Supa!!

The word supa is a Maasai word for greetings. The ELAND organization is glad to partner with you in development and exchange of knowledge. I would like to take this time to welcome you into our society. Kenya is a big country with 42 tribes. The Maasai people are just one of the many tribes. The Maasai people are known worldwide for their distinct culture and tradition. They have learned to coexist with wildlife in a fragile environment. They have maintained their tradition despite their conduct with the modern world. For many years they have been viewed as backward. Come and learn from them why they continue to hold unto their culture in the 21st Century. We believe that we have a lot to offer just as we believe that we can learn much from the rest of the world. A lot has been written about the Maasai and yet we the Maasai believe that our indigenous knowledge has not been fully documented. At this time I would like to give you a background about the village and the people you will walk with.

It is our desire to work with volunteers, to help seek and implement solutions to identifiable human problems. The area in which my people live is a vast and semi-arid zone. The climate conditions are not favorable for crop farming. The Maasai are traditionally nomadic and pastoral people, who depend on milk and meat for subsistence. The Maasai are a pastoralist people who have been marginalized by every government that has come to power in Kenya. In the colonial days our land was actually made into a reserve area. The inhabitants could not travel to other areas of the country and other people also were not allowed to come in. The Maasai were landlocked as it were after independence in 1963 and it continued until the 1970’s. Even after the area was opened up, the government encouraged the Maasai to just stay in their culture since it was the epitome of Kenya’s culture. As the other communities were encouraged to go to school, the Maasai boys were only able to herd the cows while girls were made mothers while they were still children. Today our children desire to be educated. Change must come from within for any meaningful development to take place.

We encourage you to come and visit, walk, and work with us. Despite the sited limitation, the Maasai people and many other tribes are basically happy people. The Maasai are generous and very hospitable people. They are proud of their culture and heritage. It is our ultimate goal to make your stay and visit interesting and fulfilling.

Karibu

Moses Kinayia, Director
ELAND