Mara Nyika
info@greatplainsfoundation.com
Project
Great Plains supports approximately 2000 children aged four to fifteen across five schools in and around the Maasai Mara and the bordering Olare Motorogi and Naboisho community-owed conservancies. This support includes conservation education (kids camps), school supplies, teachers’ salaries, school feeding programs, tree planting programs, vision clinics and the construction of footbridges to allow children to safely get from home to school when rivers are flooded. The needs list below reflects items that are used in our annual activities in Kenya as well as items requested by the schools that we partner with in and around the Maasai Mara.
Needs
General School Supplies:
Book Bags, Chalk, College-Ruled Paper, Colored Construction Paper, Colored Pencils, Crayons, Dry-Erase Markers, Erasers, Glue Sticks, Handheld Pencil Sharpeners, Markers, Pencils, Pens, Rulers, Solar Calculators, and Solar Lantern Lights
Reference Materials:
(English) Dictionaries
Flash Cards:
(English) Alphabet, Math, and Word
Laminated Wall Charts:
(English) Human Body, Language, Math, Science, and World Maps
Text/Reading Books:
(English) Age-Appropriate Story Books
Computer Hardware/Software:
Flash Drives/Memory Sticks, USB Cables, and *Working Laptops
Educational Games/Toys:
Chess Sets and Puzzles
Sports/Outdoor Activity:
Inflation Pumps, Netball/Basketballs, and Soccer Balls
Office Supplies:
Markers, Pencils, Pens, Printer Paper, Rulers, Scissors, Solar Calculators, and Staplers
Initiatives Supported

Listed on this page are the specific needs requested by the community project(s) so you can choose exactly what to pack for a purpose and express your gratitude to the local community with the supplies you take them. If you prefer, you may reach out directly to them to inquire about items which may be available for purchase locally. Arranging visits to community projects is beyond the scope of our mission. If you wish to visit a project, contact the participant and they can let you know what is possible.
Candy and balloons are not on the needs list as they are harmful for the children and the environment for the following reasons:
• Few of the children benefiting from these projects have access to toothpaste, toothbrushes, or a dentist. The candy promotes cavities.
• The balloons once they become deflated are a choking hazard for local wildlife.
Instead of taking candy or balloons, use that space for additional requested supplies, as they are priceless.