Maasai Background
The Maasai people are semi-nomadic tribal pastoralists, living in temporary huts (Manyattas) and moving across the plains, totally relying on their herds of cattle, sheep and goats for food and currency. In recent times, environmental change and globalisation have impacted on their traditional way of life and despite their efforts to retain the best aspects of their culture, they face huge changes and pressure on land. Recent drought has added to their hardships – when the grass dies, the cattle die and the community goes hungry, with the youngest and oldest members suffering most severely. Today many Maasai are forced to settle but with no experience of agricultural production, making a living is proving difficult. Many Maasai children receive little or no formal education and this is proving a barrier to opportunities in later life.
GIFT has already funded the building and resources for one Maasai School, supporting two teachers’ annual salaries, and has funded teacher training for one teacher, to date all of which has proved successful and sustainable. We now plan to engage in a two-fold development with the Maasai community, supporting the development and promotion of ‘trench gardens’, where the community will create vegetable plots and learn about cultivation and composting and engage in a parallel nutrition education programme (vital for the well being of children in particular). Alongside this, we propose to support a number of students through agricultural college empowering them to return to their communities with knowledge and skills that can help these proud and noble people through this challenging transition period.
GIFT has already funded the building and resources for one Maasai School, supporting two teachers’ annual salaries, and has funded teacher training for one teacher, to date all of which has proved successful and sustainable. We now plan to engage in a two-fold development with the Maasai community, supporting the development and promotion of ‘trench gardens’, where the community will create vegetable plots and learn about cultivation and composting and engage in a parallel nutrition education programme (vital for the well being of children in particular). Alongside this, we propose to support a number of students through agricultural college empowering them to return to their communities with knowledge and skills that can help these proud and noble people through this challenging transition period.
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