It's hard for us to imagine girls and young women being sentenced to silence, with no public avenue for communication. But that’s exactly how it is for the majority of girls in the largely rural area of Kenya, in Kajiado County, roughly between Nairobi and Tanzania. Their lot in life is still early enforced marriage, FGM and a grim combination of exploitation and a life of poverty. Since 2016 we've been doing something tangible about this though, to try and change it constructively, through providing funding for secondary and higher education. We take access to education for granted here of course, but for them, it’s a rare opportunity.
Given a chance to embark on their life-transforming educational journey, the girls show a level of motivation that would stop you in your tracks; their thirst for education is insatiable. So we`ve discovered that it is a win-win situation.
When I say `we`, I’m talking about the Joseph Thomson Maasai Trust, and our mission is the Maasai Girls Education Project. We are working in partnership with Across Maasai Land Initiative, a recognised charity or social enterprise. It was this organisation, through one of its Elders, Ezekiel Katatao, that identified the urgent need for education for girls: their idea, and not ours. So this is a highly ethical initiative.
A priority for us has been to hear directly from the girls and young women themselves; to give them a voice. Were it not for this, they`d be trapped in a grim silence, almost like non-people. So every year, each of the four recipients who have embarked on their educational journey with us provides a personal `testimonial’. This comes in the form of a letter or video in which they tell us about their progress, motivation and aspirations in life. We've found that year on year, we hear that their aspirations and horizons are ever-expanding. Their confidence is growing; these voices are a joy to read.
Over time, we`ll explore and develop new avenues for communication too. We`ll respect the girl's dignity and privacy of course, but we know that they have compelling stories to tell. Far better that their voices should be heard, rather than just our well-intentioned words. The more we can do, over the full duration of many educational journeys, the greater the evidence of change, but it’s a long haul, not a quick fix.
There are two levels to this. Each girl tells us so movingly of their hopes and dreams; the fruits of our having set them on their ways. They all talk about wanting to be good role models for other girls to follow, to aspire to, so theirs is a selfless motivation. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole, so the Maasai Girls Education Project is over time, going to enable Maasai culture to evolve in a positive direction. We all know that every organisation is richer for a high level of female input. We know that women are generally more imaginative; more amenable to change. We also know that there are other players in this evolutionary trajectory; we are not alone. There`s growing momentum in this girl's education development. Come back in ten or twenty years, and there is every reason to believe, every hope, that the Maasai people will be much less male-dominated, and women will be in many more leadership roles, able to exert valuable influence. Future generations of Maasai girls will have choices, have realistic aspirations, and enjoy much greater prosperity. We do our part in this.
An added and extremely valuable new dimension to this venture has been opened in 2024 and will continue into next year. Two highly experienced self-funded professional volunteers have created the Education Outreach initiative for us; by visiting the project in Kenya and engaging with the girls and young women we are funding. This has revolutionised communication and planning, created much-needed awareness of the true costs involved in the project, and provided the charity’s board with a real handle on our direction of travel with the Maasai Girls Education mission.
A word from Ezekiel, who first ventured that education for girls would make a real difference to Maasai culture over time: “Education emancipates and gives freedom to choose and to realise your dreams.” To put this very clear message into sharp focus, conversely, in the absence of any educational opportunity, the path goes but one way, down into poverty and exploitation.
Let's close with Susan`s experience and vision, as she is well into her secondary teacher training course at the University of Nairobi, with maths and physics as her chosen spheres, and with some teaching practice now to her credit.
“I`m deeply motivated and determined to succeed because I believe every challenge is an opportunity to grow. Teaching is my passion, and it keeps me grounded, even during the tough times. Financial struggles have been part of my journey, but they’ve taught me resilience and perseverance. I`m focused on building a better future, both for myself and those I can help along the way.”
Please help us to shout Susan`s message to us from the rooftops, the hilltops, for all to hear.
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