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NAME: Caroline Tutayo
Age: 20 (in 2019)
Graduated: Nov 2018
School: St. Francis Girls’ Secondary School
PA-MOJA Scholarship started: Form 1 (Grade 9)
Sponsoring School: Langley Fine Arts School, Langley, BC, Canada.
Caroline Tutayo earned her scholarship in Class 8 because she was one of the top 3 girls at Ereri Primary School.
Caroline’s greatest challenge is her family life. When she’s not at school she lives with her parents, Keyian and Taati in Ereri. They have 12 goats and 8 sheep. The family is Massai and are originally from a town called Gobit; however, because of election violence between local tribes, the family had to flee their home in 2007 and relocate in Ereri where they lease the land on which they live. The family uses firewood to cook their meals and the land is extremely dry which makes growing food a challenge.
Caroline has 9 brothers and sisters. She is the fifth born. If Caroline is accepted into university, she will be the first member of her family to do so. Her greatest inspiration is her older brother who is a member of the Kenyan Defense Force. He told her: “No matter how desperate our family status is, I made it and so can you.”
She is extremely proud of particular aspects of her Massai culture, especially the dancing and traditional clothing and beads. She disagrees with other parts of her culture, such as FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) which is a common practice for Massai girls. She also disagrees with early marriages (girls as young 12 are married to older men).
Her father has two wives, which is a common Massai tradition. Her mother is the first wife and the second wife is jealous of anything good that happens to Caroline and her siblings. Because of this, the two families are often in conflict. However, Caroline works hard to overcome these challenges. She is proud of her ability to work hard during her spare time to earn enough to support the extra supplies she needs for school. Since grade 6, Caroline has worked in local farmers’ fields to support herself.
Caroline’s favorites subjects are History and Agriculture. She would like to be a teacher, focusing on these subjects. Her favorite teacher is Mr. Mutua who does a good job of making sure students understand the subject of Agriculture. His classes are lively and fun because of his good sense of humor. Caroline also enjoys running distance races and plays on the school’s football (soccer) team.
Caroline has a message for her PA-MOJA donors: I want to thank my donors for their support. If I hadn’t been sponsored, I would not be in school and right now I would be married to an older man and would probably have children. My promise to my donors is that I will help another needy child when I succeed in life. I am forever grateful for this opportunity.
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[one_third_last] August 2018 Update, [/one_third_last]
