Maasai celebration of culture and appreciation. Aug-2024
KKIS+1 Vocational Training class of 2024: These are students our soon-to-be graduates of our culinary arts, IT, and English language vocational training year. The program ends with them being placed in internships at nearby safari lodges. This program was developed in response to the valid question, “Will just earning a secondary school be enough to help them in their future?” It is not, and so we introduced the post-secondary school vocational training year to prepare them to be more employable so that they can provide for themselves and their families.
Esther Nashipai is a grade 12 student greeting the guests of honor after her presentation, thanking ADEA for supporting her education. She wrote and sang a song expressing her gratitude for the chance to finish her secondary education. Esther is in her last year at Colin Davies Secondary School in Rombo. In 2023, she was forced to stop attending school due to a lack of fees. Her mother left home to find a job so that she could get food to sustain her family, leaving her and her seven siblings with their disabled father and grandparents. She failed to earn enough for school fees for all her children. Ester was almost married off because that was the only option remaining from her family until ADEA agreed to support her education.
A Day for Feasting: This day was also a day of feasting. It was a rare day for everyone to feel full. Traditionally, only cows would have been eaten at such a celebration, but this would have been too costly, so a typical non-Maasai meal of rice, potatoes, and plantains was served. To honor the importance of cows in such an event, the ADEA Foundation provided four cows for the celebration. Thanks to all of you who contributed to the buy-a-cow fund.
Maasai Men: In the Maasai tradition, men undergo different social stages: childhood, young adulthood (Moranism), adult (post-Moranism), and old age. Moranism starts immediately after circumcision. Moran are the warriors expected to protect the people and cattle. In this stage, men live isolated from community life and live very closely with their fellow Moran. A Moran must not eat, drink, sleep, sing, fight, sell or buy cattle, or even bathe alone but must be in the company of other Moran. During events like this emuta, Moran are given an isolated place in the bush to cook and eat their food. In these places, women are not allowed to go. If they do, the food will be left since it is taboo to eat food seen by women.
Parents celebrate their honored guests’ arrival: The parents of sponsored children and those hoping to be supported meet to receive ADEA and PMD leadership as they celebrate this long- awaited day. ADEA Foundation Director Mr. Douglas has greatly supported the Rombo community. When he leaves Kenya, the community misses him but still enjoys his good work of support through the leadership of PMD. During his return, the community celebrates his arrival and prays for him and his local team. ADEA has restored the happiness of the parents through education support and other activities that have led to a better Rombo.
Modester greets guests of honor: Modester Pendo is in her first year at Entarara Secondary School. She presented a poem thanking ADEA for the opportunity to join secondary school. She now feels there is hope to finish school and get a paying job to rescue her family from financial struggle one day. Secondary School (High School) costs up to ten times that of primary school. So many families cannot afford this transition. In her home, her mother struggles to feed her family while her father left home to look for work.
Jumping: Jumping is the most common way for Moran to dance. The young men compete for height, endurance, and their unique jumping style. There are songs specifically for this purpose. In anticipation of their years as a Moran, boys practice and are coached in jumping.
Maasai Songs and Dances: Due to the challenges currently experienced by the people of Rombo, times of gathering can help this community connect and heal. The songs sung were meant for happiness, nourishing minds, making people lively, showing gratitude, teaching the society good morals, narrating to the guests the Maasai history, praising and thanking God for the party, and being thankful for the time people are together. During singing, a horn from the Kudu antelope was blown. This horn is only used at honored events approved by the Moran warriors. Only with their approval will the horn-blowing be done.
Escorting guests of honor: When guests arrive, people gather to escort guests of honor to the event. The procession begins outside the grounds of the emuta. With the guest of honor in the lead, hundreds of guests join the procession, singing and walking in rhythm onto the event grounds.
Speech by Douglas McFalls – ADEA Foundation Director: This is the most awaited part of the emuta when people hear from their most loved son, Mr. Douglas. They listened to his advice for the community and about his trip to America and back to Kenya. During this time, prayers were made to thank God for his safety and for continuing to connect this community with the people of the world.
Running to the celebration: When the celebration begins, visitors rush to the event site to greet the guests of honor procession. Since the 2023 event, hundreds of hours and considerable financial contributions have been made by this community of few means to prepare for this momentous day.
The ubiquitous plastic chair: Traditionally, hand-carved wooden three-legged stools were used for seating. Due to the reduction of forests and the introduction of plastic chairs by vendors at weekly markets, chairs are now commonly rented for large celebrations. They are now the preferred alternative to wooden stools, which are hard to find. There were years when rain was plenty, grass grew tall, women sat on the grass, and the young and energetic men were kept standing to provide security.
The blowing of the Kudu antelope horn: A horn will be blown during honored and significant events like emuta. Only gifted and talented people can play the horn because of its societal significance. During blowing, milk is repeatedly used to lubricate it. Because some songs can last a long time - more than 30 minutes, multiple players will share blowing the horn. Only the owner, men of the age-set of the horn owner, traditional area leaders, and the singing team leadership have the right to play the horn.
KKIS students line up for lunch: Here, the Keep Kids in School lined up for the meal. They were treated as special guest by given them their own buffet. The students come from twenty- nine different schools in Rombo, and they felt honored to be given the opportunity to acknowledge and meet other KKIS-supported students from other schools.