Education Program Update - Kuku Group Ranch Education Day

Annually, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trusts hosts a Kuku Group Ranch Education Day. This day celebration is hosted in order to congratulate the school that emerges the best in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. Elangata Enkima School was the best school in the 2013 KCPE examinations within Kuku Group Ranch!

Students of Elangta Enkima

The ceremony took place last weekend, and was attended by all education stakeholders including, but not limited to: District Education Officers, Member of County Assembly, Government Chiefs, Group Ranch Official, MWCT Officers, Head Teachers from 20 schools in Kuku Group Ranch, Parents, Pupils. 

Elangata Enkima has an enrolment of 934 pupils (470 boys and 464 girls) and has 15 teachers employed. MWCT introduced an academic trophy 4 years ago to promote academic competition within Kuku Group Ranch so as to improve academic performance.

Guests of Honor seated at the celebration

The trophy was first won by Iltilal Primary School, followed by Olorika Primary School in 2011 and 2012. The performance of the top school has improved every year since the introduction of the trophy!

MWCT Eduction Director Titus Muia

Elangata Enkima was also the best school in Loitokitok Central Division and the second best public school in the entire Loitokitok District! Definitely a reason to celebrate!

Awarding of the plaque and trophy by MWCT President Samson Parashina

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust sends a very heartfelt congratulations to Elangata Enkima School! We are always recognizing that, along with a healthy, sustaining environment necessary for traditional Maasai pastoralist culture and livelihood, one of the top priorities will always be Education. 

Many reasons to celebrate!

Health Program Update - New Solar Lights and a New Bicycle

Solar lights have been installed at Olorika and Oltiasika dispensaries as a result of Lena's (MWCT Health Program Development Director) fundraising efforts and the Ian Hicks Foundation. We have made a short video capturing the thoughts of the health works on the installation of the lights. The community then slaughtered a goat to celebrate the exciting occasion.

You can find the video by clicking here.

Health workers at Olorika Dispensary with the new solar ights

Daniel at Olorika showing off the new lights!

Letter of appreciation from health workers at Olorika dispensary

We are also happy to announce that a new bicycle has been given to a community health worker from Langata. Shadrack walks for 8 kilometres to Langata dispensary every day to assist the other health workers. 

Shadrack very happy with his new bicycle!

Now, with his new bicycle, he is able to get to the hospital much faster. He repeatedly told the MWCT health staff that he will never be late again! We hope that it will further motivate Shadrack to continue to effectively assist the community through his efforts within our health program. 

Shadrack receiving his bicycle from Wanyama, MWCT's clinical officer in Lanagata

Maasai Warrior Ageset Graduation Celebration

In early May MWCT had the great honor of witnessing a truly rare Maasai celebration, one that occurs only once every 15-18 years -- the graduation of a new age set into warriorhood.  The age set is a unique social structure found across East Africa in which Maasai of a similar age are grouped together.  They begin their warrior training together, and this year the most recent generation is graduating into morani.

A warrior carries the beautiful ceremonial horn that provided accompaniment to the singing and dancing.

The cerebration and ceremony last for four days, but we witnessed a special portion near the beginning in which the new warriors leave their previous boma (collection of households) and construct a new boma to live in for the duration of the ceremony.  There is also a ritual ceremony involving four white female cattle and one black male cow, seen in the photo below.

Warriors gather around the ceremonial cattle in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. 

After a short dance at the old boma the entire group walked around two kilometers to the new site, herding the five ceremonial calves and carrying the warrior group's flagpole.  This was followed by much singing and dancing by the warriors, which was quite the amazing spectacle.  The final part of the day's celebration involved starting a fire to signify the commencement of building the new boma.

Health Coordinator Lena Koh with Anne, a Maasai woman who does a lot of translating for the Trust.

In the end it was an amazing day, and one that almost no outsiders have ever been allowed to witness.  It is a testament to the partnership MWCT has built with the Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch that we were allowed to view and record parts of the ceremony; we are very thankful for this.  Events like these are exactly the type of cultural heritage we're trying to help preserve, and it was gratifying to see it on such beautiful display.

Warriors gather around to start a fire at the new boma site.

Maasai Ceremony for Women's Group

In January MWCT had the opportunity to assist with a truly unique celebration that happened in Langata, on Kuku Group Ranch -- a ceremony celebrating the achievements of a local women's group.  Started by a local Maasai woman named Sylvia, the group focuses on a variety of women's issues, including forgoing the traditional Maasai female circumcision and improving literacy and education rates among girls.  Sylvia has been working with the young women of Langata for some time now, and came to MWCT for assistance with a ceremony to celebrate their achievements thus far.

A Maasai woman leads the chorus of mamas singing to their daughters and the other young women in attendance.

Traditionally education has been seen as much more important for Maasai males than for females, and very few girls have continued their educations past primary school.  Instead, they have been circumcised and often marry at young ages, providing their families with a source of income through dowries.  Furthermore, education is not seen as necessary to a girl's life, as they will simply become housewives and mothers.

A very large crowd of Maasai gathered for the celebration, many in bright, traditional Maasai clothing.

Sylvia and her women's group has sought to change this dynamic and improve the position of women in Maasai society, and so far it has been a very successful initiative.  Several of the girls have already entered secondary school, with more slated to do so next year.  Perhaps even more importantly, the Maasai are beginning to see the value of female education, and this new independence is allowing girls to do more with their lives than ever before.

Sylvia (back center) watches as the women's group performs a skit poking fun at the mannerisms of old Maasai men.

The event was a great success, and attended by a large number of the local Maasai.  It was held at a local nursery school on a Saturday, and MWCT helped with organizing the ceremony.  The girls gave speeches and performed a skit, the older Maasai women sang songs, there was a well-reasoned and civil debate about the place of women in Maasai society, and the oldest Maasai elders blessed everyone present.  From the youngest of children to the oldest of elders and everyone in between, it was a unique and exciting experience made possible by the MWCT team, Sylvia, and the efforts of her women's group.