Inaugural Maasai Cultural Festival

Kenya is planning the first-ever international Maasai festival in the country this year. Theeventaccordingtotheorganiserswill be held at the Maasai Mara in August and will coincide with the annual wildebeest migration.

Apart from the Maasai cultural activities and fashion spectacles being showcased during the weeklongfest,sponsorswillalsogetopportunities to display their services and products.

Tourism cabinet secretary Penina Malonza who spoke in Nairobi during the launch of an initiative that will see the organisers lobby funds to stage the event saidculturewasone of the greatest tools used by nations as a source of power for international diplomacy.

Cultural diplomacy, she noted,isakeyplayer in international relationsasitmakes it easier for nations to understand each other through their cultures.

“The Maasai culture is one of the most unique cultures which serves our nation internationally and plays a huge role in our tourism sector...very few Africa cultures can claim the fame and universal appeal that the Maa has earned both locally to page 58

Image: COURTESY

Maasai Festival from page 56 and internationally,” she stated.

The upcoming festival which she disclosed will alsohappenaftera Royaltour guidebyPresident WilliamRutowillprovideanopportunityforprivate and public partnerships to promote cultural entrepreneurship.

“It will also provide an opportunity for conservationists around the World to meet and discuss the conservation of the Maasai game reserve,” she added.

Present during the event were Foreign affairs principal secretary Korir Sing’oei, EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki and Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku among envoys from various countries.

Sing’oei voiced similar sentiment underscoring the value of culture as an asset that facilitates interaction across nations.

“There are frontiers where ordinary diplomacy cannot cross but which cultural diplomacy and Maasai culture is today one of those assets that we have as a nation that unites us and brings us together,” he said.

PS Sing’oei also stated that the government will be working closely with other communities so as to position the country better. https://www.the-star.co.ke/ news/2023-04-08-kenyato-hold-first-internationalmaasai-festival/ https://www.msn.com/enza/news/other/inauguralmaasai-cultural-festival-in-kenya-and-more-fromaround-the-world/ar-AA1crTe1

He reckoned that Kenya is a great country with incredible sportspersons, amazing artists, civilizations and history beyond politics.

Maa Education Trust chairperson Andrew Sunkuli said they intend to hold the festival yearly.

He also appealed for support from well-wishers to support the event.

Imagecredit:©ProvidedbyDailyMaverick Video&story:https://sports.yahoo.com/maasaifestival-kicks-off-kenya-113858729.html

Maa Education Trust ProjectTrains Women on How to Make Reusable Sanitary Pads

For a long time, the topics and discussion on menstruation and its management have been shut down by the cultural belief and misunderstanding. This has caused women and girls to experience shame, neglect, stigma, and even lacking a sense of belonging to the community. The psychological effects of failure to understand menstruation have long side effects onthegirls’education.Thisincludesabsenteeism in school that leads to poor performance, neglect by friends and peers from the opposite gender leading to stigmatization. Eventually, it has also led to incomplete education due to early school dropout, as a result, the education of the girl child has been therefore compromised.

Girls and women in most of the pastoralcommunitieshavebeenusing a variety of materials to catch the menstrual blood. In the past, women havebeenusingoldragsandmattress pieces which posed a risk to them due to the cleanliness of the material. The materials used could not sustain the blood and therefore women could still suffer in public. Nowadays, there are varieties of materials that can be used by women during their menstrual cycle. This includes disposable pads, reusable pads, tampons, and menstrual cups.

Since 86% of the Maasai Mara population does nothaveaccesstotoilets,disposablepadscreate a lot of waste that goes to the landfill much of it is non-biodegradable. They also create pollution of the land and water when thrown along the rivers where people fetch water. Besides environmental pollution, the disposable pads when thrown into toilets contributes to a high rate of toilets being filled up, this becomes too expensive for them to empty the latrines.

To avoid environmental pollution and extracost, there is a need to switch to reusable pads and eco-friendly menstrual cups. This will help to reduce the implications for human health, land, air, water, and groundwater pollution.

Olare Orok women with reusable sanitary pads. (before Covid-19 outbreak)

The Maa Trust has been researching to find out how they can support girls and women in Maasai Mara during their menstruation period while conserving the environment. Fifteen girls from Talek Secondary and fifteen women from Olare Orok village have been used to test the convenienceandcomfort of the reusable sanitary pads. Both girls and women were sampled randomly without considering age and form. The main aim of the piloting was to compare the to page 60 disposable pads that they have been using and the reusable pads to which was the first time for 99% of the girls and women to see.

Reusable Pads pilot survey at Talek Girls

Secondary School (before Covid-19)

According to the results that were collected two months after the time of issuing, all the girls reported having used the pads at least once either during the school holiday or when they are in the session.All the girls & women reported the reusable pads are comfortable, economical, and convenient to use.

From this survey, The Maa Trust suggests that to avoid environmental pollution and extra cost, there is a need to switch to reusable pads and eco-friendly menstrual cups.

Olare Orok women with reusable sanitary pads. (before Covid-19 outbreak)

Reusable Pads pilot survey atTalek Girls Secondary School (before Covid-19) https://www.themaatrust.org/post/the-maatrust-trains-women-on-how-to-make-reusablesanitary-pads

To make reusable pads more affordable and sustainable, The Maa Trust on October 2020 conducted training on how to make reusable sanitary pads with three women from the beadwork groups. The ladies already own sewing machines. After the training, they were given some materials to make samples of the pads. Once they are done, the sampleswillbecollectedandinspectedthereafter. If confirmed correctly done, the ladies will be issued with raw materials to begin the process of making the pads in large quantities. This process willhelpaddressthechallengesfacedbygirlsand women in accessing sanitary pads. Also, it will help to reduce waste and environmental pollution since waste disposal remains a challenge at the grassroots level.