Children of the Maasai. I can't imagine growing up without fresh water and living in a small home built from sticks and cow dung. The only light and ventilation from an open doorway and a small chimney hole. This is typical housing in a Massai Village. Four percent of these children will not survive to their fifth birthday.

Education and human generosity provide hope for these youngsters. While in Kenya I visited the Molibany Primary School in Talek which has approximately 450 students. The students walk up to five kilometers to the school which provides meals and clean water in addition to their education. My tour guide and his charitable organization, The Satao Wildlife Foundation, opened a new school building in 2018 just before I arrived.

My friend, Maryann, who teaches 4th grade in Ohio was quite interested when I told her I was going to Kenya. She wanted to get her students involved. Her kids collected school supplies, studied about Africa, and then wrote letters to the Maasai children.

I handed out their supplies and letters to 4th graders at the Molibany School, and they excitedly gathered in groups of two or three and started reading the letters out loud. You can see their reactions on this Facebook video: https://fb.watch/sOWPUQduSA. The students were most amazed by our snow and winter clothing.

A week later I returned and picked up the letters written by the Kenyan pupils. They were filled with stories of animals and school activities. When I returned home, I gave a presentation to Maryann's students and handed out the letters from the Maasai students. It was heartwarming to see children from different cultures share glimpses of their lives.