2021 Serengeti Girls Run creates scholarship opportunities

By a Correspondent in Serengeti

The 2021 Serengeti Girls Run has created 80 scholarship

opportunities for girls hailing from rural villages located

near Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserves in Serengeti and

Bunda districts, Mara Region.

The 63 km run which involved eight women from USA

and one from South Africa took place three days in a row

into the wildlife -rich game reserves last week.

Each day distance running covered 21 kilometers.

The runners are funders of Grumeti Fund, a non-profit

organization that supports community development and

conservation activities in western Serengeti.

They included Rhonda Vetere, an American who is one of

the top 10 women in technology worldwide.

Rhonda Vetere, an American who is one of the top 10women in technology worldwide, poses in a group photowith local journalists after successfully participating inthe Serengeti Run for Girls in Serengeti recently.

Seen in a jovial mood after taking part in the race,

Rhonda who is also a two time author said the purpose

of the run was to make a difference to bright but needy

students through scholarships.

Another woman remarked: “This is a personal journey but

also a journey with a lot of purpose (raising money for

girls’ education scholarships), the combination of the two

makes it such an inspiring event.”

They also expressed satisfaction on how Grumeti Fund

spends funds to support local development in the rural

communities where in the past poaching was a major

source of livelihood.

“It is fantastic to see projects happening on the ground, it

is a wonderful work that is being done,” they said.

Two Tanzanian women including Ms Ellena Saronge, a

game ranger who works with Tanzania Wildlife

Management Authority (TAWA) at Ikorongo/Grumeti

Games Reserves also took part.

“This is a unique experience because the participants

(runners) breath in a natural air in a beautiful environment

in Serengeti and the wild animals are friendly,” she said.

Ms Bhoke Mtatiro, the Head of Communication and

Fund-Raising Unit at Grumeti Fund said this year’s

Serengeti Run for Girls event will create 80 scholarships

for village girls living in areas bordering the Grumeti

concession area.

“The aim of Serengeti Runs for Girls is to raise funds to

support empowerment of girls in neighbouring

communities, for them to achieve their education dreams.

We are happy that this year’s run will enable us to

provide 80 additional scholarships to girls,” MsBhoke

noted.

Last year alone the organization, offered 180 scholarships

to needy students, she said.

Besides girl’s empowerment, the funds raised will also be

directed to empower local women economically through

entrepreneurship training seminars.

She expressed appreciations for the continued good

cooperation that Grumeti Fund is enjoying from the

government of Tanzania, through its institutions tasked to

protect the game reserves which form integral part of the

world-famous Serengeti National Park.

“Indeed, there is good government partnership with

Grumeti Fund and we are happy to continue supporting

efforts by the government on education and wildlife

conservation,” she added.

Grumeti Fund is a sister organization of Grumeti

Reserves, an ecotourism company that operates world-

class luxury lodges within the Grumeti concession area.

The investor has also created a number of jobs to the local

people who in the past relied on poaching as their source

of livelihood.