Opening Insights
Hello my name is Michael Koimerek. I am a leader of the Maasai Tribe, the Chairman of the Enkijape Primary School, an engineer, student, husband and father. I am deeply committed to my community and people.
There are about 1 million Maasai people living in Kenya and Tanzania. Inside of the Maasai region are popular tourist destinations, such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Tarangire game reserves.
We have a great culture, heritage and wisdom that is slowly being eroded and diluted.
Informational Insights
Our tribe is famous for having retained many of our traditional ways, even as Kenya and Tanzania has become more modern and industrialized. However, holding on to customs and traditions is becoming increasingly difficult for our community. Regulations on land use prevent us from accessing water sources and pastures for us to maintain our traditional Maasai ways .
Many additional factors continue to disrupt and encroach Maasai life:
- The introduction of western education: has resulted in the herding of livestock becoming the parents' task. Young boys resume the responsibility, but only on weekends when schools are out.
- Climate change (global warming and increased droughts in East Africa): have resulted in a loss of cattle, smaller herds, and a lack of farming and food, causing many people to look for alternative work in urban areas.
- Hunger and drought: many Maasai rely on relief food and resources.
- Shortage of schools, classrooms, learning resources and teachers.
- Shortage of water for farming.
- Maasai tribal leadership (council of elders) are losing their power: because of emerging and encroaching forms of western leadership and governance.
Many Maasai members have moved out of our homeland and into urban areas, yet a good portion, like me and my family, continue holding on to our culture. We are a community rich in two natural resources:
- The natural beauty of Africa: our lands and animals that call to people around the world.
- The cultural beauty of The Maasai People: our heritage, customs and relationship with nature.
Our riches are often overshadowed by our strife and our people often fail to communicate and share our culture with the world. Additionally, the world is often unable look beyond our traditional garments and poverty to see the real value, lessons and beauty of our culture.
We are aware of the social, cultural and economic problems we face. As a community we seek collaborative ways to change with the times while holding on to our culture.
The village which is not discussed is not built.
(Maasai Proverb)One head cannot hold all wisdom.
(Maasai Proverb)
We as a community are looking for a sustainable process that will:
- Unite the community once again – bridging the gap between generations
- Support the community economically, socially and educationally
- Give the power back to the community
A solution to address our problem has been identified. Awareness Communication Technology, LLC (AwareComm), a Microsoft Gold Research Partner and Publishing company has stepped up to the plate and launched a national/global solution available through the Microsoft Network.
AwareComm is on a global mission to raise the consciousness of humanity and empower communities through collaboration, sustainable research and publishing platforms. To that end AwareComm has developed a platform to help civilizations reunite and survive in these uncertain times.
AwareComm’s business model is to partner with communities and organizations in a Collaborative (Co-Lab) Institute. These Private Branded Co-Labs provide a blend of technology, methodology and human understanding providing us with modern solutions to meet and overcome our challenges.
Co-Lab Institutes are managed limited partnerships (profit or non-profit) that are designed and structured to empower organizations and community cultures with the tools to more effectively communicate, engage and target specific social and economic challenges. Co-Lab Institutes allow the wisdom of an organization’s heritage to blend with the possibilities of tomorrow to ensure 100% buy-in for implementing real solutions.
Co-Labs initiate and optimize collaboration-based ideas amongst all stakeholders and offers the foundation to learn critical thinking and reasoning skills for:
- Problem recognition, answer definition, solution implementation
- Private Branded Market Recognition / Co-Branded with PWI Mission of Solidarity
- Select from Proven Process of Creating Cultures Responsive to Change
- Make Level 5 Leadership Work using Followship – Leadership
- Identify Resistance and Addiction
- Include Volunteers for Internal Addiction Correction Program
- Include PTSD Rehabilitation Tools for Proven Results
- Develop an Implementation Plan to include ALL stakeholders
- Develop a Cost-Effective Volunteer Support Program
- Develop an Accountability Program with Monitoring and Reporting
Co-Lab Partnerships empower Industry Associations and communities like ours to take a stronger leadership role in directing and shaping our world. Co-Lab participants develop experiential-based Blogs, Books and Apps using the proven templates:
- eMod Buddy™ Blogs for interest and marketing
- eMod Buddy™ Flip Books for dynamic information
- eMod Buddy™ Apps for transformational learning
The Co-Lab will address social issues, while providing sustainable economic development solutions for:
- Local Schools (Teacher, Staff and Children)
- Local Community Organizations
- Local Businesses
- Safari Companies
- Maasai Tribe
- Local Conservation
- Kenyan Tourism and Travel
The nature of the Co-Lab creates an environment where people share the vision and mission of the community and followship-Leadership methodology strengthens the community by developing its members. Co-Labs provide the tools to support the community in assessing the feasibility of the project.
The PWI Maasai Community Co-Lab will be implemented to drive a grassroots movement to empower the community. Co-Lab implementation will enhance the other projects under-development and provide the Maasai community with resources to:
- Publish our wisdom, heritage and insight and share it with the world in the form of Apps.
- Communicate, teach and share our culture with the world via Online Discussions and Apps.
- Acquire grants and donations from government and businesses more easily.
- Boost the tourist industry.
- Provide business opportunities to Safari companies and local businesses.
- Improve the Maasai and Kenyan economy.
- Empower our community with self-sustainable solutions.
We have a vibrant community of young and old, all looking for change and solutions. The Co-Lab will allow us to transcend our ideas into implementable solutions… empowering our people with the power to take back our culture and heritage.
The platform requires seed funding (defined by the initial scope of the leaders), after which the Co-Lab becomes self-sustaining through built-in funding mechanisms, such as:
- A business outreach which brings practical life skills to businesses and employees in key areas of life, one being Travel and Recreation.
- When our Apps qualify to be featured in the business outreach, we can distribute the outreach to businesses, and in return, we get monetary donations, and thus we become self-sustaining.
- In simple terms, we buy from AwareComm for non-profit prices and we get full-price donations from businesses.
Our Plan
Using the natural resources we have, we want to partner with AwareComm® to develop a Co-Lab... To package the Maasai Tribe (using Apps) as an example of conservation and solidarity by marketing to travel agents, businesses and tourists to promote tourism in Kenya.
The partnership allows for the project (Co-Lab) to become self-funding, self-perpetuating and self-regulating, after the initial seed funding is invested. In other words the outcome of the project is a self-sustaining entity that runs like a business. AwareComm® offers us a strategy, a business plan and a way to sustain the Co-Lab.
Possibilities for Consideration: Getting Started
We are not looking for money. We are seeking strategic partnerships with Kenyan-based non-profits (schools, churches, wild-life organizations).
We need consistent online communication to get the PWI Maasai Community Co-Lab started! We are looking to work in conjunction with a non-profit in order to get Non-Profit / NGO prices for our internet services.
As strategic partners we will work together to attract philanthropy / grant money and share our resources.
We would be honored if you would support our mission. We look forward to hearing from you!
Leave a comment below.
Click Here to Contact AwareComm Directly
Take a moment and examine…
- As you reviewed the material above, what stood out to you?
- What is the potential impact, economically and/or socially?
- What action is needed to stop or support this idea?
- You may want to consider whether you:
- want to be aware of,
- should become supportive of,
- would want to be active in this topic?
Add Your Insight
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Being willing is not enough; we must do.
LEONARDO DA VINCI