Why we also support Maasai Boys

For many years, the focus of NGOs worldwide, including StandUp4Talent, has been mainly on supporting girls.

However, with the improved position of women, awareness of the importance to provide good education for boys as well is now growing. Well-educated independent women often do not want a relationship with a man who has not developed himself and as a result they find it difficult to find a partner. Moreover, well-educated young men appreciate and respect a woman with a good education. They will support her in her professional development and they will also be willing to offer their daughters a good education.

That is the reason why StandUp4Talent also supports Maasai Boys. This way, we hope to contribute to the development of a new generation of Maasai, with opportunities for a good future, and with a gender balance based on mutual respect and appreciation.

Benson (2002) is a happy, proud, very intelligent boy. He attends a bachelor of Law at the University of Nairobi and is taking an online bachelor’s course in procurement management at Mount Kenya University. We have been supporting him in this online study since 2023. He is hard working, studying all kinds of additional subjects and getting good results for both studies.

We visited the place where Benson lives. A poor neighbourhood, a small room, where they sleep, cook, study with 3 students, taking turns using a small desk. But no complaints, satisfied with the place and the situation.

Michael (1999) is studying for a Bachelor of Nursery at Mount Kenya University. Payment of tuition fees was almost impossible for him. The stress and worries about it had a negative effect on his results. Since we started sponsoring him, he has improved a lot. He is very enthusiastic about his studies, works hard and gets good results.

In 2023, we visited him at university. We were given a comprehensive tour of the subject rooms, study areas, library, hostels, sports facilities, the numerous outdoor green spaces for relaxation and we ate in the university canteen. It was interesting to get such a complete overview of his studies and life on campus.

Amos en Paita

In January 2024, we received a request from our (graduate) students Faith and Purity to support 2 talented boys, Amos and Paita. The school year already started, but there was no money for school fees and the materials that are compulsory to purchase at the start of studies. The list of items to be purchased includes: uniforms including leather shoes, sports shoes, bath slippers; books, Bible, pens, notebooks, printing paper; boarding materials: metal box with padlocks, mattress, blankets, sheets, bucket and clothes pegs, bowl and spoon, towels; and much more. All items must be present on the first school day to be admitted. Many parents cannot afford this.

In subsequent school years, the compulsory materials are limited to books and everything for personal care, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and for the girls, sanitary towels. Every year all items must be present on the first school day of the new school year.

Amos (2008) is a boy from the community of Purity. The principal of the school where she is a teacher sent a request for help for this intelligent boy. He was not able to continue his education due to lack of school fees.

Amos is an orphan. With financial support of the community, he was able to complete primary school. But the costs for secondary school were too high for the community.

Amos got high marks in his final primary school exams. Based on his high score, he has been admitted to a very good high school, Oloolaiser High School in Ngong Hills. He is highly motivated to continue studying and would like to become a doctor.

The community organised a fundraising campaign for most of the mandatory supplies that had to be purchased. StandUp4Talent sponsored the school fees so that he could quickly start his first year of high school. We will also sponsor the remaining 3 school years.

Paita (2008) is a boy from the community of Faith. His father is old, handicapped, and unable to work. His mother also has a medical problem. They have no cows to sell for school fees and the mandatory materials.

Paita scored good final marks in primary school and on that basis was admitted to Olkejuado High School Kajiado, a school with very good outcomes and reputation.

Faith is very actively committed to this boy. She helped the parents to apply for his sponsorship and to purchase all the necessary materials. Afterwards, they took Paita to school together. Paita and his parents were very happy that he gets the chance to continue his education.

Paita is very motivated to continue learning and would like to become a doctor to help people like his parents.

Thanks to a donation from the staff of a Dutch company in 2023, we were able to support 3 high school students in the Amboseli region, 2 boys, Nkododio and Leonard, and 1 girl, Jackline, for 1 year.

Nkodidio (2005) is a cheerful, enthusiastic boy living in a small traditional village near Amboseli National Park. This area is incredibly dry, basically just a desert. The people from this village have to walk very far to graze their cattle. There is some income from visiting tourists from Amboseli National Park.

Nkodidio would like to become a journalist.
We were able to sponsor class 2 of Enkii Boys High School for Nkodidio.

Leonard (2005) is a nice, openhearted boy from Namelok in the Amboselli region.

Namelok has a well-functioning Community Based Organisation, founded by women, that organises economic activities and sponsorships for education. Leonard was nominated by them for sponsorship.

We were able to sponsor class 2 of Kitengela Boys High School for Leonard.