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Growing up in the Maasai community in Arusha, Tanzania, Elaine Porokwa experienced a culture grounded in collective care — yet one often overlooked by those outside it.
“No one was really advocating for us. I think that’s a shared reality for many Indigenous peoples around the world,” said Elaine.
As the eldest in her family, she felt a natural call to speak up for her people, especially in spaces where their voices had long been absent. Motivated by a desire to advocate for Indigenous rights, Elaine discovered the University of Arizona Law’s Master of Laws (LLM) in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) program — and says it immediately felt like the right fit.
“This program spoke directly to the issues I care most about: land rights, cultural preservation, and environmental justice for Indigenous peoples,” she says. “It felt less like choosing a university and more like finding the place where my passion and purpose could grow.”
Looking back on her time in the LLM program, she realizes she was not just reading or writing about change but actively being part of it, making an impact that extends beyond her and reaches her people and millions of others across the world.
“This LLM has done more than deepen my understanding of the law — it has placed me in the room, participating in the very systems that shape global human rights,” she says.
After earning her LLM, Elaine will continue her legal education at Arizona Law and begin her SJD in IPLP this fall, diving deeper into her research and advocacy.
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