Our story began with one girl's courage. Today, it is transforming thousands of lives.
OUR BEGINNING
Where It All Began.
OMOM Maasai Community Foundation was born from a simple but urgent reality. In Maasai communities across Tanzania the most vulnerable girls, those who passed their exams, dreamed of a future and had every right to one, were being pulled out of school into forced and early marriage before they ever had a chance.
In 2023 Naomi Koinase, a Maasai woman who had lived this reality firsthand, registered OMOM officially. She had already spent years going back to her community during university holidays working with girls who faced the same pressure she had once refused. She knew the problem from the inside. She knew what was missing. And she built OMOM to fill that gap.
Today OMOM operates across Maasai communities in Tanzania through four connected programmes, Education Sidai, Nganashehood, Serian Homes and Olosho Voices, reaching over 7,000 people and walking with every girl from her most vulnerable moment all the way to independence.
We are not a programme dropped in from outside. We are a movement built from within by someone who refused to leave the problem unsolved.
7,000+
People reached across Tanzania
Executive Director with the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai
IDENTITY
Who We Are and Why We Exist.
Who We Are
OMOM Maasai Community Foundation is a Maasai youth and women-led nonprofit organisation in Tanzania working to break cycles of forced and early marriage by enabling adolescent girls and young women to learn, lead and thrive with confidence. We strengthen academic resilience by expanding access to formal secondary education, life skills and mentorship, increasing pathways to safe and independent futures, and supporting young women to exercise agency in their households and communities.
Why We Exist
Forced and early marriage continue to deny Maasai girls the education, safety and agency they deserve. Patriarchal traditions silence girls and strip them of the right to decide their own future. Without a connected system that takes a girl from the most vulnerable moment all the way to independence the cycle continues across generations. OMOM exists to break that cycle for good.
What Drives Us.
Our Mission
To empower Maasai girls through access to education, safe housing, mentorship and personal leadership development while engaging communities to eliminate harmful practices and foster supportive environments for girls growth and success.
Our Vision
A future where Maasai girls are educated, empowered and equipped with leadership skills to drive positive change in their communities and across Tanzania.
What We Stand For.
01
Girl Centric
Every decision we make, every programme we design and every step we take starts and ends with the girl. She is not a beneficiary. She is the reason we exist.
02
Empowerment
We believe every Maasai girl carries the power to change her community. Our work exists to unlock it.
03
Inclusion
No girl is too far gone, too remote or too forgotten. We go where others do not.
04
Sustainability
We do not build programmes that disappear when funding ends. We build systems that communities own and carry forward long after we are gone.
05
Courage
It takes courage to go back to a community that tried to silence you. It takes courage to sit with elders and challenge what has always been. It takes courage to be a Maasai girl who chooses school. We celebrate that courage every single day.
Our Objectives.
01
Support Maasai girls to move successfully from primary to secondary school by providing tuition, uniforms, books and guidance for a safe and uninterrupted learning journey.
02
Ensure girls have secure accommodation where they learn life skills, develop teamwork and gain leadership and entrepreneurship exposure alongside their mothers.
03
Empower girls through mentorship, leadership bootcamps and school clubs to build confidence, advocacy, communication and personal growth.
04
Engage parents, elders, community leaders, NGOs and government agencies to challenge harmful practices and promote policies that protect and support Maasai girls education.
05
Secure funding and partnerships to build OMOM's own school, a permanent safe space where Maasai girls learn, lead and grow on their own terms.
06
Partner with community leaders and government to end patriarchal practices village by village, expanding OMOM's reach across all Maasai communities in Tanzania.
WHAT SETS US APART
Why OMOM is Different.
01
Laser Focused on Indigenous Girls
Our unwavering commitment is to the unique needs, challenges and aspirations of adolescent Maasai girls and young women, ensuring that every programme and initiative is designed specifically to empower and uplift them.
02
Holistic Programme Ecosystem
We integrate robust academic placement with secure holiday sanctuaries and intensive mentorship to protect and cultivate the evolving needs of the girls we serve, ensuring impactful and sustainable change from enrollment to independence.
03
Community Rooted Mindset Transformation
Our grassroots approach not only breaks down structural barriers but also fosters behavioral change among elders, shifts deep cultural perceptions and amplifies the voices of young women, creating a comprehensive pathway to advancement and resilience.
04
Commitment to Girls Safety and Systemic Rights
We are deeply committed to absolute protection and human rights, creating a safe and welcoming environment for all where vulnerability is eliminated and every girl has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the collective mission.
05
Women Empowerment at Every Level
Our mothers do not just send their daughters to us. They come too. They create. They earn. They become part of the solution. The community does not just benefit from OMOM. It becomes OMOM.
OUR TEAM
Meet the Team Behind OMOM.
Naomi Koinase
Naomi Koinase is a girls rights advocate and social entrepreneur working at the intersection of education, community development and gender justice in Tanzania. She is the Founder and Executive Director of OMOM Maasai Community Foundation, a community-rooted organisation she built from the ground up to ensure that the most vulnerable Maasai girls across Tanzania are educated, empowered and equipped to lead. Under her leadership OMOM has reached over 7,000 people across Tanzania through four connected programmes, Education Sidai, Nganashehood, Serian Homes and Olosho Voices. Naomi holds a BA in Governance and Development and an MA in Gender and Development from the University of Sussex UK, completed through a prestigious Chevening Scholarship — one of the most competitive government scholarships in the world awarded to future leaders.
Christine Gimonge
Christine Gimonge is a passionate development professional dedicated to advancing girls education and community empowerment in Tanzania. She holds a BSc in Information Technology and Computer Science and brings extensive experience in programme design and implementation. As Programs Manager at OMOM she oversees the implementation of all four programmes, ensuring every girl receives the full support she deserves and that every activity connects to OMOM's mission of educating, empowering and building Maasai girl leaders across Tanzania.
Joseph Bangili
Joseph Bangili is a finance professional with strong expertise in financial management and organisational accountability. He holds a Masters of Science in Accounting and Finance and brings deep knowledge of financial systems, budgeting and compliance to his role at OMOM. As Finance Officer he oversees all financial systems and reporting, ensuring that every resource received is managed with integrity and directed toward maximum impact for Maasai girls across Tanzania.
Faith Kivuyo
Faith Kivuyo is a dedicated programmes professional committed to advancing girls rights and community development in Tanzania. She holds a BA in Gender and Development and brings both academic grounding and practical passion to her work at OMOM. As Programs Associate she supports the delivery of all four programmes, working closely with girls, communities, schools and partners to ensure every girl in OMOM's care is seen, supported and heard.
OUR PARTNERS
Trusted by leading organizations
Together with our partners, we are amplifying impact across the Maasai community of Tanzania.
