MY
LIFE HISTORY:
I was born on 3/5/1979 in a Maasai village .I was brought up and
cared by my parents ,at my tender age my parents feed me with milk
and fat the normal meal for the Maasai children. I grew up in a
healthy way looking after my parents animals. I was brought up in a
polygamy family of five wives my mother being the second in number.
Going to school was hard because my parents intends to make me a
herds boy but one area leader[chief] took me to school and gave my
parents restriction that anybody removing him out of school will face
the law. Today as I write these I still treasure the man who played
my role of schooling .I got my first formal education under a thorny
tree and proceed to primary school and upto secondary school.In high
school my learning was interrupted and I was being chased away of
school because of school fees.In high school I relyed to a
sympathetic friend who assisted me with books and writing materials
because I couldn’t
Afford
to have them in school.Still in high school I got saved and I was
baptized (john)ole teeka.
Till
then I never looked back and I joined Christian union (cu) in our
school and became fully committed to my calling.After high school I
transverse the Maasai-land to take the goodness to their doors-tep .I
later joined Gospel Evangelistic Ministry (GEM) as a member.
Throughout our organized mission I witnessed many souls surrendering
their lives to Jesus. My goal is to reach as many souls before the
coming of Jesus Christ.
My wish is in a
small way I can i will empower the Maasai to think prosperity and see
them move from their traditional huts without going through slums and
diseases[.john ole teeka.]
CULTURAL
FACTS ON HIV/AIDS IN MAASAI LANDThe
Maasai people do not take precaution and prevention of HIV and AIDS
and despite many of them dying from the epidemic they have continue
to share their wives as a custom and take the cause of death as a
taboo.In Maasai land effort is still needed to sensitize the
community the dangers of HIV and AIDS and prepare them for safe
parent-hood.
Culture is deep
rooted and the Maasai people should not be condemned because of their
culture because every community in Kenya and I believe even in the
entire world lives according to the dictates of their culture.Some
have already given in and are dearly paying for embaracing the new
culture.
Surprisingly the
Maasai culture is still standing the test of time perhaps that’s
what make it globally unique and locally envied by other communities
.However there are other communities that are backwards and have been
overtaken by time.Yes the Maasai culture practices remain the gratest
impediment to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
SOME
OF THESE PRACTICES ARE:
POLYGAMOUS
MARRIAGE:Like
many other African families the Maasai were plygamies they marry more
than one wife. In this community polygamy was a sign of wealth. In
simple mathematics the more the wives the more the number of animals
one will acquire from close family friends who will congratulate for
marrying ,even the number of children one would have is riches ?why?
It is these children who will go for raids and drive back large herds
of cattle’s to the family. Other men would like to marry for
pride they say furthermore who will eat all these food we have toiled
to get .These illiterate man would always brage .When HIV/AIDS
appeared on the scene of the 20th century it threaten to
tore apart polygamy as a form of marriage.
Due to the current
social economic problems the man the sole bread winner in the Maasai
norms will at times fail to meet the daily needs of his family
include (sex).The woman who is in dare need of food and of course
(sex) will look for someone around the house to meet her needs. It is
at these point that they will likely to expose themselves to the
dangers of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases like syphilis and ghonoreah.Once a member get infected the
rest became positively vulnerable.It doesn’t matter whether the
husband or the woman .As I write these story it is full of living
testimony of families that have been invade by the scourge to a point
of remaining a mere name period.The devil has been causing harvoc
everywhere. However the Maasai
men still prefer to marry many wives and am looking at a situation
the Maasai will became loyal to their wives.It is true know
that polygamy is no longer enjoy the glamour and prestige of the
yester-years
FEMALE
CIRCUMCISION:In
the Maasai customary law every girl and boy will face a knife as we
refer it as a passage. No particular time allocated for girls to
undergo the cut referred to as Female Genital Mutilation(fgm)Girls
were cut by one circumcisor normally a woman using a normal blade
called [ORMURUNYA] in Maasai language. Circumcision in girls is just
the removal of the clitoris no one knows the origin or sees any
practical in it. The Maasai offer no explanation only that it is a
custom. Girls make a lot of noise, crying and screaming when
circumcised.
The
family of the girl will be at liberty to choose who will circumcise
their daughter at a small fee usually a ram. These practice was
outlawed by the Kenyan government under the children act of 2001.It
is taking root know and it is not likely going soon expecially in
Kenya and expecially in Maasai land,,,,, examples of myths and
perception surrounding female genital mutilation in Maasai community
are……
1The
Maasai girl fear not getting potential suitors in future because no
“sane” man as they call would dare to marry an”
adult” girl!!!
