The 2014 Maasai Olympics: Competing for Change

The 2014 Maasai Olympics took place in mid-December, hosted at Kimana Sanctuary in Kajaido, Kenya. Organized and sanctioned by Big Life Foundation, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, worked together with  a number of other supporters, sponsors, and and contributors in collaboration to bring together warriors of Kuku, Rombo, Mbirikani, and Olgulului Group Ranches to compete in six different events; rungu throwing, spear throwing, high jump, 200 m sprint, 800 m sprint, and 5 kilometre run.

A moran competes in the high jump competition

The sole purpose of the Maasai Olympics is not only to provide the current warrior age set with a platform to compete with their peers, but more importantly, to emphasize an alternative to the traditional practice of proving manhood - lion killing. This platform was provided to the warriors to utilize traditional skills to "hunt for medals, not for lions".

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals

The first competition in 2012 was deemed a huge success, and 2014 was certainly an exciting competition!

Participants of the 5000m competition

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust sponsored the 1st position of the 5000m and 800m to participate in the New York Marathon. The 5000m was a very tense competition... as Kuku was for a large part of the race in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th position. In the last 300m a moran from Mbirikani who was in the 2nd position overtook the Kuku runner and ended up winning the race!

Samson handing over cheque to the winning moran to participate in the 2015 New York Marathon

Overall score of the Olympics: 1st position Mbirikani Manyatta with 16.5 points; 2nd position Olgulului Manyatta with 7.5 points; 3rd position was Kuku Manyatta with 7 points (very close call between 2nd and 3rd position) and in the 4th position was Rombo Manyatta with 5 points total.

Kuku was proudly in the 1st position for Javelin (spear) throwing!

It was an excellent day filled with an extraordinary display of skill, competition, cooperation, and commitment to conservation. To learn more about this tremendous event, you can visit the official Maasai Olympics website here

MWCT Ranger with David Rudisha - Kenyan Gold Medalist

The Scoreboard

Conservation Program Update: Public Comment Period - Chyulu Hills REDD+ Carbon Project

MWCT has recently started a REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestations and forest degradation) Carbon Project. The REDD+ mechanism has been introduced by the United Nations as a climate change mitigation strategy. The goal of a REDD+ project is to prevent deforestation and forest degradation by active forest protection and provide alternative livelihoods for local communities living in and around the forest area.

For the Chyulu Hills REDD+ Carbon Project, MWCT is working in collaboration with 8 other conservation organizations (Conservation International, African Wildlife Foundation, Big Life Foundation, Wildlife Works, David Sheldrick Trust, Forestry Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kari Kiboko) to protect the forests and woodlands in and around the magnificent Chyulu Hills, referred to by Ernest Hemingway as the "Green hills of Africa".

The Chyulu Hills

The Chyulu Hills REDD+ carbon project encompasses an area of 4105 kilometres squared and includes 3 Maasai owned Group Ranchers (Kuku, Rombo and Mbirikani), Chyulu Hills National Park, a section of Tsavo West National Park, Kibwezi Forest Reserve and the Kari-Kiboko research area. The Chyulu Hills REDD+ carbon project is unique in that it is not only protecting the forests and woodlands, but it also protects a vital watershed.

The Chyulu Hills have a relatively higher rainfall than the surrounding areas and form a crucial water source in the further arid to semi-arid environments. The cloud forest that grows on top of the hills even collects water by cloud condensation on the leaves of the trees, the mosses and ferns during the dry season. Furthermore, the Chyulu Hills consist of highly porous volcanic rock causing most of the water to immediately infiltrate and create underground rivers. These rivers emerge in the form of springs all around the Chyulu Hills, where volcanic soils meet solid basement rocks. The most well-known of all these springs are the Mzima Springs in Tsavo West National Park. Here, an astonishing 190 million litres of water a day emerges from underneath the rocks. A pipelines transports part of this water to the human population in the costal area of Kenya. In this way, 40% of the freshwater in Mombasa originates from the Chyulu Hills.

There, the disappearance of the forest on top of the Chyulu Hills would not only have disastrous effect on the surrounding Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem and its human population, but also on the human population further away in the coastal province of Kenya.

Since the project started, the biomass plot sampling (to assess the total amount of carbon currently present in the project area) has been completed as well as the FPIC (Free Prior and Informed Consent) process. For the FPIC process, several community outreaches were held across the project area in order to inform the community about the project and seek their support. MWCT was responsible for the outreaches on Kuku and Rombo Group Ranches and conducted a total of 25 FPIC outreaches.

The FPIC (Free Prior and Informed Consent) outreaches conducted by MWCT's outreach officer 

In June, the Project Design Document has been completed and is now open for public comments on the CCB website until 27th of July. All comments, positive remarks, constructive criticism or simple suggestions, are welcome!

Please visit: http://www.climate-standards.org/2014/06/25/chyulu-hills-redd-project/

First Annual Maasai Olympics - Part III

This is Part III of III in our series on the First Annual Maasai Olympics.  Click here for Part I, and here for Part II of our adventures at this exciting cultural and community event!

A moran jumps in the high jumping competition, thrilling the assembled crowd.

Last but not least was the final event of the day, the traditional high jump.  With the entire audience clustered around the jumping area the morani (warriors) competing  were initially hard to see, but soon they began jumping so high they were easily visible.  Contested from a standing start, the competition measured how high a jumper could reach with his head.  The bar moved up and up, and soon only a few competitors remained.  After a closely-contested jump-off to determine the medals that was followed with bated breath by the crowd, the final order was determined and the winners celebrated and paraded around the grounds.

Gorgeous, brilliantly-colored shukas and intricate jewelry was worn by nearly all attendees.

During a short break the medals podium was set up and the awards ceremony began.  Guests of honor presented many of the medals and cash prizes, including 2012 Champion of the Earth Samson Parashina of MWCT.

Maasai women in bright kanga looking on at the high jumping competition.

After all the individual awards the team trophies were presented, with Mbirikani pulling ahead at the end of the day to take top position.  Olgulului came second, with Rombo and Kuku behind, but it was Mbirikani was led their whole contingent in a great parade around the competition area.

Two young Maasai warriors strain for a better view of the jumping competitors.

The Olympics concluded with short speeches from the guests of honor emphasizing the value of community efforts and the new traditions formed throughout the 1st Annual Maasai Olympics, and then a meal of nyama choma (roast goat) was shared by all.  All told it was an excellent day, with fierce but respectful competition on all sides, and a great spectacle for all who attended.