PROFILE
From Kenya to America and Back Again
The family of Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, who was born in northern Kenya, is part of a sub-group of the Maasai, called the Ariaal.
Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton was fourteen at the time the events in this narrative took place. He wanted to prove to his tribe that he was a brave warrior. As he grew up, Lekuton did prove himself in many ways.
Lekuton’s soccer skills earned him a scholarship to an excellent high school in Kenya. Lekuton did so well in high school that he earned a full scholarship to an American college.
After graduating from college, Lekuton became a social studies teacher in Virginia. He strived to teach his students the benefits of both tribal life and a western education. He linked Kenyan and American cultures by organizing school trips to Kenya. “Cultures can learn so much from each other,” he said. “We may be divided by bodies of water and masses of mountains but as human beings we all identify with the same fundamental things.”
Lekuton continued to help Kenya. His work helped provide educational opportunities and clean water to villages there. For his service to the country, Lekuton became the youngest recipient of Kenya’s Order of the Grand Warrior in June of 2001.
Interpret the Map How far away is the United States from Kenya?