2
If a girl accidentally or deliberately get pregnant before
circumcised would always invite the wrath of other circumcised women
she will be surely flogged spat on the face besides becoming part of
the village gossips.
3If
female genital mutilation is brought to the end the Maasai believe it
is equal to the sweeping of the community most valuable tradition and
might expose them to the grate curse of their fore fathers who died
long time ago.Most girls have dropped out of school and got marriage
after undergoing female genital mutilation .Some girls tends to flee
away from their homes during circumcision period but still came back
homes since they don’t have anywhere they can find refuge.Some
girls pursue education and discard retrogressive practices
MALE
CIRCUMCISION:In
the Maasai customary law every boy MUST face a knife as a passage. In
boys the operation takes about five or less minutes during which the
boy neither uttered a sound nor seemed to move a muscles .Alot of
screaming will be heared from the crowed saying”be patient its
finished” until the five minutes are over. This is to
encourage him to be bold and strong to complete the operation. If
incase the operation went badly at the circumcision time the
consequence will be the feast will be shortened and the boy abused as
a no good and coward.
In
boys the process is symbolic it carries allot of significant though
in both sexes the ritual is symbolic.Another symbolic is that every
Maasai boy looked towards these grate day the rare privilege of
shaking a hand with an elder instead of bowing by giving a head and
other trappings that comes along for not being circumcised.
After
the age group is identified and given a common name the next step
will be of initiation. Ten years ago almost the entire age group were
circumcised by one circumciser using a single knife.Ridiculors???The
use of one knife to circumcise the entire age group of about 3,000
boys is not just risking but also barbaric. The raw blood touched by
the circumcisor using bare hands and the knife that is not sterilized
properly the result might be disastrous.
However due to the recent
sensitization currently many families are know taking their children
for better hospitals and well trained doctors.Every Maasai boy and
girl MUST be removed the lower two teeth [incisors] of the jaw to
quick way of identification of the Maasai and ears also were used as
a sign of beauty.All these marks were done by using one knife without
taking measures of HIV/AIDS
GIRL
CHILD EDUCATION:
Education is the key to success.Girl child education in Maasai land
is not in the high level compared to other tribes in Kenya.In the
Maasai community when one family is blessed with more girls potential
suitors will be streaming in all direction of the family in sort of a
wife.The young girl is then abducted to early marriage since people
will begin paying for the dowry when the girl is born and even before
the girl reaches the age of maturity shes married.
When
the girl is 12years to 16years old shes claimed to be ripe and hence
is identified by suitors.The Maasai give out their daughter at a few
silver and a number of cows and blankets without realizing that their
daughter has no fixed price value.She is then booked for the ordeal
whose preparation kicks off immediately.Some girls lack motivation
and wait helplessly for the world to determine their fate.They
suffer from learned helplessness and believe that they can do
nothing to solve their problem.
Girls
have continued to suffer from child right abuse and violation of
their right.It is girls who bear the long term impact and
consequences such as dropping out of school than boys .Most girls
have no time to study at homes because of poor distribution of work
and as a result girls perform poorly as compared to boys.
“Some
parents believe educating girls is more or less like watering another
mans garden.”
SAVE
AND PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE:
Kenyan children remain vulnerable to rich predators!!!.Sex
exploitation is a cancer that continue to eat into the society at an
alarming rate .And unless drastic action is taken to condemned the
vice Kenya will go down in history.Moral degradation of our society
is shameful promiscuous sex has became so rampant that nearly
everyday the media highlights a case where a child has been abused
.There is a proverbial that say “a dog eats its own puppies
after birth” .It is so shamefull that even fathers are turning
against their children .It is also revealed that women and girls from
poor families will be tempted to have sex in exchange of cash[money]
.There have been various organization like NGOS [non governmental
organization]and churches that have been on the forefront fighting
against the vice. Domestic sexual abuse has led to children being
exploited and turned into goods that can be bought and sold.The vice
has emerged even into our schools whereby teachers are abusing
students they are supposed to protect.This habit continue to deny
children their right and future .In other parts of the country
children have been used to boost sex tourism. Measures must be taken
to prevent the violation of the rights of children.Some parts of the
country people use witchdoctors to get medicinal herbs as [love
portion]
For
sex and in any time they succeed the witchdoctor will get a
commission. In Kenya rape has been recognized as a weapon of war and
a crime against humanity.
