Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids Campus is proud to welcome Maanda Ngoitiko, Thursday, April 23, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Rm. SC270. Ngoitiko, who recently addressed 39 African Fulbright scholars visiting the U.S., started the Pastoral Women's Council (PWC) a grassroots group of Maasai who work toward better health, economic, and education for Maasai women. The event is free, and the public is invited.

The PWC of Tanzania was founded to conceive and implement long-term structural solutions for the poverty and marginalization of Maasai pastoralist women and children. The women-led organization encourages Maasai women to openly discuss the positive and negative aspects of their culture, to act on their findings and to mobilize local efforts and resources.  Through its work, PWC has developed large networks and strong relationships with various international organizations, as well as district, village and regional government.

Since its founding in Tanzania in 1997, PWC has worked to address three key problems facing Maasai women:

1. 1.     Lack of property ownership rights
2. 2.     Lack of participation in political decisions
3. 3.     Lack of education for Maasai girls
   
   

To date, the efforts of the PWC have enabled Masaai women to own cattle in their own right and helped women secure a voice in local decision-making.

PWC also works to help women with micro-loans for small businesses, water conservation, and malaria immunization. Ngoitiko, with the help of global partners, has positively affected more than 6,000 lives. She is credited with personally bringing more change to the women of Tanzania than almost any other person. 

For more information about the Pastoral Women's Council, visit www.tanzaniapwc.org. For more information about the cultural events at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit our College Calendar.