Hello to our friends and supporters,
Welcome to the first entry of our new and regular blogging feature! Every month we will take the previous months’ report from our Project Coordinator, Lanoi Charity, and add photos then expand on the key events and features so our community of supporters can keep up to date with the happenings at Oltumo Maasai Project, in Maasai Mara, Kenya. We hope you enjoy!
Growing Fresh Vegetables in the Community Gardens
Currently, beyond the well, the most productive and ongoing initiatives at Oltumo are the community gardens and our demonstration gardens, made possible by our bore well and rain water collection tanks.
Agriculture is a part of history for most cultures, whereas the semi-nomadic and pastoral life of the Maasai meant that growing food for sustenance was never a concept. Agriculture, beyond herding cattle, is nowhere in Maasai culture, and so starting gardens meant starting with the basics. This also meant not getting too technical and letting them as a community decide on the plots and who gets them, but with our assistance and management.
Our project began with the completion of the borehole well in December, 2014 (that is the 10,000L water tank on the pumphouse roof in the photo below). It was not until a few months later, after building soil and planning for rainwater and grey water irrigation, that we began to grow some simple vegetables. These original gardens have become the demonstration gardens (seen above), where more advanced techniques of growing organic and healthy food in a more Permaculture-influenced way takes place. There is a huge variety of vegetables, as well as fruit trees, vines, legume shrubs, with medicinal plants incorporated throughout.
The community gardens are composed of over 20 plots, each assigned to one woman and her family from the Maasai Mara. These plots range in size from 12x12 to 15x15 feet. They are placed within the fenced 1 acre Oltumo land, and located between 200+ feet of swales which were dug 2 years ago and regularly maintained. These swales (ditches on contour, no slope) act as erosion catchment, capturing organic matter while allowing water to soak into the landscape and recharge the water table. They can be seen as the dark green lines of growth running across the site.
How it happened: The women dug their garden areas, mixed in several wheelbarrows of manure, weeded, and weeded some more, then gathered mulch to protect the soil. It is worth mentioning that mulch is VERY hard to come by, as the livestock eat almost everything and whatever remains goes to the wild animals. Leaves can be found in the sand-riverbanks, but most often grass from the Oltumo site is chopped and used as mulch.
Then, the beds are seeded and watered, and the women must maintain them as they grow or face losing their plot to another eager community member. It’s a serious consequence, but one decided upon by the Maasai community and the Kenyan Board of Oltumo.
The Problem and Solution process at Oltumo
Back to the demonstration garden, there is an interesting story here that evolved last month...
The Problem: The local children who come to Oltumo for water (or just something to do), were stealing vegetables from the community gardens, and the women were getting very upset. The community wanted to ban children from the site, and so they tried this for about a month. Our staff allowed it and the board in Canada agreed that the local community should decide, even though it felt it a bit harsh to us. We had known of them stealing fruit from the kitchen in the past, and had to bad certain ones for periods of time... this was always very sad and unfortunate to have to do, but did highlight the need for more food security and diversity for the Maasai, especially the children!
The Solution: Our employees at Oltumo, Charity and George, asked the women with gardens if they could make the Oltumo demonstration garden a place for the children to work in and then take food from with permission. The women agreed!
This is a fantastic solution which provides training, motivation, support, nutrition, and purpose for the children. It also helps motivate and guide our staff, as we often grow more than we need, but have no direct plan as of yet of what to do with the excess produce. Now, instead of just giving it to whoever asks or comes for water, we can focus on feeding the children and do our best to transfer knowledge at the same time.
More updates on this are to come in future blogs.
Ongoing Projects at Oltumo
Beadwork: An important project that Oltumo is supporting is a beadwork initiative started by the women. A volunteer at a nearby school supported by “Global Playgrounds” met our staff and then asked about purchasing some jewellery from the women.
The money the women earned from this project has gone to their children’s school fees, food, and to registering their group as a self-help group.
