MAF helps Maasai Academy thrive in rural Kenya

10th July 2026

Maasai Academy now has over 350 children (credit: Paula Alderblad)

As mass school closures threaten rural Kenya, the award-winning Maasai Academy in the remote Loita Hills, southern Kenya, has bucked the trend. Supported by MAF, it’s now the best performing school in the region for the third year running. MAF’s Hillim Gitonga has the latest…

Over 2,000 rural schools are facing closure across Kenya due to dwindling student numbers, lack of teachers and poor infrastructure, but not Maasai Academy in the Loita Hills!

The MAF supported school has gone from strength to strength, despite its isolated location and lack of decent roads.

The Loita Hills in southern Kenya are extremely remote (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

The school was started in an old wooden church by a handful of Olorte Maasai parents. Around 12 children were taught by one unqualified teacher in one classroom. The school didn’t even have access to clean water.

MAF partner ‘Red Tribe’ took on the school in 2010 and transformed it, enabled by MAF flights.

Today, Maasai Academy boasts over 350 children, 15 dedicated teachers and 10 classrooms with a range of facilities. It has its own kitchen, arable farm, a sports field, dormitories, access to clean water and a toilet block – basic yet essential facilities which the West take for granted.

Maasai Academy boasts 10 classrooms and other facilities (credit: Red Tribe)

Their huge vegetable patch provides around 19,500 meals every month to mostly students and staff.

The school runs teacher training and student sponsorship programmes. The most gifted girls have their secondary school education sponsored – a golden opportunity in a culture where many girls are sold into marriage in exchange for cattle.

2024 saw the launch of the ‘Further Education Scholarship Programme’, which helps marginalised students access university. Five scholarships were awarded in 2025. These students are now undertaking degrees in engineering, medicine, IT and development.

Girls have the opportunity to study instead of being forced into marriage (credit: Paula Alderblad)

Girls have a chance to study instead of being forced into marriage (credit: Paula Alderblad)

In 2024, the school was awarded the ‘Education Cup’. For the last three years, Maasai Academy has ranked number one as the best performing school in the region.

Since graduating from the school, several former students have become medical professionals and are currently giving back to their community.

Maasai Academy has been the best school in the region for the last 3 years (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

The Academy has been the best school in the region for 3 years (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

MAF bridges geographical barriers

Located near the Tanzanian border on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, the isolated Olorte Maasai are a four-hour drive away from the nearest garage, hardware store and post office – they can’t just nip to the shops for essentials!

The Olorte Maasai live on the edge of the Great Rift Valley (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

Reaching this community by road from the capital Nairobi is a challenge, explains MAF pilot Joost de Wit:

‘It’s only a half hour flight, but going across the Rift Valley, driving from Nairobi to the Loita Hills, would take 10 to 12 hours to get there because there’s a lot of dirt roads – especially in the last part of the journey because it’s in the hills, so it’s quite remote.’

Joost de Wit, MAF pilot in Kenya

Joost de Wit is specially trained to land on Enairebuk Airstrip in the Loita Hills (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

Joost is specially trained to land on Enairebuk Airstrip (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

For many years, MAF has been overcoming the geographical challenges that the Olorte Maasai face, first by building Enairebuk Airstrip in the Loita Hills, and secondly by flying there up to 12 times per year.

MAF flights to and from Enairebuk have included medical flights, and the transportation of essential cargo and staff who serve the Olorte Maasai.

Landing on the airstrip is no mean feat, continues Joost:

‘It’s a category C airstrip, which means that you can only land there if you have a certain level of experience and extra training. That’s because it’s situated in the hills and the runway itself is on the slope of a hill, so that makes flying there a bit more challenging!

‘First, I inspect the airstrip by flying low – first downhill so I can get a feel for the wind, and then I make a decision which direction I’m going to land. It all depends on the wind, but we usually land uphill with the wind behind us, so it’s a very interesting airstrip for pilots!’

At Enairebuk, MAF pilots have to land on the slope of a hill! (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

‘MAF has been a very good partner’

In 2022 – in partnership with Red Tribe – MAF’s Co-Pilot youth team from Denmark helped to build dormitories for boarding students.

These facilities ensure that students are well rested and safe, saving them over a three mile walk just to access an education.

Carlos Kosgei, Head of Maasai Academy, is grateful for MAF’s partnership with Red Tribe:

‘Children from poor backgrounds receive sponsorship to study at the school. The dormitories that MAF helped build will give the children ample time to concentrate on their studies within the school grounds.’

A great partnership - Red Tribe’s Pelua Siloma with MAF’s Joost de Wit (credit: Jan Opdekamp)

A great partnership – Pelua from Red Tribe with Joost from MAF (credit: Jan Opdekamp)

Pelua Siloma, Red Tribe’s Kenya Director who has been working for the local charity for 16 years, agrees:

‘This trip from MAF was positive and I hope we will partner on more education projects.’

Pelua has witnessed a massive transformation in his community over the years:

‘For a number of years, Red Tribe has been partnering with MAF, and we appreciate the big work that they’re doing for this community.

‘We’ve seen how they respond when someone has a medical emergency – they’re flown to Nairobi in order to get treatment. The other thing that MAF does is to fly volunteers to our community.

‘My message to people everywhere is to partner with MAF, because their work truly changes lives. This partnership has really changed this community for the better.’

Pelua Siloma, Red Tribe’s Kenya Director

MAF – a reliable partner to the Olorte Maasai in Kenya’s Loita Hills (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

MAF helps Maasai Academy thrive in rural Kenya

10th July 2026

As mass school closures threaten rural Kenya, the award-winning Maasai Academy in the remote Loita Hills, southern Kenya, has bucked the trend. Supported by MAF, it’s now the best performing school in the region for the third year running. MAF’s Hillim Gitonga has the latest…

MAF bridges geographical barriers

‘MAF has been a very good partner’

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