My names are Saidimu Toyianga Ole Ngais For…

My names are Saidimu (Toyianga) Ole Ngais. For those who don’t know my background, I am the 3rd born among the 14 (9 a live) off-springs to Memusi Ole Ngais and Sokoyian Putunoi Ngais. My father’s paternal side of the family originates from Nairagie Enkare in Narok while his mother’s family (Ole Pere) comes from Keek Onyokie.

I was born in Thika general hospital in 1975. My family stayed in Kalimoni until the death of the first President of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta in 1978. My father felt that his children were loosing out in terms of culture and language so he re-located us to Kijape group ranch at Kimanjo in Laikipia North district.

The long drought and famine of 1983-88 forced my family to migrate from Kimanjo to Il-polei and join Ole Pere’s family. Despite the prolonged harsh conditions, my father and mother sent me to school at Il-polei Primary to class 8 and there after to Dol-dol Secondary School in Dol-dol.

I left Dol-dol with a C (PLAIN) Certificate of Secondary education. In 1996, I joined Nakuru Kenya Medical Training College to do Environmental Health Sciences(Public Health) where I graduated with a C (PLAIN) in 1998. Ole Kimiri Senteu approached me in May 1999 to join OSILIGI, A Maasai indigenous organization which worked to empower the Laikipiak Maasai.

I worked as OSILIGI’s Preventive Health Care Coordinator covering areas like Nadungoro, Loisukut Il-polei and Kimanjo together with Silakan, Larpei and Ole Pusi.

I was also lucky to have been among the first ones to participate in collecting the empirical material, picture, video and interviews) from Euwaso, Kimanjo and Il-polei areas for the baseline survey on land use and non exploded explosives left behind by the British and Kenyan military in Laikipia North.

As a Maasai, I have always been ready to migrate or face changes especially when they’re progressive. Lack of a functioning welfare system in Kenya puts a lot of pressure on individual children as they grow especially among the pastoral communities.

Family collectively always comes first before the individual. Families invest everything they have to educate at least one individual child so that he or she can help the rest. You simply become the family’s asset. As a first born son, it became my burden to financially support my 9 siblings and 31 most closest relatives.

The weight and seriousness of this role made me think outside the box and with some luck, I left the village and my family, not with neglect, but so that I can play the role entitled to me without failure.

It was one of the biggest and difficult decisions I have ever made in my life. What counts is not the good decisions you make in good times, but the hardest decisions in bad times.

Where am I today, and how much have I managed in the role put upon me by the family and Maasai culture?

I will tell you more about me from the year 2001 and 2011. What I did with my time in Sweden year by year and how I managed by resources acquired since moving to Sweden up to date.

Did I forget my role as the servant of the house of Ngais, the native culture of the Maasai and my beloved country at large?

Please post your questions and other inquiries and I am delighted to let you know more about me. I belief in transparency, accountability and the essence of being representative in terms of our commonly perceived good morals.