Once they are established and have a framework for how they will conduct their beadwork and manage the group, Oltumo will work with and support them in finding markets, improving/modifying products to suit new markets, purchasing in bulk, financial advice and training, etc.
Borehole Well: The Oltumo site charges families who come for water 100 shillings a month (about 1 dollar Canadian). This money is collected and saved for any future repairs or maintenance which will be used to keep the well operational for the site and the community for years to come.
Bee Keeping: The last main project to mention this month is beekeeping. This has been a slow project to get going, despite having a fully functional top-bar beehive at Oltumo for over 2 years (which was built by a volunteer). Another hive was built by the women but never fully completed or put in place. The women have recently built another wooden frame for a hive using the techniques that they know, but are yet to finish it.
A few major challenges have slowed this project down; appropriate materials and/or skills, adequate location for hives (no big trees), ongoing education, and protection from wild and human threats. The women have incredible building skills, but can they overcome the obstacles to create a light-weight, safe, precise and durable beehive? How can modern materials and the skills to build with them be learned by the Maasai, and if so is it the best option to pay for manufactured and unnatural goods when there are other more culturally appropriate ways? It’s been a puzzle that we are working hard on and will be expanded on in the coming blogs.
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We look forward to sharing new happenings, inspiration and challenges with you next month!
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Salaash, one of the founders of Oltumo, Laura, the president of our Board, and myself returned to Kenya at the end of December, excited to get back to the Maasai Mara and see the growth at Oltumo! But first, we needed some inspiration from another similar project with a bit more experience behind it, so we went straight from the airport at 11pm after a 24 hour journey and drove 3 hours to visit Laikipia Permaculture Center (LPC). This project was started by Joseph Lentunyoi, a Samburu man (different but also very similar tribe to Maasai) who has built up the site to be a source of hope, inspiration, and education for people all around East Africa and even the world.
The first day there we went to visit some women's groups that are supported by Joseph and LPC. I had previously completed a Permaculture Consultancy course and had visited these sights in early 2016, so was eager to return as I knew the energy of these women and their work would inspire both Salaash and Laura. We stopped at a small church on the way where a women's group makes their soap for use and sale using locally grown Aloe Vera. The Samburu woman explained to Salaash (their languages are very similar) how it is done and he was so impressed! A group of "uneducated" women had created their own amazing product from a natural resource with just a bit of training and support from LPC. Fantastic.
After this short visit we went to the Umbrella project for the other women's groups and were welcomed by a song and dance from the women who reside there and maintain the site. Their song was beautiful and their own, all about how they grow Aloe, do bead work, and host tourists so now they can earn a living without relying on their husbands as much.
After this we had a tour of the site and had the time to sit and talk with the amazing woman that has been the backbone of all of this, Rosemary. She discussed with us the trials and lessons of how to organize groups, encourage commitment, and to keep the husbands happy even if their wives are doing things that they can't really comprehend. She really was a guiding light for our project and we are now using her lessons as policies for working with Maasai groups around Oltumo.
After a night here we moved on to the last sight, and the most environmentally degraded land I have ever seen. The erosion is unbelievable, so much so that what looks like massive rivers are in fact just gullies formed because the grass is gone and trees can only hold onto the earth for so long. Here the women are beginning a tree nursery, gardens, and also growing Aloe. They also had a beautiful cob building with them by a group of French students that I am proud to say I connected them to because Oltumo was not ready to host such a large group.
In this land where women report to eat only one full meal every two days in the driest times of the year, the strides they have made since I was here under a year ago are really incredible and I have hope that they will continue and eventually find comfort in this most challenging of environments.
Back at LPC we celebrated the New Year and talked more with Joseph about his project and what we can learn and transfer to Oltumo.
