Water that you begged for doesn’t satisfy or quench the thirst.

Maybe one of the most iconic African communities with their tall slim bodys, their colourful costumes and handmade beaded jewelry. To be a Maasai is to be born into one of the world’s last warrior cultures. Through rituals and ceremonies starting from circumcision, Maasai boys are guided and mentored by fathers and elderly on how to become a warrior. Besides the warrior culture, the semi-nomadic lifestyle follows patterns of rainfall over vast areas of land in search for food and water for their cattle. The maasai measure whealth by the number of cattle and children a person has. The entire way of life is historically seen, dependent on their cattle. Their houses, the so called Manyatta’s, are naturally made from a wooden frame covered with a mix of clay and cow dung every three to four years, when the grass and thorny bushes are gone and the caravan has to move on. Nature and livestock provide the Maasai with everything they need to survive. Age-old traditions and rituals are what connects them with each other and with nature.

Finding the balance between globalisation and life in harmony with nature.

The increased importance of education, rise of religion, demarcation of land, relocation to cities for business are some global developments that have a huge impact on the continuation of the traditional life of the Maasai. How to become a fearless warrior as an adolescent when you are going to high school in the city instead of living in the bush for 7 years and learn all about surviving amongst the vegetation and animals around. Or how to herd the cattle when you have to move to the city for work and making money? Globalization also means that people themselves let go of certain traditions, because it does not fit in with the environment they moved to. Particularly physical appearances have to suffer, such as the traditional shuka’s, the big earrings and the pooled front teeth. All have meanings in the traditional life, but what about today’s life?

The complexity of development and urbanisation has its effect on continuing living the culture concerning the language, dress code, natural food, social cohesive bonds, ceremonies and many other aspects. Both developments as traditions are important for human mankind to evolve and stay part of the world. Balance between development and tradition is what the Maasai are searching for.

Why not preserve our culture ourselves?!

The Maasai traditional way of living in harmony with nature, is a great example and inspiration for the rest of the world who mainly exhaust our planet. Together with the local community, the Back to Nature Foundation has developed a project of constructing the Maasai Cultural Education Centre (MCEC), where ancient Maasai culture and wisdom can be shared with new generations earth keepers. Content of the program for instance, are the components of the ecological systems like medicinal plant species and wildlife. Also language and ceremonies are of major importance for the Maasai survival and will get great attention in the centre.

Leading a harmonious life intertwined with the environment, means maintaining the ability to ‘read’ the environment on what it can provide and what it needs. The creation of a special preservation place to record and share all their wisdom about nature, rituals and traditions is what the Maasai are working on.

“It’s not how much we do, it’s how much love we put in actions to live in harmony with Nature.” Chief Sankale Ole Ntutu

LOCAL PARTNER NGO – BACK TO NATURE FOUNDATION

Out of love for the community and the environment that nourishes them, Maasai community chief Sankale Ole Ntutu and his Dutch partner Manon van Oldenbarneveld have founded the Back To Nature Foundation. At the start of the foundation back in November 2019, the first priority was to open-up migration paths for wildlife and livestock. The Back to Nature Foundation is active in the south west of Kenya, where the area is called Loita Hills & Plains and is part of the Mara Ecosystem. Together with the local community (the Maasai tribe) the foundation has developed several projects to restore and conserve life in harmony with nature. In all the projects reflects the love for nature and the local rituals and traditions.

As the founders and the troops on the ground, Sankale and Manon hold meetings with the community. For every project a Community Based Project (CBO) Group is formed with community members who are closely involved in the set up and execution of the projects and who report the developments to Sankale and Manon.

Besides from building the Maasai Community and Education Centre, together with the community the foundation supports awareness on life in nature by questioning in groups the challenges and developments. Another running projects is ‘Garden of Eden’ where they challenge the demarcation and offer new opportunities to landowners with the construction of water spots in return to de-fence the area. All projects perfectly fit the foundation’s vision of sustainable living in harmony with nature.