If you’d asked Wilson Sairowua 10 years ago where he’d be in 2026 at Mara Elephant Project, he would have never imagined in the air. Working as an administrator, Wilson was one of only 37 employees in Kenya and at the time was grateful to find work at an organization that aligned with his vision for his home, the Maasai Mara. He was also excited to be working for Marc Goss, an honorary Maasai as Wilson likes to call him.
Over the last decade, Wilson has taken on nearly every role within the organization—but piloting the helicopter was never something he initially aspired to do. “The idea of becoming a pilot actually started with drones,” says Wilson. “After I received my drone pilot’s license and then got certified to be an instructor, I realized that I loved flying.” However, the idea of flying the helicopter still never crossed his mind. “I was actually not the person who thought I would one day be flying a helicopter,” says Wilson. “That was Marc! Whenever we were in the helicopter together, he would encourage me to be a pilot and I didn’t believe him, but he believed in me.”
Before Wilson knew it, he was registered to attend Palm Beach Helicopters flight school and had plane tickets booked to Florida. What followed was the hardest 4 months of his life, spending hours in a classroom and in a helicopter learning how to defy gravity. To keep himself encouraged, Wilson visualized the people that he wanted to make proud. “Marc always tells me whenever something is hard or stressful; everything will be fine by tomorrow,” says Wilson. “I tried to remember this when I had a particularly frustrating day. I came to the US to get my license, that is my goal, my sole focus.”
Leaving the Mara for flight school, Wilson received overwhelming support from his community, his wife and three children and his older brother Joshua. “He’s been advising me, holding me accountable and is one of those people that is always pushing me to be my best,” says Wilson. Despite that encouragement, it’s easy for doubt to creep in—especially when you’re far away from your support system. “It wasn’t until my first solo flight that I really gained confidence,” says Wilson. “When I was flying with an instructor, making a decision is easy because you know you have a safety net. When it’s just you up there by yourself, that’s when everything changes.” The confidence he gained was evident during his final solo flight—a 100-nautical-mile journey that required landing at 3 airports, totaling 2 hours and 30 minutes in the air.
After obtaining his U.S. pilot’s license and receiving a Robinson R44 endorsement from instructors, Wilson is back in Kenya and working on getting more flying hours in the MEP chopper and converting to a Kenyan helicopter pilot’s license. “After getting my Kenyan license, I think I’m most looking forward to sitting in the pilot seat with Marc next to me and moving elephants out of a Maasai settlement area,” says Wilson. “That’s when I’ll know I’ve made it.”
According to Wilson, MEP is producing role models by investing in local people and their potential. “MEP is the organization that has invested in training local people, offering staff advanced training and uplifting young people to become leaders and contributors in their community,” says Wilson. “MEP has made me the person I am today.” In addition to flying, Wilson is stepping into a new role as a community liason for MEP, focused on prioritizing youth involvement in conservation. “All of the jobs I’ve had at MEP have built me into the person that was able to say ‘yes’ to this opportunity,” says Wilson. “I know the way to success, and I can guide them along that path.”
Staying focused can be difficult, especially when your community is counting on you, but nothing is more motivational than knowing that the example you’re setting can change lives. “I am doing this to open doors for the Maasai youth and their future,” says Wilson. “Once I can prove that I can do this, they will see that and all of the sudden many more Maasai helicopter pilots are in the air.”
Now at home, Wilson says he’s telling everyone who asks that anything is possible. “I remind them that I am the person chosen to be in charge of one of the most important and expensive organizational assets, the helicopter,” says Wilson. “It’s a ton of trust and there’s no one better to have it than a Maasai; that’s the message MEP is sending.”
