In October 2004, The Quiet Hour began to raise funds for the purchase of lean cattle for the Sintato School. Located on the Masai tribal lands south of Nairobi, Kenya, this school is owned and operated by the Central Kenya Mission. It was founded six years ago by a team of young, educated Masai teachers. Their main objectives are to mentally, physically, and spiritually educate students from the Masai tribes, to encourage these students to bring their Bible lessons into their own homes, to produce skills within the students so they may compete for and work in the secular society, and to realize their talents for God’s service.

The Masai people are pastoralists. Their economy is based on herding cows, goats, and sheep for food, clothing, and money. Because the school owns many hectares of land that can graze a herd of 200 or more cattle, it has purchased lean cattle for approximately US$130 each. The cattle are fattened for six to eight months. They are then sold at market for approximately $220. Once sold, $130 purchases another lean cow, and $90 is used to pay the salary of the teachers at the Sintato School.

Through this system, the school can afford to pay teachers, and children from the Masai tribes are learning reading, writing, and math, as well as lessons from the Bible.

Let me introduce you to some of the teachers at the Sintato School.

Virginiah Sankui is a mother of a little boy and a little girl. She began teaching the kindergarten students at Sintato in 2003. She currently has 13 girls and 14 boys in her class.

“Many of these children come very far to learn. Their parents are really working hard to get them to the school,” stated Virginiah. “The (Masai) cattle project has brought a lot of change to our community and to our school. The teachers now are enjoying teaching, as they no longer worry about getting a salary. The children are also blessed because they receive school supplies that make their studies easier.”

Lucy Lenkela is another teacher at Sintato. Before coming to the “Masai lands” she and her family lived in Nairobi, Kenya. “I didn’t have a job to support my family and my husband was a drunkard. He didn’t care whether we ate or not. Many times we went to bed without food. Sometimes we slept in the streets when we were unable to find a house to rent,” she reported.

After she met Pastor John Kiuk from the mission office, her life became changed. He invited her to the Sintato School. The Kiuk family provided a home for Lucy and her children and trained her to be a kindergarten teacher. “I thank God because He delivered me from sin and gave me skills to teach at Sintato School. I also thank The Quiet Hour for purchasing cattle so the teachers here receive a monthly stipend.”

One of the English and Bible teachers at Sintato School is David Ole Murkuku. He is 26 years old and is married with two children. According to David, “I have 22 students in my class and enjoy sharing Jesus with them through the Bible.”

David became a Christian in 1997 when a group of missionaries from the America came to Loodariak (the village where Sintato School is located) to build a church. He is now an associate pastor of Loodariak Seventh-day Adventist Church and says, “I enjoy working to bring more souls to Christ.”

Mathematics and science is taught by another enthusiastic teacher, Joseph Parmale. Says Joseph, “In our school we have about 105 students from hard-working families from our small community.” Joseph joined the staff at Sintato School after teaching a number of years in a government school.

John Ole Nchosiyia teaches geography, sciences, and physical education. He is 23 years old. He says, “There is a playground where we play different games, such as football and volleyball. Last year our school won a zonal competition for football and was awarded a trophy. Not only do our students excel in the classroom, but they are great athletes.”

The Masai Cow Project has provided a self-supporting income to the Sintato School. The teachers there are now able to teach without worrying about a roof over their own children. The students are receiving the supplies necessary for their studies. God is being proclaimed throughout their villages.

The teachers and the students at the Sintato School say, “We thank The Quiet Hour and their donors for helping make our school successful.”

In 2006, The Quiet Hour is raising donated funds to build a Christian school from the ground up in another Masai region of Kenya, where there is no school at all. Donate to Naroosura Christian School