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 Benson in 2023. He lives in a poor neighbourhood, charing a small room with 3 students, where they sleep, cook and study together, taking turns using a small desk.

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.
Michael is very enthusiastic about his studies, works hard and gets good results since we started sponsoring him,

In 2023, we visited him at university. He gave us a detailed tour of the subject rooms, study areas, library, hostels, sports facilities, and we ate in the university canteen. It was interesting to get such a complete view of his studies and life on campus.

David (1997) was introduced to us during our visit to the Amboseli region in 2023. He completed Diploma Quantity Surveying at Institute of Highways and Building Technology in 2022 with good grades. However, job opportunities with this diploma are limited due to high unemployment in Kenya.

To improve his chances, David was very motivated to continue his studies by pursuing a Bachelor of Quantity Surveying, Technical University of Kenya. His good graduation results allowed him to start directly in year 2 in 2023. It turned out already in the first term that, despite help from family and friends, his parents were unable to pay for this study in full. Even a one-off contribution from us could not prevent that David had to quit his studies.

We wanted to support this talented and ambitious young man and agreed with the parents to share the costs. In January 2025, he was able to continue his studies.

Stephen (2003) has been living with his older brother since his father and mother died. He finished high school in 2023, but unfortunately there is no money in the family for further education.

Stephen would like to become an electrician, so vocational training at a technical institute is the best choice for him. This is in line with the community’s request to start sponsoring vocational students as well. In Kenya too, there is a great need for good skilled workers.

On 1 January 2025, thanks to our support, Stephen was able to start a 2-year course in Electronic Engeneering at the Masai Technical Training Institute in Kajiado.

After his studies, he hopes to make a living as an electrician and pay for the education of his younger brother.

Amos (2008) is an orphan, but with support from the community, he was still able to complete primary school in 2023. Based on his high score, he was admitted to a very good high school, Oloolaiser High School in Ngong Hills. He was highly motivated to continue his studies and wants to become a doctor.

But the costs for high school were too high for the community. The head teacher of his primary school and Purity (Amos’ teacher, graduated sponsor student and our contact person) approached us with a request to sponsor this intelligent boy.

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) completed his final primary school test in 2023 with good results. His school career has been regularly interrupted due to lack of money. His father is old and disabled, and therefore cannot work. Mother also has a medical problem.

Based on his results, Paita was admitted to Olkejuado High School Kajiado, a school with very good results and reputation. However, his parents had no money and no cows to sell for school fees and necessary school materials.

They requested the help of Faith (graduate sponsor student and our contact) to prevent their son from being stuck at home without any education. She helped his parents to apply for his sponsorship and assisted in buying all the necessary materials. 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.

We were able to support Nkododio and Leonard in the Amboseli region for 1 year in 2023 thanks to a donation from the staff of a Dutch company.

Nkodidio (2005) is a cheerful and enthusiastic boy from 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 him.

Leonard (2005) is 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.