Have you ever taken a school bus for granted? I certainly have. The amount of time spent as the driver makes their rounds to each home can be tedious for a small child. I remember waiting for my turn to finally be dropped off to my doorstep where the after-school snacks awaited. Little did my young mind know that this was actually a luxury. 

Lucy did not get the luxury of a school bus to aid in her education. In fact, she didn't even get shoes to cover her feet as she trekked miles back and fourth to school each day. Her parents sent her to school with a jug of water that was not for drinking. The water was meant to pour on her feet to sooth the burns from the heat of the ground as she made her way to school. 

Sadly enough, this is not abnormal for children growing up Maasai. Especially children not deemed valuable to their family. Lucy was one of those children that lacked value simply because she was the product of her mother's previous marriage. Her stepfather would neither accept, nor value her the way he valued his biological children: her "half" siblings. 

Yet despite Lucy's lack of transportation, shoes, or simple familial support, she became the first woman to graduate university in her tribe, and is using her education to help other Maasai women. Be on the lookout for more about her story coming soon!