Self determination through education
Education is not a privilege – it’s a right
Providing Maasai children with access to education is about more than learning numbers and letters. It’s about giving them the power to choose their own paths in life.
Current levels of education
While the government in Tanzania has worked to expand school attendance in recent years, the net enrollment rate is at only 27%. Rural children and girls are particularly at risk, with high dropout rates from 12 on due to inadequate WASH facilities, menstruation, and child marriage.
The picture is even more harrowing when we look at the Maasai specifically.
Studies have shown that the Maasai have low enrollment rates in formal education at just 5% – and an illiteracy rate of 75%. This places them among the lowest in the world, below the levels of other pastoralist peoples across the African continent.
Barriers to education for Maasai girls
For Maasai girls, missing out on education means much more than not being able to read, write, or do arithmetic.
It strips away their ability to choose. It strips away their ability for self-determination.
The prevalence of child marriage
In Tanzania, 37% of the population are married before 18 years of age – mostly girls.Maasai girls can get married from as young as 6 years old, depending on the number of “suitors” and the economic status of the families involved.
The cultural treatment of girls
Even girls who escape child marriage, may not receive formal education. Many fathers consider educating their daughters to be a waste of resources. If education begins at home, these girls are being taught that their lives have little meaning or worth.
The problem of circumcision
Female circumcision is a method of stripping females of self-determination. While culturally seen as a child entering “womanhood,” the reality is that the removal of the clitoris is intended to reduce sexual desire and pleasure in young women. Girls are coerced into this tradition without the opportunity to know that there is an alternative way.
Is female circumcision legal?
It’s important to note that female circumcision of minors has been illegal in Tanzania since 1998 and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
However, prosecutions and successful convictions of those caught performing the act are still rare.
There have been some convictions in recent years, but more work needs to be done to stamp out the practice once and for all.
Changing societal perceptions
Many in Maasai culture believe that marrying a woman who is not circumcised is a sin as she is still considered a “child” – regardless of age.
There is huge pressure on girls and women to conform when their aunts, uncles, parents, brothers, and more tell them it must be done.
Education isn’t just about building up girls and women, it’s about changing society as a whole. It is essential that boys and parents also get access to education to understand that marrying an uncircumcised woman is not a sin but contributes to a loving and valued relationship.
The power of education
What happens when we invest in primary and secondary education for children and teenagers?
It directly contributes to…
Empowering and educating girls for a brighter future
Educating girls goes beyond the individual to transform the community and even the country as a whole. With longer, healthier, and happier lives, they are better able to chart their own way forward.
More educated girls also means more women in positions of influence. They will have a greater say in governmental bodies or other institutions, having a positive impact on women in the future.
MATE - Maasai Access To Education
Our core work and scholarship program
We strive to provide boys, girls, and female teenagers with access to education in a safe and nurturing environment.
What have we achieved so far?
We are paying the full tuition fee and purchasing all necessary resources for the children and teenagers to get access to education. As all schools are boarding, this includes the transport fee to and from the villages when the school is closed.
There is more work to do
We are proud of what we have achieved so far in giving Maasai children and teenagers the opportunity to take control of their lives.
But there is so much more that needs to be done.
With your help, we can sponsor more children and female teenagers, providing them with uninterrupted primary and secondary education – opening doors to a new future.