Women's Group and community empowerment
The El Mosaretu Women’s Group is an inter-tribal group four local tribes (El Molo, Samburu, Rendilie and Turkana) intimately connected to the life in the oasis of Loiyangalani. Working in concert rather than in conflict The four groups each rely on Lake Turkana as an important resource for survival. Together, they are able to educate their tribes on ecological and sustainable practices.
WildiZe has provided a grants to assit the women in the start-up of building their 
compound by building tourist accomadions, toilets, showers, kitchen and curio stalls, while also providing funding for material supplies for their curios and outfitting the tourist lodgings, eg: beds, mosquito netting, furniture. With the advent of better accommodations for visiting NGOs working in health, agro-forestry and livestock management, the women are able to rent out their accommodations to gain further income to improve their lives and livlihoods, and so reads a wonderful new brochure a friendly tourist recently helped the group print up...
"After the long tiresome drive to Lake Turkana, after having crossed the moonlike, volcanid landscape hit by the fierce sunlight, imagine reaching a refreshing and deightful oasis of quietness and friendship... There you can relax during the hottest hours of the day, listening to the whisper of the charming creek wich crosses the compound. A delightful shower, clean toilets, a big kithen and security are provided.
Choosing to stay at Mosaretu is the best way to quickly be in touch with the local life and customs. These independent and struggling women will show you their ceremonial dances and will organize for you a visit to one of the villages and prepare you samples of their delicious cooking art."WildiZe has been providing grants to improve their livelihood through:
Wildize funding has helped to accomplish:
1. Construction and outfitting tourist accommodations run by the group.
2. Supplying building materials for their curio shop and main kitchen
3. Assistance funds for children go to school
4. Making possible the availability of solar power
5. Provision of clean water facilities
6. Providing educational materials on ecological and sustainable practices.
2. Supplying building materials for their curio shop and main kitchen
3. Assistance funds for children go to school
4. Making possible the availability of solar power
5. Provision of clean water facilities
6. Providing educational materials on ecological and sustainable practices.
2006
The huts in the front area are gone, which we discussed last year, because they were old and needed refurbishment. Rather than redo them, they moved the huts to the back, which is more shady, and clustered together for a different kind of privacy. They are all in good shape. They rebuilt the showers from solid concrete, which would crack due to moisture, to half concrete walls topped with barrara (palm stakes)
The showers have burlap doors, and concrete floors, four built side by side. They moved the cho (toilet) further away from the compound (due to discussion last year about smell), have increased their duka (food stores and selling). The duka is giving them problems because they will sell on credit but not always able to collect. How do they go about this? I asked then if they are interested in Micro-financing.
Distributed the money from the items on credit that Mosaretu gave me last year. As we were looking around the compound Sandayo requested that they would like to make a fish pond, one that provides talapia for eating-RESEARCH
Announced film showing tonight in town for entire community, premier of Constant Gardner, which was filmed in the area w/ local residents as extras. They enjoyed immensely, as the producers of the film didn't make it available to the area. We showed it three nights running.
2005
Followed up on construction of huts, inspected those that have been built and see that the murrara is going to need to be replaced, huts now have mozzie nets, side tables and good foam mattresses. Many backpacker/ tourist/ NGO personnel are staying there as an alternative to the Oasis Lodge. Checked out the further construction of the main building/ kitchen site/ and curio market- it's greatly improved. They would like funds to build a swimming pool, and a generator.
2003
Checked up on progress from last visit and the new issue presented is maintenance of the structures they built. They have developed the camp site into a sustainable business for both tourists and overlanders- complete with running showers and ‘toilet' (long drop pit latrine), an enclosed- wash area, enclosed food/kitchen service area, and several traditional huts that are very clean and rent out well. They want to build a better toilet- a sit down variety, or flush toilet for westerners. This is a major step forward, as two years ago when we first began to fund the compound. Regarding the flush toilet, my concern is where will it flush to? RESEARCH -- Must look into ‘plumbing;' and see where the water/ waste flows. Grant distribution for repairing cracks in wall of shower/wash building, and building new toilet. El Mosaretu camp is most selected by the Government visitors, as they have the cooking and bathroom facilities that are ‘modern' (by comparison).
2001
Supply curio hut with water and sundries for visitors
Building and rental of huts for travelers and NGO's working in the area
bursary fund for school fees for children
2000
start construction of new huts within compound
provide bursary funding for drought season
school fees
1998
First met the El Mosaretu Women's group while working on the Women and Wildlands photo documentary book, and realized there was a large gap between what large international NGO's said they were doing for local community development and what was actually happening on the ground.
Was granted permission and entry into the group and their homes for photo journalism and interviews about their relationship to the community and their environment, and provided some small assistance funds to help them and purchased curios from their shop.
