Have you ever had to worry about paying for next year's school tuition? Would you ever walk two hours or more each day to get an education? This is the situation that many children in the Maji Moto village of the Maasai tribe face every day.

In a deep part of Kenya, the Maasai people of Maji Moto live in a community outside of modern day conveniences and technologies. In this village, in 2008, Hellen Nkuriaya, along with Community Chief Salaton Ole Ntutu founded the Enkiteng Lepa School, which provides subsidized education to the children of their community. Hellen and Salaton initiated this program to provide high quality education to local Maasai children while supporting the preservation of culture while protecting against harmful practices such as early marriage for young girls.

Hellen and school students

The school started with just a few classrooms for preschool and kindergarten, but each year has added a class to now offer nursery school through Grade 8 classes. There are also administrative buildings, a boarding student dormitory, dining center, and housing for teachers. This educational complex enables Maji Moto community members to receive education that prepares them for following their dreams for their future. Every class is performing in top ranks across the district every term, despite the remote location and challenging living conditions.

4th grade classroom

Hellen and Salaton are both fierce advocates for local women and girls, fighting for their right to be free from child marriage, free from female genital mutilation (FGM), and free to access education. They believe that education is the answer for each child, each family, and the Maasai community as a whole.

I had the opportunity to visit the village and spend time at the Enkiteng Lepa School. I was greeted with great hospitality by Hellen herself who showed us around the entire school. We visited the classrooms and met some of the students. They were all so excited to show us around their school and to see new visitors, which had not been coming for a while due to Covid-19.

They performed traditional dances and songs for us and allowed my younger sister to join them. The bright smiles on their faces during their classes showed just how happy they were to get an education, which inspired me to step up and do something that would help make that opportunity available for even more children.

My sister dancing with the children in 2nd grade class

Me with Salaton, the Maasai Community Chief who co-founded the school

This school plays a critical role in closing the gap between the opportunities for underprivileged children in the Maji Moto village and the more fortunate children of Nairobi who all take the same national exams that are required for further education and employment. Providing support here makes the world more equitable for everyone.

Please help me and the school by donating to the Enkiteng Lepa School. Any amount helps.

Some ways your dollars go a long way in Kenya:

$2 buys a curriculum book for a child

$5 buys school supplies

$35 buys a required school uniform

$50 pays for meals for the whole school for one week

$200 pays for one month of meals for all students

$500 pays for a day student scholarship for the full year

$1000 pays for a full year as a boarding student (especially important for at-risk girls)

So, do you really need that venti Caramel Frappuccino? Another pair of cool sneakers? A few fancy dinners out?

Or can you skip it and donate that $5, $50, $500 to the Enkiteng Lepa School?

I can personally guarantee that the kids I saw at the school would be incredibly grateful for your gift of hope and opportunity.

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Leo Courbe

Support Education in Kenya and Show Some Love to my Maasai Friends!

Team Members