MGEF Role Models

Today I had the amazing privilege to meet two of MGEF’s university students! I took a bus to downtown Nairobi and met Simantoi. Simantoi is the first girl that MGEF ever sponsored. She is 25 years old and working as a nurse in a hospital. She is also taking classes at the University of Nairobi and will very soon have her Masters Degree. I was so excited to meet her! She is truly an incredible woman and we just talked and walked together to the University of Nairobi. She showed me all around the school—classrooms, library, buildings, etc. The University is amazing and beautiful! Then we just sat together and discussed some MGEF stuff before meeting with another student. One thing that we have wanted to work on is developing an alumni network to keep the older students connected and involved with MGEF. I also asked Simantoi about the self-esteem/mentoring curriculum we are developing. Simantoi had some amazing ideas! It was awesome to see how involved she wants to be. She talked about how MGEF changed her life and she will do anything to help other girls the way she was helped! She is an amazing woman and a great role model!

Then I was able to meet another student whose name is Catherine Timanoi. She is a first-year student at the university and is studying veterinary medicine. Simantoi, Timanoi, and I went to out for lunch and were just talking and enjoying ourselves. I also discussed with them a lot about MGEF and go their input on how to make the organization even better. After lunch, Timanoi took us back to her hostel so that we could see where she lives. We met her roommate and just spent some time there. I felt so blessed to be in the company of three strong, independent, determined women! It was really cool to spend time with Simantoi and Timanoi because I got to see the huge impact that MGEF has on these girls’ lives. I spend most of my time seeing the younger girls in primary school and they are incredible, but it was truly amazing to sit with these two students and hear them talk about what their lives would have been like without MGEF. They are going to change the world…all because of the chance that MGEF was willing to give them! And they will start a whole new generation of Maasai women—strong women with an incredible culture and a desire for an empowered life.

That night I woke up all confused. I felt upset and frustrated and had no idea why! Then I thought a little harder and realized that I had just woken up from a dream! I had this crazy dream where I was sitting in a room with like 6 of my friends from home and all of my friends were crying. I was trying to help them and ask what was wrong, but they kept responding to me in Swahili. I was frustrated and kept saying to them “I don’t understand you, I don’t speak that language!” I guess then I woke up! It was a crazy dream but I was really excited that I was dreaming in Swahili…I feel like I must be learning some Swahili then!