Emusoi

Emusoi Synopsis

Emusoi follows the stories of six very determined Maasai girls who, with the help of the Emusoi Centre, struggle against the traditions of their families and communities in order to get an education.

The Emusoi stories are also a testament to the vision, courage and determination of this group of exceptional young women. Each one realized the importance of going to school not only for herself, but for the future survival of her family and community. Coming from a culture where formal education of females was perceived as a threat, the Emusoi girls had to fight for their schooling. Even when their struggle led to division and heartbreak within families and communities, they refused to give up.

On a deeper level, the book offers a unique insight into the dilemma facing the Maasai today: the tension between tradition and progress, between preserving the past and adapting for the future. The Maasai are an endangered people. If they do not adapt to the modern world, their culture will die. Adapt too far, and their culture will die anyway. The Emusoi girls are at the very center of the dilemma. They are torn between their conviction that the survival of their people depends on them going to school and their deep loyalty to a culture that does not traditionally have formal education.

Emusoi follows on from the success of Dogodogo: Tanzanian street children tell their stories, with a Foreword by Cherie Blair (9780230722125). The excellent work of these sister projects has long been recognized by prominent individuals, companies, organizations and embassies from around the world, with (then) President George W. Bush and Mrs Laura Bush choosing to visit the Emusoi Centre while on tour in Tanzania in 2008.