The greatest advice from him was to not push anything onto the Maasai. He made it clear that although many things are possible, it will take time and only the ideas which they see happening and think to themselves "I can do this" are the ones that will be capable of becoming a reality. This takes commitment and dedication from our Board in Canada to persevere and continue to find the funds to keep our staff happy and working hard on our demonstrations to create a site where inspiration and knowledge transfer through physical and real-life demonstrations is possible.
We had learned a lot, now it was time to make our way down to Oltumo and find out how to transfer this experience to the Maasai we are here to support.
Oltumo Maasai Project is a far distance from our core of supporters in Canada, and in general, quite a distance from anything beyond the local Maasai, the wild Mara, tourism, and a disturbing yet growing town built up largely to support the Kenyans affiliated with tourism. So, we wanted to share with you a little summary of life at the project, the things we do and deal with daily, and how they connect with the bigger picture.
Food - Enda
Mealtimes and food are at the heart of any family or communal living routine, and it is no different at Oltumo. We cook and eat three meals a day together, with breakfast being the potential exception. A loaf of bread in the oven in the evening to be still warm for the morning is key, or else we often make due with leftovers or fruit with coffee or tea. Porridge is an option, but the local porridge isn't the nicest texture for westerners, and oats are only found at supermarkets in Narok (120km away=3 hours) and are imported from overseas. A big lunch and dinner are crucial after our day of work in temperatures from 25-35 Celcius, so we take turns cooking each day and usually make some damn tasty meals from our limited options; tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cabbage, carrots, and red beans are the only consistently available vegetables locally.
It's Market Day!
Market day is on Tuesday, and it's quite a thing! We make a list in the morning and decide who wants to make the 6-8km walk to be in town by noon or so, perhaps get a “cold” beer or soda in town, then do the shopping and send the supplies back on a motorbike. For the locals, walking both ways is still common but there are also pickup trucks with dozens of Maasai loaded everywhere you can imagine and stuffed with sacks of food and supplies. The women go to buy food for the week and clothes, family necessities or kitchen ware if needed, while the men to sell and buy cows, goats, and sheep. As there is still no modern banking system for the majority of Maasai, the men selling their animals is where their money comes from, so the men go in earlier to sell then give money to their wives for shopping. The idea of a steady job is beyond rare, so a paycheck is not something many can rely on, therefore no animals means no money.
Most of the sellers of unique items are other Kenyans, but more and more Maasai women are now selling the staples of corn, beans, potatoes, sugar, rice, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, soap, and cooking oil. It really is that basic of a selection. Of course we purchase from the Maasai when we can, but for anything out of the ordinary (like fruit), we'll shop from other Kenyans.
Before Christianity was so common, the market day was the only day most Maasai went to town. Even now, many families only shop once a week for food! This is unfortunate as there is obviously no refrigeration here and so fresh vegetables are only really eaten within a few days of Tuesday, obviously affecting health. At Oltumo, we usually do another trip to town on Friday or Saturday to restock on basics and get us through till market day.
*I have just learned about charcoal fridges, and we will build one in the future at Oltumo.
Cooking Food- Tayada Enda
The cooking style we use at Oltumo is likely unique to the Maasai Mara and for definitely rare in the developed world. At Oltumo we used natural materials to build rocket stoves to cook our food. One stove heats the oven where we bake our breads, one heats two chambers for our pots and pans. A rocket stove is fueled with small pieces of wood and hardly produces much smoke at all. This daily use of these demonstration stoves is an example of how we are offering our ideas but not forcing them. and it's working! (Upcoming blog on our rocket stove evolution at Oltumo... yes, believe it or not people blog and join forums on just stove designs. It's quite exciting! )
Mama Oyie, our closest neighbour and a strong supporter of the project plans to build an outdoor kitchen at her home, become familiar with using it, then with a group of 4 women build these kitchens for other Maasai as a source of income.
