Our History: Maanda's Story
Maanda Ngoitiko (standing) at a women's meeting
Maanda Ngoitiko is a Maasai from the remote Ngorongoro region of Northern Tanzania. Her family are traditional pastoralists and Maanda grew up moving around with the family cattle. When she was 12 years old her parents told her she must leave school and get married. Despite her young age Maanda successfully refused them and was allowed to continue her education until she completed primary school.
At the age of 15 Maanda ran away in order to gain a secondary school education. She was helped by the first pastoralist organisation in Tanzania, Kipoc. She completed her secondary education in Dar Es Salaam and continued to study for a diploma for two years. The Irish Embassy then sponsored her to go to Ireland and study for a further diploma in Development Studies.
After completing her studies in Ireland she returned to Northern Tanzania to work for a Maasai community organisation. Although she enjoyed her work, Maanda realised that there was an urgent need for an organisation led and managed by Maasai women, dedicated to addressing their strategic and practical needs. She wanted to assist girls in the same situation as she herself had once been, desperate for an education but unable to access one. In 1997, at a meeting with nine other women, she founded Pastoral Women’s Council and has led the organisation since then.
In its early years, PWC focused on sensitisation: informing local communities of PWC’s purpose, aims and potential long-term benefits. Women’s action groups were then initiated by PWC. These women’s groups were the main channels for PWC’s work, and they formed an executive committee that was responsible for visiting various women’s groups and organising meetings in most localities. At this time, the role of the PWC was as a forum for women to meet to discuss issues affecting them individually and collectively, as a community. Educating women, facilitating their meetings and analysing the practical and strategic needs that were articulated was an important step in the establishment of PWC and developing a sense of ownership. PWC helped women open up, talk freely, and make decisions based on their wants and needs. This led to the development of projects based directly on women’s priorities and women’s decisions, building their confidence and enabling them to begin to realize their potential. Today the organisation has a membership of approximately 3,000 women, who may be both individual members and corporate members in the form of women’s action groups or savings and credit associations (SACCOS).
In the last few years Maanda attended Kenyatta University in Nairobi and fulfilled her dream of gaining a degree in Environmental Studies. In 2009 the Paul K. Feyerabend Foundation awarded her the “Paul K. Feyerabend Prize - A World of Solidarity is Possible”. The prize acknowledges and encourages remarkable accomplishments, which represent true sources of inspiration.
In 2013 Maanda was one of the nominees for The Guardian International Development Achievement Award. The Guardian International Development Achievement Award aims to recognise the unsung heroes of international development. These are people whose work is or has made a profound contribution to the alleviation of poverty, working above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference.
At the age of 15 Maanda ran away in order to gain a secondary school education. She was helped by the first pastoralist organisation in Tanzania, Kipoc. She completed her secondary education in Dar Es Salaam and continued to study for a diploma for two years. The Irish Embassy then sponsored her to go to Ireland and study for a further diploma in Development Studies.
After completing her studies in Ireland she returned to Northern Tanzania to work for a Maasai community organisation. Although she enjoyed her work, Maanda realised that there was an urgent need for an organisation led and managed by Maasai women, dedicated to addressing their strategic and practical needs. She wanted to assist girls in the same situation as she herself had once been, desperate for an education but unable to access one. In 1997, at a meeting with nine other women, she founded Pastoral Women’s Council and has led the organisation since then.
In its early years, PWC focused on sensitisation: informing local communities of PWC’s purpose, aims and potential long-term benefits. Women’s action groups were then initiated by PWC. These women’s groups were the main channels for PWC’s work, and they formed an executive committee that was responsible for visiting various women’s groups and organising meetings in most localities. At this time, the role of the PWC was as a forum for women to meet to discuss issues affecting them individually and collectively, as a community. Educating women, facilitating their meetings and analysing the practical and strategic needs that were articulated was an important step in the establishment of PWC and developing a sense of ownership. PWC helped women open up, talk freely, and make decisions based on their wants and needs. This led to the development of projects based directly on women’s priorities and women’s decisions, building their confidence and enabling them to begin to realize their potential. Today the organisation has a membership of approximately 3,000 women, who may be both individual members and corporate members in the form of women’s action groups or savings and credit associations (SACCOS).
In the last few years Maanda attended Kenyatta University in Nairobi and fulfilled her dream of gaining a degree in Environmental Studies. In 2009 the Paul K. Feyerabend Foundation awarded her the “Paul K. Feyerabend Prize - A World of Solidarity is Possible”. The prize acknowledges and encourages remarkable accomplishments, which represent true sources of inspiration.
In 2013 Maanda was one of the nominees for The Guardian International Development Achievement Award. The Guardian International Development Achievement Award aims to recognise the unsung heroes of international development. These are people whose work is or has made a profound contribution to the alleviation of poverty, working above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference.
Copyright 2006-2016 – Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC). PWC is a Tanzanian registered charity SO.no.10180
