women Organisation is creating a ripple effect—uplifting individual women, strengthening households, and transforming entire villages through economic empowerment, education, and community collaboration.
These repayments are managed by Naretoi’s Finance Team, who then reinvest the funds to welcome new members into the programme and grow the organisation’s impact. Any profits earned beyond the agreed amount remain with the women as their personal earnings—an incentive for innovation and diligence.
Our Founder Story
Co-Founder – Mr. Lomyack
My name is Seuri, the second-born in my family. I was born and raised in the Maasai community in Monduli, Tanzania. The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group living in parts of Kenya and northern Tanzania. We speak the Maa language and rely mostly on livestock and small-scale farming to survive.
As I grew up, I noticed how deeply the community depended on the land. But climate change has made life much harder. I remember when our land was green, and there was plenty of water. Today, that has changed. Rainfall is unpredictable, and crops and livestock no longer thrive like they used to. My grandfather once told me that these changes are because of the wrongs people do in the world—and that now, we are paying the price.
For example, back in 2000, we used to harvest about 1,000 kg of maize per hectare. Just three years later, in 2003, that dropped to only 100 kg. I asked my grandfather why, and he said it was because people used to respect nature. There were fewer farms, and more grassy land. Trees weren’t cut down as much, so livestock had enough pasture, and wildlife lived close to us. I remember seeing zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, and more near our home. Now, much of that is gone.
As more people cleared land for farming, built homes, or cut down trees to sell timber, the rain became less and less. No rain means no crops, no pasture for cattle, and more suffering for the Maasai people. Many families have lost their animals—especially during severe droughts like in 2008/2009, 2015/2016, and 2021. This pushed many into deeper poverty.
Most Maasai people (around 80%) have little or no formal education, so they don’t have jobs or other sources of income. When there’s drought, there’s no safety net. Seeing all this suffering inspired me to act. In 2015, I started a project to help families meet their basic needs, like getting two meals a day. I focused on women, because in my community, they carry most of the burden of raising families, even though they often have no income.
The goal of my project is to empower Maasai women—to help them earn money, feed their children, and afford school fees and other essentials. I believe that by supporting women, we can lift the whole community out of poverty.