News From Laikipia | June 2023
It’s halfway through 2023 and we’re so pleased to bring you some updates from Laikipia!
Amazing Maasai Girls Project creates education and running opportunities for smart, ambitious Maasai women in Kenya who lack the financial resources to attend school.
Our mission is to help our Amazing Girls thrive in both academics and athletics, so they may know the value and capabilities of their minds, bodies and voices. This can be life changing and even life saving especially given the challenges faced by young women from Maasai communities.
ACADEMICS
This month, Francis and Jackie Merinyi, part of our local team in Kenya, invited some of the 62 students who the AMGP currently sponsor to complete written interviews about themselves and their recent experiences at secondary school.
As you’ll see, we have some ambitious students! Many of the girls are aiming to become teachers, nurses and doctors, all of which are in demand in Laikipia, while we also have a future architect, lawyer and pharmacist.
"Comfortable and Free.”
- Mercy Nasiantoi, Form Four, on how she feels about being part of the AMGP Scholarship.
Note that each of the 62 girls who have four-year academic scholarships have their term-time boarding and school fees paid, while we do not typically cover uniforms, school supplies or personal effects. Covering these extra costs can be a challenge for some families, as you’ll see in the responses below. However, AMGP has found that retention rates are better maintained when the girls’ families and the wider community are also making financially contributions to their students’ success at school.
Below is a selection of the Student Progression Interviews, conducted by Francis Merinyi and Jackie Merinyi.
ATHLETICS
Meanwhile, the Amazing Girls Running Club continues to support 125 members across three secondary schools in Laikipia. We have been so proud of their progress, despite the many challenges the girls face! Four of our students have recently competed at the county level and they report progress in both their confidence and abilities to concentrate in their students.
Check the Amazing Girls Running Club page for more details from our Amazing Runners!
