Emmanuel is a Maasai from Mgora, a small village in the Maasai steppe in Tanzania. He himself could not go to school as a child. His uncle thought that he was smarter than other children and therefore he did not need to go to school. His job was to look after the cattle every day. But from an early age he was very inquisitive and he was always checking the school books of his siblings.
At the age of 18, Emmanuel was then sent to the island of Zanzibar to work. He tried to earn money for the family on the beach with small walking tours to the reef with tourists or by selling souvenirs.
One day he was lucky enough to meet a young couple from Germany. They enabled him to attend a school on Zanzibar for one year to learn German, English and computer skills. He taught himself to read and write. He is infinitely grateful that he got this chance. Because it finally gave him the opportunity to find a “real” job.
In 2017, the two of us finally got to know each other. Melanie, the Austrian tourist and Emmanuel, the Maasai. And although our two cultures could not be more different, from the beginning it was clear to both of us that something special connects us. Two years later we married and a lot changed.
Today, Emmanuel is living and working in Austria. Through this he also got to know another education system and its advantages.
Emmanuel wants to use his new knowledge to make a difference in his home country. He wants every child to have the chance to attend school. And that even the youngest children learn basic, important things in a playful way in a kindergarten.
