The lure of the Maasai Mara, one of the most famous Game reserves on the globe, is phenomenal. The lush rolling plains that are home to an array of wildlife and the annual wildebeest migration have drawn thousands of tourists to the shores of Kenya.
But in the background of this magical experience, is an untold story of local Maasai girls who face a difficult future without education. The typical life of a Maasai girl involves being taught how to do chores like washing, cooking and milking cattle. Shortly after puberty they undergo “Emuratare” (female circumcision), an immediate precursor to marriage. Once circumcised, they are ridiculed by their peers if they continue their education, since school is perceived to be for children.
By age 12 -16, as young adolescents, girls are married off often into a polygamous relationship where they get pregnant and get stuck taking care of children and the homesteads, ending their school life regardless of their potential or will. Traditionally little value is placed on the education of girls in Maasai land and the limited funds in the family will educate the boys. We know better however that educating girls means healthy children and in extension healthy families and communities.
Help us respond and secure a bright future of the Maasai girl
Many challenges facing the Maasai girl in her quest for education lead to high dropout rates. Parents are simply not interested in education and very few role models that can motivate girls to go to stay in school exist within the community.
Donate to us to carry out awareness campaigns for parents and community leaders to change their attitudes towards educating girls
We desire to have as many girls as possible attend school. But the lack of infrastructure and facilities such as classrooms, toilets, water tanks, desks, teachers, books and equipment is a major drawback. It is common to find children learning under trees, using the ground as exercise books and their fingers as pens.
Donate to us to build an extra classroom in 3 primary schools
Donate to us to buy desks
Donate to us to build toilets
Donate to us to put up a water harvesting system
Donate to us to buy books and pens
Often, girls have to walk long distances covering 5km or more to get to the closest school. Apart from avoiding wild animals to and from school, the girls are further burdened by chores which include fetching water from distant places and herding livestock before and after attending school.
Donate to us to build a dormitory to house 150 girls at Essoit Primary School
