The Maasai Education Discovery was founded by Ledama Olekina, the first Maasai to walk across America, on April 29th 1999, while still a student in Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado. On May 2nd 1999 Ledama began the first of two walks in order to raise money for Maasai Education Discovery. This first walk took him from Durango, Colorado to Phoenix, Arizona. Ledama walked a distance of over 565 miles dressed in his traditional clothes to raise awareness for the need of quality education for his people, the Maasai. His goal was to create a university in Kenya that would educate both Maasai and American students about Maasai culture. Ledama’s second walk took him from Boston to Chicago a distance of 1,765 miles.
"But Olekina said he won't stop until he's satisfied that he's provided
the Maasai people with all the education they deserve." The Arizona Republic, June 2, 1999
MED Founder and President, Ledama Olekina, walks across the US in an effort to raise funds to start MED
After completing the second walk, Ledama traveled back to Kenya and began to set up Maasai Education Discovery project in Narok. Ledama invited his older brother, Koitamet Olekina, to help him run MED in Kenya in order to successfully achieve his goals of promoting education for the Maasai people of Kenya.
As a result of the funds raised during his walks, Ledama was able to initiate the Girl’s Scholarship Program, which provides girl’s with scholarships to attend primary and secondary school.
With the success of the scholarship program, MED was then able to build an education resource center located in Narok, 80 miles south west of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The resource center is the base for all of MED’s programs. It houses a library, business center, community college and a cultural art center. The mission of the educational center is to help Maasai people of Kenya, especially women and girls, achieve sustainability, development, and gain greater access to educational opportunities which are currently denied to them.
MED also works to educate all Maasai on health issues such as HIV and FGM.
Through MED, Ledama is still working toward the ultimate goal of building a Maasai University.
Kenyan Minister of Education, Prof. George Saitoti
Community Members walking their cows outside MED Narok
