Osotuwa Foundation was created and is run by Isaya and Nguvu, brothers and Tanzanian Maasai Warriors, along with partners from around the world.
ISAYA OLEPORUO
Isaya was born in the remote village of Eluai, growing up to become a Maasai warrior and chief. Without formal primary or secondary education, Isaya finished his Bachelors Degree at Ohio State University in December 2022. Isaya's establishment of the Osotuwa Foundation is a natural extension of his Maasai upbringing and experiences. Thus far approximately 200 young girls have been provided with the opportunity for a secondary school education, previously denied to them. Other initiatives that he has worked on are providing a way for village families to access clean water and helping Maasai women gain the opportunity to earn money and a place in family decision-making.
NGUVU LUKUMAY
Nguvu is an experienced volunteer with both Tanzanian and international non-profits. He has participated in major fund raising events, worked as part of an effective team ensuring the safety and security of volunteers working in remote areas of Tanzania and assisting in the collection of wildlife conservation data. Unlike most Maasai men, Nguvu has completed both primary and secondary school and has studied and earned a Certificate in Tourism and Tour Guide Management. He us currently working with the Osotuwa Foundation, managing donations to provide the tuition, living needs, supplies and safe transport of young Maasai girls with Foundation scholarships.
MARTHA TOTTEN
Martha has been making, selling and teaching others how to make beaded jewelry for years, always wishing she could use these skills to benefit others. Then she met Isaya. From him, she learned that the Maasai women of Eluai Village wanted to learn more beading techniques to better market their jewelry. With that small bit of information, she sprang into action. Martha decided to travel to Eluai, Tanzania, and introduce the Maasai women to new beading techniques. Through these women she learned how to design Maasai jewelry herself, and made amazing new friends, in spite of the language barrier. Upon her return to the States, she joined the Foundation. She sees it as an organization that can help change the lives of the Maasai as well as the volunteers who work with them.
RAM STEIN
Ram is an international business consultant focused on strategic marketing and advertising. Ram became aware of the problems facing the indigenous people of Tanzania while pursuing a volunteer opportunity in the country several years ago. He subsequently decided to become an active participant in helping solve some of these problems with Isaya through the Foundation. Ram currently resides in Israel. He is married to Liron and father to Etai. He holds an MBA with a Specialization in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship. Ram also established pickNjoy, an online store that will help sell the Maasai jewelry worldwide.
DEBORAH K. LONDON
Deborah London is a full time Professor of Communication at MassBay Community College in Wellesley Hills, MA. Over the years, her teaching experience has ranged from Yale University and Merrimack College to institutions in China, Korea, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Dr. London has authored and produced nearly twenty professional papers and publications on topics as varied as Building Community by Making Compassion Accessible, and Student Workbook for Understanding interpersonal Communication, to The Construction of Realty through Language: Women Living with Multiple Sclerosis. In addition, A Practical Introduction to Communication for Community College and Beyond is her first textbook due out August, 2018. She completed her undergraduate studies in Speech Communication at Syracuse University; her graduate work includes an M.A. in Communication Studies from Emerson College, and a Ph.D & Women’s Studies Certificate in Interpersonal and Health Communication from Ohio University. She lives with her husband in Auburndale, MA.
TRICIA ALLENBY
Tricia is a retired pathologist in Columbus, Ohio. She has been doing volunteer work in Tanzania since 2014. She and her husband met Isaya in August of 2019. They visited his home in Tanzania and were surprised to find out that he was attending college in Boston. She learned about his ministry of rescuing girls from forced marriage and wanted to get involved. Isaya now lives in Columbus, so she is able to work closely with him. Tricia travels back to Eluai one to two times a year to see and encourage the girls as well as working toward the goal of getting Maa Bibles to all Tanzanian Maasai.