The oven with bread is a great attraction, as no one can deny the convenience of bread in a busy schedule. For Maasai women who cook, clean, fetch water and firewood, milk the animals, and take care of the kids, oh and build the houses, any cheap and practical method of reducing energy inputs is greatly welcome. Our kitchen displays shortened cooking time, less wood and so less cutting and deforestation, less smoke, and the ability to pre and slow-cook meals like bread or red beans in the oven. Little changes, huge impact, and that's only the kitchen!
Kitchen life is basically the hub of our existence as Oltumo. We gather there, have meetings, talk, play cards, chess, or backgammon, design, plan, experiment with foods and the rocket stoves, and welcome visitors. Anyone who has stayed at Oltumo may very well have their strongest memories from this little area which has organically evolved over time to become a functional, comfortable, and inspiring space at Oltumo Maasai Project
2015 Oltumo Kitchen
2016 Oltumo Kitchen
For those of you who know me, (Steve) you will know that I'm not exactly a strict or necessarily time-influenced person. This quickly becomes quite apparent when one stays at Oltumo, and yet, to my great satisfaction, work still gets done! There is an info wall with our weekly plan outlined and some basic details to help one look at a task and get to work. It is useful, but often just a talk over dinner and/or breakfast does the trick as well.
My belief in management is to provide a deeper understanding of the bigger picture, then break it down into focus areas and how they all connect and influence one another, then find which areas are of interest to the worker or volunteer. If they both enjoy and understand it, then all should go well and more often than not will exceed my previous plans or expectations. It must be noted that volunteers request to join Oltumo and that if I sense no correlating passion of the person, then I may very well decline their request to join.
Local and sustainable resources
Resource collecting is one job I often send volunteers on who have just arrived because it gives them a chance to explore the area, meet the kids out at work with the animals, and get out of the site for a change of scenery. Plus, we who have been here longer have done our share of hauling heavy wheelbarrows and honestly it's nice to get a break! Here's a little list of resources we need collected and how they help the project in so many ways, the point worth emphasizing is that simple tasks are not just simple tasks..
Process: Take the wheel barrow, gloves, and a machete to go and collect as much fallen wood as you can. The women cut and collect the trunks and main branches so we collect the leftovers essentially, unless they are too thorny and/or would be too annoying or hazardous to use in the rocket stove. The round trip usually takes one hour, and that wood will last us about one-two days of cooking 3 meals for an average 8 adults, a loaf of bread, and several pots of water for tea and coffee.
Enjoy the scenery while you're at it :)
Collect stones and sand:
Process:Take the wheel barrow and a shovel to go and get as much sand as you can carry. Remember that it gets heavier as you go! For rocks go to the river and pile them up on the edge then load them up after. If you have help, one can push the wheel barrow and one can pull a rope tied to the front. However, we may just spend the $20 and rent a donkey and cart for the day.
Either way, enjoy the scenery while you're at it :)
Impala, hyena, all types of frogs, insects, incredible birds, warthogs, zebra, the vibration of a heard of wildebeest running past, and the occasional lion are all heard at night from our tents at Oltumo. It's quite a feeling to be lying in a dome of plastic and think there's only a 5-6 foot tall fence and plains of grass and shrub between me and the wild of Maasai Mara! But then again, they do get closer than that, just not the big ones; ants! It truly is insane how many of them come out after the rains stop. Tents raised 45cm from the ground on wooden platforms, not safe without a regular addition of ash around each leg.
But ya know, other than the ants sleeping here is pretty nice. Although not if it rains horizontally and penetrates our $20 tents... not raining inside, more like sweating profusely. It's a tricky challenge this intense rain we get. So far so good though, there may have been more damp nights than desired for some volunteers, but I never actually received too many complaints about it. We have such wonderful volunteers :)
So build a roof and a floor, purchase a $20 tent, a $18 mattress, $4 for sheets, $4 for pillow and case, $12 for a warm blanket, and we have accommodation! Not perfect, but suitable for now. Growing rain and wind protection is in the plans.
