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Tegemea Group |
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“tegemea” – Swahili for 1: hopeful expectation 2: trust 3: to confide in someone 4: support |
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About Us |
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The majority of the women being assisted by Tegemea Group are widows or single mothers and are members of the Maasai tribe, a pastoral African people inhabiting the highlands of Tanzania and Kenya. Maasai traditions and customs have historically restricted women from access to material resources like credit, property, and money, and have also restricted their access to social resources like education or business knowledge. As a result, Maasai women are oftentimes marginalized in their communities. Tegemea Group was founded in 2006 by Paul and Stephanie van Walleghem to help give Maasai women access to the resources necessary to empower them economically and socially. Paul and Stephanie formed Tegemea Group while volunteering for a month with another local women’s organization in Tanzania.
“Empowerment of women and gender equality are prerequisites for achieving political, social, economic, and environmental security among all peoples.” – Statement from the Fourth United Nations |
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Paul and Stephanie van Walleghem with |
