DER TOURISTIK Foundation On the right track 2022

Hot topic: Tanzania
Mamaai Letoo
“I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY MEETING”
The women’s groups in Tanzania help women gain more independence. Mamaai Letoo regularly
attends the meetings. She explained to us what she gets out of them …
“My life has really changed for the
better since I started meeting up with
other women on a regular basis. Before,
as Maasai women, we lived rather
isolated lives. Now, we help each other.
The training we receive at the Women’s
Education Centre and the sense of
belonging to the women’s group are
what I treasure most. They brighten
up my life! I always really look forward
to the meetings, which is evident
from the fact that I lay out my clothes
ready hours in advance … I learn so
many useful things! And this is really
important for me as I never went to
school. Now I understand, for example,
the importance of hygiene. It wasn’t
necessarily obvious to me beforehand
how important it is for me to keep my
home clean, eat from clean dishes
and wear clean clothes. No one had
ever taught me. The independence
from my husband also helps with my
self-confidence. I go shopping on my
own and I now know how to ensure
that my family eats healthily. What can
I say? I even look a lot better and
younger as my clothes are cleaner
and, most importantly, my diet is
healthier! However, the best thing of
all is that I have learned how to make
soap and maize flour and hence how
to earn my own money. I’m investing
it in my children and their school
education as education is the most
important thing for ensuring a positive
and secure future. I’m really proud
of my independence. The women’s
group has fundamentally changed my
life. If someone were to ask me what
else I need, I’d say: in the future we’ll
need electricity for the maize flour
mill in order to be able to operate the
machine more easily and by ourselves –
without the men.”
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