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My Maasai Life

From Suburbia to Savannah
Jul 13, 2011BPLNextBestAdults rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Robin Wiszowaty spent a year living with a Maasi family in a remote village in Kenya. She was taking a course in International Development from the University of Illinois. Robin was the rebellious middle child of an affluent Polish-American family living in a suburb near Chicago. Robin wanted to challenge herself and set out on an adventure. This inspirational memoir chronicles how she embraced the Maasi culture and fell in love with her African family. This young woman introduces the reader to the realities of the harsh and difficult conditions that the Maasi must endure: poverty, high incidence of AIDS/HIV, female/male circumcision, youth crime, violence and early marriage rates for female teens. Robin develops a special relationship with a young man. Samuel is struggling to support his mother and younger siblings due to the lack of family support from his alcoholic father. After returning to Chicago after one year in Kenya Robin is trying to find a direction for her life. She finally gets a job with Free the Children and is eventually promoted to Kenya Projects Director. This job allows Robin to visit her Maasi family and Samuel. This memoir is a fresh look at the aspirations of today’s youth to become actively involved in helping the youth in Third World countries.