Theo Dillaha, assisted by Brian Benham, a biological systems engineering professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist, established a foundation. They put together a board of directors comprised mostly of people who went on the safari, applied for 501(C) (3) status, and the Maasai Education Foundation was officially formed in April 2017.
“We wanted to give donors confidence in what we were doing,” Dillaha said, explaining why the group formed a foundation. “We had to create a vision statement and bylaws. Operating procedures and construction plans to get approval from the IRS. Developing all that really forced us to come together.
“Our first responsibility is to our donors, to be good stewards of their funds. Less than one half of a percent of our donations go to overhead because we are all volunteers. We’ve told our Tanzanian partners that we need to use these funds in the most responsible manner, and we’ve had to work through some challenges, but for the most part, they’re understanding of that.”
Construction begins — and continues
In 2017, the school, with assistance from MEF, had raised enough money to construct a building consisting of two classrooms, two staff rooms, a nurse’s room, a toilet, and showers. One of the classrooms served as a temporary dorm for girls. In February 2018, the school opened, with 48 students starting preschool.
Since then, MEF has raised money to build and complete a dining hall, a six-room classroom building, restrooms, a 120-bed girls’ dormitory, satellite internet, and an improved water supply for the school. Boys are currently housed in an unused classroom. In partnership with MEF, Virginia Tech’s Service Without Borders student organization travels to the school every summer and has funded and constructed a photovoltaic system, a computer laboratory with 20 laptops, a playground, and drip irrigated gardens and orchards.
“It’s been an incremental process,” Benham said. “We try to add a class of students every year, and we’re getting to the point where space is an issue. We recently completed a girl’s dormitory, and the boys now are essentially boarding in the initial classroom, and we need those classrooms to help to expand the classes. The school currently serves preschool and first to sixth grade students. In 2024, we will add seventh grade, the last grade of primary school.
“So the focus of this year’s fundraiser and the focus going forward would be the boys’ dorm. That’s a top construction priority. Sponsorships and operating costs are also priorities.”
