The Maasai and Importance of Education
For the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania, it is difficult to understand the concept that land, which in the Maasai mind belongs to God, can be bought and sold, gained and lost. The Maasai people are losing their land at an alarming rate - land that a pastoral people desperately need for the cattle on which the Maasai base their entire existence.
The Maasai are a cattle herding people and derive their entire sustenance from their precious herds. Their diet consists almost entirely of milk and beef, and during the dry season, cow's blood is mixed with milk to stretch food supplies. The herds are quite literally the lifeblood of the Maasai. Cattle need range land and that resource is being taken away at a staggering pace.
Maasai means literally, "Speaker of the language of Maa", and, although that is one of the things that sets the Maasai apart, it has also been one of the things that has been most detrimental to their situation. In Eastern Africa, Swahili is the language spoken by other tribes and English is the language of business. The English and German colonial governments in Kenya and Tanzania never sought to educate the Maasai in these important languages, and things have not changed in that area since independence.
The Masai Heritage Preservation Foundation was founded with the mission to provide education and healthcare to the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania while maintaining the traditions and culture, thus empowering the Maasai to communicate and be competitive in the modern world of the 21st century.
The lack of language ability is the major contributing factor to the shrinking of the Maasai rangeland. A thumbprint on a piece of paper that a Maasai cannot read or understand transfers hundreds of acres at a time to developers for tourist lodges and agriculturalists for fenced fields. Either way, the land is lost forever to the Maasai. As formidable as their sharp spears and large shields can be in battle, the Maasai are fighting a new war now, and the most powerful weapon available to them is education. English and Swahili can do more to preserve the Maasai rangeland than an army of the most strong, fierce, red-clad warriors of the Maasai. Therefore, it can easily be appreciated that education is so very important to the Maasai people’s future.
Masai Nemarrau Ole Tome
John Nemarrau Ole Tome (Cultural Ambassador for the Maasai people and co-founder of the Maasai Heritage Preservation Foundation - pictured right) is anxious to help the Maasai solve the problems they are faced with. Renowned throughout Eastern Africa for their courage and trustworthiness, the Maasai have the determination to maintain their cultural identity and deal effectively with the outside world. However, these proud people and John need some assistance arming them to face modern times.