Maasae Girls' School

Friday completed our time at Teringurie and we were back on the road and headed to the Maasae Girls' School.

In the Massai culture primary school (Elementary) is required however Secondary Education is not (this would include ages 14-18). Once girls finish primary school in many homes they are then married off. They will come home and their parents will have picked their husband and he will be waiting for them. Sometimes as low as age 14. They have no say in their husband nor if and when they would like to get married.

The school includes the Massai culture as well teaching them about Christianity.

This school's mission is get to those girls at risk and take them back to the Maasae Girls' school the moment they finish their exams for primary school before they even get home. Once they are at the school they are protected by the government. 

They stay there like a boarding school to recieve education and financial independance. Once they achieve this they will be free to work, live, and marry (if and when) who they choose, this is something that girls only educated to a primary education are not able to do.

Once at the school the girls go to classes, learn English, have jobs around the school, and learn how to live independantly. 

Many of these girls go on to the medical field, teaching, or even return to the school to be staff/teachers. 

The school was founded by a missionary Dr. Simeonson. He was a missionary to the Massai people and after killing a lion to protect a Massai town was then accepted as Massai himself. He saw in this culture girls being married off at such a young age sometimes to men who were 60-70 years old as their 3rd or 4th wife. He founded this school to protect these women and empower them in a culture that does not value women.

Patricia was very excited to find the Chemistry class. Full equipped with a lab as well as the book she has back at her school.