CHILD
LABOUR:
Employment
of underage children has been a problem in many communities. The
Maasai community uses their children to graze herds of animals in the
forest without caring the dangers that may face them at an early
age, either by wild animals or strangers.
Recently
the Maasai in 2005 faced a rough and hostile environment that is
owned by other people and thus loosing most of their children and
animals at large because of war.
Thousands
of children in Kenya are today living in street having been driven
from their families by loss of one or both parents or the inability
of living parents to take care of their children.These little ones
are forced to fend for themselves from an early age and are denied
the right to be children.
“PROVERBS
31:8-9”Speak
up for those who don’t speak for themselves for the rights of
all who are destitute.
Speak
up and judge fairly defends the rights of the poor and needy.
ENGAGEMENT
IN MAASAI COMMUNITY:
When one is blessed with a number of girls normally the Maasai uses a
chain to engage a girl or a pat of butter.They pretend they by-pass
the girl and they fuss over the chain over her and in doing so slip
the chain on her through the head to the neck and by doing so they
will have an option of marrying her off to the man they represent.
Eventually the girl may know
whom they were talking about and she may reject him but still the
last decision maker is his father .
Some
people[men] seduce uncircumcised girls and may get pregnant the
tragedy is that her parents may then be persuaded to have her married
quickly to avoid further disgrace.Long time ago if a Maasai girl
elope with her boy friend for marriage the consequence is that she
will be brought back home by his brothers and beaten into
submission .Most girls accept their family choice.There is a
negotiation called in MAA “the beer that begets talk”
these is when the family of the boy arrives to look for the girl for
their son.After the negotiation is over the groom is supposed to
donate a heifer a bull together with the cow and calf for the family
of the girl these will give him the assurance that the couple will
produce children and so increase the family wealth.As the negotiation
was going on the age group of the boy and girl will be celebrating
the “end of the bachelors night”they sing and dance the
whole night us the two graduate from boysim and girlsim life to woman
and husband life.The following morning the girl is shaved[head]and is
dress in bridal gown of leather a profusion of beaded ornaments then
loaded with a calabash full of milk representing future
prosperity.When the girl is ready to leave to her husband home she
will be blessed by two elders who take yet another fertility symbol
of tied grass dipped on the guard full of milk and honey and anoint
her face body and feet as they spray milk from their mouth over her
face as she leaves the gate.”the text of the blessing include”
may all your clan feed on you and may your back grow wide long live
our daughter”presumably so that she can carry a lot of children
in her back.
When she leaves she
will not be allowed to look back only forward to a life of devotion
to her new husband in company of two men.The best man supervised and
sweep the path [way]or clear the way for her and if necessary carry
her over any river bed and gully on the way.The best man will ensure
no obstacle in her way so that there is no possibility of hesitation
in her progress to the groom .On arrival the girl will be given
livestock from her new family .The main stress of her in these home
is that how many children will I produce really?When she becames
pregnant she is indulged with tender loving care not being given meat
of dead animals for fear it might affect the unborn child.She is
ex-cused from heavy work like pre-dawn milking and fire wood
collection.She will be free from any sexual relation from her husband
from the start of pregnancy until the child is weaned.She will be
given less protein than usual and more carbohydrates
to
help her deliver easily.In the Maasai community when a woman is
married she is not only for her husband but for all the age group of
her husband,it is expected that when a visitor cames home of the man
the owner of the house will move and give his bed to his age mate.
DIVORCE:Refuge
[kitala]in Maasai language.The woman posibily goes back to her
fathers home.If the negotiation is not well and no reconciliation the
husband will retain the children or recouping the original bride
price plus substantial interest from his livestock.Above everything
else the Maasai wants their wife to be good ,home maker with bright
personality a happy and a good look wife.
WHO
IS A MAASAI?.The
Maasai are war like, fearless loyal, brave and colorful nomadic
tribesmen .The Maasai leaves in an area that stretches across Kenya
and Tanzania covering the whole [Maasai Mara Game reserve] one of the
wonders of the world. For along time it is true there has been school
and hospitals in Maasai land but nearly 70years of colonial rule and
attempted persuasion followed by over 25years of African rule and
attempted persuasion they failed to do much in Maasai land, the
Maasai have continued practicing their ancient rituals and
ceremonies they have continued to maintain their age set-structure
with it’s warriors as their troops and commandos of the tribal
world. The colonial were unhappy with the Maasai because they were
arrogant and stubborn to their way of life. The Maasai believe that
all cows in the world belong to them and so when they go for raids
they are reclaiming what is theirs. The pride and duty of a Maasai
moran[warrior]is to protect their father’s herd of animals.
