Marin Science Seminar Presentation: "Spreading Smiles Worldwide: Oral Healthcare Outreach and Research among the Maasai in Kenya" (April 23, 2014) Get the flyer here.

In July 2013, Samson Sailgilu was invited to participate in the Rotary International Kenya Smiles Oral Health Project with Maureen Valley of Valley Orthodontics, San Rafael. Mr. Saigilu is committed and passionate about improving the oral health status of the children of Kenya and recently became the co-director of the Loitokitok Oral Health Project, where he was and continues to be responsible for project implementation and management in Kenya.

Samson has great love for his country and his culture. He has committed his life to helping the poorest, most marginalized people in Kenya to overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis, and to ease their suffering and health problems. Come hear him and Maureen Valley talk about their work and research in Kenya.

Samson Saigilu was born on Jamhuri Day, the national holiday when Kenya became a Republic in December of 1987. He was raised by traditional Maasai parents in a pastoral community on the outskirts of Mount Kilimanjaro in southern Kenya on the border of Tanzania. His boyhood years were spent tending his family's livestock while attending the local primary and secondary public schools. In his mid-teens, Samson underwent the Maasai passage to adulthood by becoming a member of the warrior class, a Moran.

Samson holds a certificate in Environmental Health Science from Kenya Medical Training College, a diploma in Community Health and HIV/AIDS Management from Mt. Kenya University, and a certificate in HIV Testing and Counseling from LVCT (Liverpool Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Care and Treatment). Samson currently works with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation as a public health officer at the Olgulului Health Centre near Amboseli National Park in southwestern Kenya. He is pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Public Health at Mt. Kenya University.