NOTHING TO FEED CHILDREN FOR 10 DAYS IN A MONTH
Eva, a research scholar from US works with the community in Likipia and her main concentration is with the governance among the Maasais. Her study includes the standard of living among the Maasais. A questionnaire prepared by her throws new light on the level of poverty among the Maasais of the region.Apart from the private ranch owners, Maasais hold other ranches on community basis. The land rights and boundaries are still in dispute. These community ranches were passed on to them after Kenya's independence in 1964. Many ranch owners left the land and went back to UK, which the local Maasais occupied.
As we drove outside the Mpala campus, which runs up to around 250 sq kms, I realised that we were entering a total degraded area. The 'bomas' were seen all along as we headed to a small town, which is smaller than any village in India, may be 45 minutes to one hour drive from a boma. The dispensary and a police station are located in these towns, which is nothing but a bunch of small zinc sheet houses.
Electricity and road are unheard of and one has to drive on the muddy tracks to re
ach the destination. There were many people, who hitch hiked the jeep and Eva had the patience to stop as he saw everyone, wish them and take them along. James, the local guide for Eva, made most of the translation between the local language – Swahili, while Eva managed to speak most of it. I was just trying to pick up from them as to what was happening around.Our first meeting was at a distance of one and a half hour drive, where we met George, the Chairman of the local Maasai council. All the Masais will have a Christian name as well as Maasai name. George was around 40 years and was heading a community of over 1,200 member community. However, only 300, including children live in the region, while the others have migrated to hills, looking for better grazing land for their cattle. Eva was taking the help from heads of each Masai local community for her research as well as generating them part time jobs for them.
George’s sister, an old lady, tried to strike a conversation with me and I was looking at James for some translation. A moment later, James burst into laughter, while the old lady went on and on, complaining something about me.
James explained to me later that the old lady was refusing to believe that I was a foreigner. The dark complexion made her to believe that even I was from Kenya, but had not learnt the local language, Swahili. James had a tough time in convincing her that I was from a country called India. What a funny instance that was!
On the way back, we met two boys, who had completed a model survey of a boma, based on Eva’s questionnaire. The result was horrifying and a family could not offer the children anything to eat for 10 days in a month. Another four days, they managed to give something to eat, but the children complained that they were still hungry.
The bomas here will have two to five huts within the fence. You see children everywhere, playing around or squatting in a corner. The huts are dark inside, with fire lit in its centre. A cot on one side, little animals like sheep, goat and chicken on the other side of the fire. They co-exist. ``Most of the people live on the aid provided by the government, NGOs and UN. This year, the rain was not good and the government was distributing maize flour in this area. The conditions are pretty bad and being from US, I was shocked to see this. Now, I am used to all these things,’’ Eva said.
However, Eva is still recovering from the shock when she saw `genital cutting' of a young Maasai girl. ``I knew about it, but it was more than I could take,'' she nodded her head. ``Even somethings keep giving me shocks, but I have learnt to recover from the shock,'' she laughed.
At Kajabe Maasai community, the newly elected Chairman Daniel is also the headmaster at the local school. He had a big boma, which had around 10 huts. Besides, there were four cement houses, with zinc sheets on them. Even his brother’s family lived in the same boma and there were more than 20 children, within age group of 10 years all over. Two of the cement houses belonged to him, as he has two wives.
Daniel bargained well and managed to increase the number of employment with Eva to 10. Eva was planning to hire only five or six. When the final list came, the name of Daniel’s wife and nephew prominently figured in the list.
The issue here is that the Maasais live in the community ranches. Most of them keep migrating to hills, in search of grazing land for their livestock. From nomadics, a century ago, they have become semi-nomadic. Earlier, Maasais never traded cash, they only traded cattle. During the last 10 years, the Maasais are slowly getting used to cash economy and sheep and goats started joining their livestock.
This seems to be beginning of the problem here. The grazing pattern of goats and sheep is entirely different from that of cattle. Goat and sheep can just survive on anything and can be devastating to any habitat. The conservation groups are trying hard to convince the Maasais about over grazing, which is leading for soil erosion. New species of cactus are growing around the area. Maasais believe that nothing would grow, if that particular cactus starts growing on the land.
The conservationists have convinced nine of the 13 local Maasai communities to practice sustainable land usage. There are grazing and non-grazing areas and non-grazing areas have good grass. But the livestock does not understand that it is a non-grazing area and when they enter into such area, the owner turns a blind eye, until someone catches him red handed.
On the way back, J
ames asked us to visit his boma, where a celebration was taking place. It was a celebration of elder generation handing over responsibilities to younger generations. About 20 unmarried youths will get the status of warriors. It was a colourful event and the handing over ceremony resembled a ragging scene for juniors in the college hostels. Those graduated from the warrior position were singing, while the new warriors had to dance. The seniors would not stop and unless they stopped singing, the new warriors could not stop dancing.
Inside the boma, women folk had flocked together in one corner and were singing. Their dressing style was different from Maasais of Mara banks, but equally colourful. The children were fascinated with the camera as well as Eva’s Land Cruiser.
As we headed back to Mpala, the kids were waving till they lost sight of us. Though they looked happy, Eva said, ``They are too week to smile properly. That makes me sad.’’
11-12-2008
Mpala
At Kajabe Maasai community, the newly elected Chairman Daniel is also the headmaster at the local school. He had a big boma, which had around 10 huts. Besides, there were four cement houses, with zinc sheets on them. Even his brother’s family lived in the same boma and there were more than 20 children, within age group of 10 years all over. Two of the cement houses belonged to him, as he has two wives.
Daniel bargained well and managed to increase the number of employment with Eva to 10. Eva was planning to hire only five or six. When the final list came, the name of Daniel’s wife and nephew prominently figured in the list.
The issue here is that the Maasais live in the community ranches. Most of them keep migrating to hills, in search of grazing land for their livestock. From nomadics, a century ago, they have become semi-nomadic. Earlier, Maasais never traded cash, they only traded cattle. During the last 10 years, the Maasais are slowly getting used to cash economy and sheep and goats started joining their livestock.
This seems to be beginning of the problem here. The grazing pattern of goats and sheep is entirely different from that of cattle. Goat and sheep can just survive on anything and can be devastating to any habitat. The conservation groups are trying hard to convince the Maasais about over grazing, which is leading for soil erosion. New species of cactus are growing around the area. Maasais believe that nothing would grow, if that particular cactus starts growing on the land.
The conservationists have convinced nine of the 13 local Maasai communities to practice sustainable land usage. There are grazing and non-grazing areas and non-grazing areas have good grass. But the livestock does not understand that it is a non-grazing area and when they enter into such area, the owner turns a blind eye, until someone catches him red handed.
On the way back, J
ames asked us to visit his boma, where a celebration was taking place. It was a celebration of elder generation handing over responsibilities to younger generations. About 20 unmarried youths will get the status of warriors. It was a colourful event and the handing over ceremony resembled a ragging scene for juniors in the college hostels. Those graduated from the warrior position were singing, while the new warriors had to dance. The seniors would not stop and unless they stopped singing, the new warriors could not stop dancing.Inside the boma, women folk had flocked together in one corner and were singing. Their dressing style was different from Maasais of Mara banks, but equally colourful. The children were fascinated with the camera as well as Eva’s Land Cruiser.
As we headed back to Mpala, the kids were waving till they lost sight of us. Though they looked happy, Eva said, ``They are too week to smile properly. That makes me sad.’’
11-12-2008
Mpala
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