A
MAASAI WORRIOR:The
Maasai worrior wears short shukas reaching above her knees and must
be red in colour .He must also have a Roman short sword [olalem]and
carries a stick or a knobkerrie or club.His face and long plaited
hairs are smeared with red ochre and animal fat .The moran feed on
meat blood and animals fats with herbs .They spend most of their time
in the bush eating meat and soup with a lot of herbs while making a
lot of practices incase of war or clashes.At these period of time
they became strong and very wild.When the war parties did gather
either for cattle raids or a battle it was mandatory for the Maasai
to consult the OLOIBONI[who is the master of all religion ceremonies
chief-policy ,director and teller of the future[medicine men].He will
deliver oracles on the right way to proceed with the military
exercises.He will also give instruction to the moran commanders on
rituals preparation which were deliberately complex as an assurance
against anything wrong on their way. Charms, amulets and other
artefacts of the sorcerers art were supplied in abundance .Other
symbols were applied to clubs for throwing by their left-handed moran
into the enemies lines to create terror and panic.Battle will be
proceeded with meat eating party seasons with herbal stimulants which
worked the moran in a state of trance resembling epileptic fit or
“shakes”.At these state the moran are dangerous to
himself and to others.After the feast the moran will collect their
weapons and a few heads of cows for food on their way for raids or
war.Their parents and girlfriends will spilt milk on their foreheads
as they move out.Old men will spray milk from their mouths or from
guards to the moran as they move either for raids or for war. No
Maasai Moran will leave
his brother at that time of
need. The Moran lives in manyatta a wide open leisure space with
small Maasai mud houses as they sing day and night walking about and
chatting with their girlfriends.When they graduate from moranism to
elder hood they will celebrate their elevation to junior elders and
at these stage they will chose wives and own animals.
WHO
IS OLOIBONI:Oloiboni
is the most influential man in Maasai land.Laibons predict and
foretell the future of their people .There was one Maasai oloiboni
called Mbatiany he had only one eye he said ”I see the end of
my children and the land. The strangers will came and kick my people
down under their feet although they may be strong warriors and
brave.”It all came to pass????That was the onset of epidemics
of small pox and rinderpest which will sweep down from the horn of
Africa and decimate both herds and people.Some time the Maasai
worship these loibons. These is how they worship”amon enkai ai
naomon onrkai” As I pray to my real God I do also pray to my
small god[oloiboni]”The loibon use a lot of curses to kill
people especially from other tribes.
DROUGHTS:
The hardest time in Maasai land is the time of droughts when there is
a lot of starvation both with animals and human being.At this period
of time their animals became weak and in many times help their
animals to wake up which is not an easy work.It was in 2005 that the
Maasai faced very rough and hostile environment that is owned by the
Kikuyu people and there was clashes between the two communities
because of water.Most of the children in school will be out to help
their parents at these time of their need. As the hardest time no
parent can be able to face the formidable challenges to get school
fees leave alone getting food for the family. Most children from poor
families will be out of school for long period of time to help their
parent’s .These is the period the government will be supplying
relief foods to some needy families. The Maasai use donkeys to carry
their lugages.
COMPILLED
AND WRITTEN BY;
JOHN
OLE TEEKA’P.O.BOX 746-00208
NAIROBI,KENYA.
teekajohn@yahoo.com
(0725-991644)
teaching young men and women in Bible training programs in battle torn Sri Lanka, and evangelizing among the Masai mountain villages of East Africa.
in front of us as we drove down the hills of Camp Pendleton. 
I boarded the last leg of my journey. Finally, the end was in sight. I was headed to Port Townsend after a 20 hour flight from Korea via Japan, San Francisco, and Portland Just a simple 30 minute flight to Seattle. As we approached the city, the pilot mentioned we may have a problem. (I hate when pilots say that) "We've got some fog here, we can't see to land...minimum is 1/8 of a mile visibility. We'll circle and see what happens." Well, we circled, and circled....for almost 2 hours before running low on fuel and flying back to Portland. 
He has spent the last 18 months in the preparation and anticipation of this assignment. His final destination and assignment remains a mystery, but we are assured he has prepared adequately. Last evening, we spent the final hours of his Christmas break together as a few of his friends, and our family... get this... played Bingo. We laughed, ate bad cafeteria food, and Paul, our youngest son, won $120.
