Oltoilo le Maa Participatory video hub, based in Narok County, southern Kenya, is an indigenous women-led grassroots organization committed to amplifying the voices of Maasai communities, especially women and girls. Oltoilo le Maa was established in 2019 when we visited oxford university in 2018 following the Maasai artifacts found in the museum. Since our establishment in 2019, by the help of insight shire we were able to have a couple of online and fiscal trainings, on participatory video and video editing. In 2021 to 2022 we did an online training on facilitation where by six youth from the Loita Maasai community got some skills on how to train people on different aspects.

 We have operated without core funding, sustaining our work through project-based grants and voluntary contributions. Our PV team operates as associates, engaging in both voluntary and paid roles to support the organization’s growth. Despite financial limitations, we have remained committed to our vision, driven by passion and a shared mission to foster social change and justice within indigenous communities.

MISSION/PURPOSE OF OLTOILO LEE MAA

To facilitate and train members of the Maasai Community in participatory video and facilitation skills to enable them to document their culture and to use video as a powerful tool for positive social change

GOAL

To be a platform for empowering, preserve, pass information and enhance collaboration to effectively undertake and participate in conservation of Maasai culture within and outside Maasai land.

CORE VALUES

  1. Collective action and responsibility; 
  2. Self-sufficiency; 
  3. Team work; 
  4. Volunteerism; 
  5. Autonomy; 
  6. Social justice and equity; 
  7. Gender and diversity; 
  8. Good governance; 
  9. Accountability and transparency; 
  10. Unity and consensus;
  11.  Geographical balance; 
  12. Fair dealing; 
  13. Democracy and participation.

OBJECTIVES.

  1. To produce participatory videos to empower and pass information necessary for the well-being of the rural and marginalized groups that cannot access mainstream media. 
  2. To educate and sensitize on importance of culture preservation of the target groups,women and the youth.
  3. To support and promote entrepreneurship for the less privileged groups through improved access to knowledge, skills, technology, finance and markets for locally produced goods and services within the area of jurisdiction.
  4. To enhance collaboration, networking and forming partnership with developing and well established organization within and outside area of jurisdiction to ensure culture preservation and promotion.
  5. To mobilize requisite resources, from members and from development partners, to facilitate the implementation of the group activities.
  6. To share and promote Maasai cultural practices and norms to the rest of world to ensure cohesiveness and economic stabilization upon massive share of culture.
  7. To use the tool VIDEOS to influence decision making on traditional and emerging issues pertaining Eco social life of the Maasai community.
  8. To preserve, protect and promote the important aspect of Maasai living culture through policy formulation that encloses the cultural statues of the Maasai community.
  9. To conserve, protect and to educate the community on the impact of the environment its effects and mitigations.

 OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

(i)To support and promote entrepreneurship for the less privileged groups through improved access to knowledge, skills, technology, finance and markets for locally produced goods and services within the area of jurisdiction.

(ii)Empowering more youth and women so that they can speaking therevoices.

(iii)Our Organization to be a platform for empowering, preserve, pass information and enhance collaboration to effectively undertake and participate in conservation of Maasai culture within and outside Maasai land.

(iv)To produce participatory videos to empower and pass information necessary for the well-being of the rural and marginalized groups that cannot access mainstream media.

(v)To enhance collaboration, networking and forming partnership with developing and well-established organization within and outside area of jurisdiction to ensure culture preservation and promotion.