Lazaro Mathayo

Lazaro Mathayo is a Maasai junior elder who was born and raised in Ngorongoro district, specifically in the Ngorongoro conservation area, Oloirobi village. He grew up heading livestock with no knowledge about school. Oloirobi is a small, remote Maasai village at the base of heart of Ngorongoro Conservation areas (NCA), in northern Tanzania. While he loves cows and his traditions, he also found fantastic prospects in Western culture and formal education. He wanted to be a successful and a proud cow herder, since it is a prestige of all Maasai, regardless of their education. Lazaro had a dream of being a successful livestock businessman with the aim of facilitating investment and employing youth and women in his community. He is among the Maasai youth who managed to attain formal education at a time when education is not taken as a priority. Through his education, he was supported by strangers, people who have the heart to help without expecting anything in return. He was supported by one American who went to Tanzania as a tourist and was moved to support him has become a longtime friend.

Lazaro’s parents are livestock keepers living inside Ngorongoro Conservation areas (a multiple land use area). The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is in northern Tanzania, and it is home to the vast, volcanic Ngorongoro Crater and “big 5” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino). Selling livestock to pay school fees has always been a challenge as many livestock keepers prefer the quantity of livestock more than quality (ALMASI works to promote the quality). Lazaro is a well-motivated business and community development expert with demonstrated strengths in leadership, problem solving, and streamlining operations to decrease costs and promote organizational efficiency. He has 14 years of success working with local government, local NGOs, and international organizations in the areas of community economic empowerment, food security, human wildlife conflicts and small-scale farming in different settings. He worked with Ngorongoro district council as a community development officer and thereafter joined Dutch Orkonerei Social Initiative Ltd, a social business entity, as a General Manager. He also joined Trias East Africa, which is an international organization, as a program manager managing a multi-sector food security program with a local name Maisha Bora (better life), targeting pastoralists in both Arusha and Manyara regions.

He attended the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa pursuing business management and thereafter joined the development world, supporting communities to sustainably transform their livelihood. After gaining work experience, Lazaro decided to seek higher education, so he joined ESAMI to pursue an Executive MBA. Also, Lazaro joined Northern Illinois University in Illinois, USA to pursue his master’s in business administration. He was privileged to have such an opportunity sponsored by his great friend. He is married with two children, and he enjoys running, reading, and exploring the world in his free time.