Sabore Ole Oyie - Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

HAPPY HOLLOW
PARK & ZOO
Conservation Speaker Series
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo and Happy Hollow Foundation Invite You to Meet
Sabore Ole Oyie
Maasai Warrior & Elder
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2014
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Happy Hollow
Park & Zoo’s Learning LODGE
Cost: $15 per person
Proceeds from the evening will
go towards the efforts to build
a well in Sabore's village.
Space is limited and you must
RSVP to attend. Please call
408-794-6404 to make your
reservation.
Beyond the Well
the Importance of Water to the Maasai
Come join Maasai Warrior and Elder Sabore Ole Oyie as
he describes to you what growing up amongst the wild
animals was like, being lucky enough to attend school,
becoming a warrior and realizing the value of maintaining
your culture.
He will also discuss the importance of a clean water
source for his community and his pursuit in making
this a reality.
1300 senter road • san jose, ca 95112 • 408.794.6404 • www.hhpz.org
HAPPY HOLLOW PARK & ZOO Conservation Speaker Series
Speaker Biography
Maasai Warrior & Elder Sabore Ole Oyie uses his
experience and knowledge acquired from both his
formal education and warrior training to educate the
community on the importance of school and continuing
the cultural traditions.
Maasai Warrior and Elder Sabore Ole Oyie graduated from Naikarra High
School in Narok, Kenya in 1998 and was honorably selected as a senior
advisor to his community and elders. His education has played a major
role in his ability to communicate in both his native languages, Kiswahili
and English, as well as his tribal language, Maa. As second-in-command
to the chief, he emphasizes youth education and economic development
for his community. He’s experienced the benefit of being sponsored to go
to school, the critical need for education and the importance of learning
so the community can grow stronger and healthier. He continues to live
in the traditional ways, including wearing the traditional Maasai clothing,
carrying hand-made weapons for hunting and self-defense against
lions, elephants and other dangerous wildlife, and living in a hut made
from sticks and dung. He herds cattle, sheep and goats, sometimes
having to move them long distances to find greener pastures. In
addition, he is a Cultural Ambassador for Kenya.
Mr. Oyie has traveled extensively with the Kenyan Tourism Board to
Japan, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden, South Africa, England,
Russia and the United States over the last 9 years. As the Cultural
Ambassador, he helps promote tourism in Kenya and talks about the
nomadic culture of the Maasai people. Mr. Oyie is also a tour guide for
several local safari camps. He enjoys taking clients on both walking and
vehicle safaris, pointing out the native wildlife and bird life, as well as
enlightening people about the various plant life.
Mr. Oyie is a founder of the Oldonyo Orasha Water Project
in Ewaso Nyiro Kenya, which was established to bring clean
fresh drinking water to his community. By building wells
close to the villages, it will free up the young girls time from
walking long distances with their mothers to collect water
from the contaminated river. This will allow the girls an
opportunity to attend school and receive an education.
Mr. Oyie’s original project was raise $50,000 to build 2 wells for his
village but after completing the program, his vision was enlarged and his
new inspiring challenge is to build 400 wells for his community. The
immediate goal is to have 2 wells and 5 girls in school by April 25, 2014.
Mr. Oyie partnered with Therese Hjelm to fundraise in the United States.
Together they have aligned with Blue Planet Network, a San Francisco based
non-profit focused on water issues. This partnership allows for 100% of their
donations to go directly to their project. As of December 2013, the amount
raised is just over $79,000.
To Donate Online: www.blueplanetnetwork.org/sabore
Contact Mr. Oyie: saboyie@yahoo.com
Contact Ms. Hjelm: 650-255-7221 / terez25@sbcglobal.net