Cultural experience: Maasai Tribe
The Maasai are people of East Africa living in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. Maasai people live a nomadic life, which means they move from place to place with their animals.
With Zuri Tours & Safaris you will have the unique possibility to visit and learn about their culture and way of life.
About Maasai:
A traditional Maasai home is called an enkaji, a low, loaf-shaped temporary structure made with branches and twigs overlaid with a “plaster” mixture of soil, cow dung and ash. Although small, an enkaji provides space for sleeping, cooking and some storage. The Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle. People drink blood on special occasions. Blood is very rich in protein and is good for the immune system; it is given to a circumcised person, a woman who has given birth and the sick. Both men and women of the Maasai society are traditionally eager to undergo through circumcision which is usually performed shortly after puberty.
Maasai women and men:
In Maasai culture the women and girls are responsible for building the family hut, taking care of the children, fetching firewood and water, washing clothes, milking cows and preparing the family meals. Unlike many tribal cultures, Maasai women have a strong voice in their culture. Maasai women are easily recognized by their bright clothing and beaded jewellery and they are well known for their beadwork. Women admire the sound of jewellery and incorporate small dangling pieces of shaped metal to make a soft chiming sound. They wear beaded jewellery around the neck, wrists, legs and through their ears.
Maasai men are classed by age into three categories: boys, warriors and elders. Boys transition from herders to warrior and then to elder status, holding varying responsibilities for cattle, protecting and advising the community. The maasai men can have as many wives as they can afford.
Customs and Ceremonies:
The Maasai are a truly independent and proud culture with highly developed rituals revolving around age and initiations. Throughout Maasai life, almost every rite of passage from birth up to death is greeted with elaborate ceremonies and celebration with many recurring customs. Red is the colour of the Maasai. It is the basic colour of the Maasai shuka, or red blanket that is often worn around the shoulders by both men and women. Red predominates the beautiful beaded jewellery of the Maasai, and their hair and bodies are smeared with red ochre for various ceremonies.
Time: 8.30am-4.00pm
Included: Transport, An experienced guide, Entrance fee, Lunch, Drinking water