Biography

Emmanuel Leina Tasur is a Maasai living in the Village of Oronkai, in rural southwest Kenya. Emmanuel grew up in the area where he now lives, beginning school with no shirt or shoes and walking 10 miles each way every single day. While his father and many others in the community discouraged him from pursuing his education, Emmanuel was determined. With the support of his mother, Emmanuel was able to earn the highest score in the Kilgoris region on the primary school final examination.  He was accepted to a top national secondary school and upon graduation went to work for the city council in Nairobi.  He later attended Moi University and earned a degree in Informational Sciences in 2006. In pursuit of his dream of transforming Maasailand through the education of its children, Emmanuel founded Namunyak Maasai Welfare in 2004.  Through this non-­governmental organization, he works to give Maasai children the educational opportunities they would otherwise not have.

Sirua Aulo Academy has been a top ­performing school in a region that has nearly 700 other schools. As a result, many of Sirua Aulo’s students have earned admission into quality national high schools. The academy has also encouraged a more peaceful community through the virtues of truth, creativity, excellence, self-reliance, innovation, quality and relevance, equal opportunity, professionalism, moral integrity, culture of positive discipline and hard work, competitiveness, academic freedom and respect for diversity.