Growing the Gardens
The Maasai are traditionally semi-nomadic pastoralists, and therefore never grew any food for themselves. The idea of farming is very foreign to most of them, but the times are changing and most can't doubt the benefit of having a garden at home for the family. However, most don't really think they can do it because of a lack of water and protection from animals, on top of the lack of education and/or culture of gardening.
At Oltumo, our philosophy is to lead by example and demonstrate techniques for the Maasai to adapt to change if they so wish. If they wish to adapt in ways we are promoting, then we can help them with training through experiential education, inspiration and support.
Pemba is the man responsible for the gardens and does most of the work, then volunteers at Oltumo help us to maintain and develop our gardens. As described before, we utilize local materials all that we can, and this requires labour. Edging materials, organic materials, mulch, manure, sand, rocks, so many supplies are needed for quality garden preparation, and our volunteers are responsible for much of what we have collected.
The gardens we started last year were also quite the experiment. Overall successful, as we produced potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, green onions, tomatoes, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, local herbs and greens, beans, pumpkins, squash, dill, coriander, sorghum, corn, and sunflowers. However, they needed many adjustments and we needed help to make them happen.
The swales and ditches were dug during a drought when very little organic matter was in the soil, the result was that the water just sat stagnant. Also, erosion and deposits of silt and clay were an issue, so we decided to add stones to much of the passive irrigation system. They did help erosion, also reduced the pooling water, but over the year began to fill with clay and became almost useless. As the problem often is reveals the solution, useless was actually good thing because we also needed more rocks for other projects, and the surrounding roots had grown so much that they would serve as erosion prevention as well as allow the water to sink into the earth! All this work needed to basically be undone and the rocks re purposed, which we couldn't have done nearly as efficiently without volunteers to help.
This is and example of the energy-intensive process that starting a Permaculture-based project can be, and how crucial it is for us to have the amazing help that our volunteers provide.
Permaculture Design Time
Permaculture is more about design than actual work at the start. How does this make sense? Well the idea is that we've been working quite hard for centuries yet somehow are far from creating any kind of truly sustainable, regenerative, functional, mainstream system that compares to that of the Earth's systems which sustain us all. I'll add that it is a matter of perception as to whether there actually are multiple systems on Earth, or if Gaia theory is correct and the Earth itself is one living organism, and that it's a very worthwhile point to ponder :)
During our days and nights at Oltumo, the discussion revolves mostly around the project. The topics cover the absolute basics, like how to best deliver grey water from our sinks to the banana circle and garden or the placement of trees and how they will affect the land in 20 years. Then to the abstract and contemplative issues of cross-cultural interaction, tribal life and its transition to modern structures, and the most appropriate ways to move forward with our plans and actions as a conscious development project.
We have been designing the old-school way, through discussions, lists, and drawings or sketches on paper. For the Maasai, drawings and lists are not even a consideration, but talking and discussion is cultural and so we encourage their input on the new ideas we are presenting. The reason this is so important is that respecting wisdom and knowledge of local people is absolutely crucial. This doesn't mean we have to take everything that the the local Maasai say as 100% truth or the best information available, but it is to be considered as a valuable resource that must be respected. There have been and will continue to be countless bits of knowledge that are truly valuable and worth learning from the Maasai. How fortunate we are to have this local wisdom resource for our project.
I also have a collection of books and pdfs, videos and links so they have helped us a lot in our process despite the slow slow internet. As I write this blog I am in the process of digitizing all of these drawings, maps, lists and mindmaps. I have some days in Nairobi before I fly, so I hope to get a lot done and begin the work on forming our Master Plan for Oltumo. If you are interested in what that actually is, check out a nice little video on it here, Rak Tamachat Master Plan, which was created by Terra Genesis International LLC. I am confident that with the continued support and idea inspiration that volunteers and connections provide, Oltumo Maasai Project will have a master plan by next year that can be used as a model for how to transform a single-function borehole or well into a thriving community project.
Keep an eye out for the upcoming Design blogs! There are many in the works...
Inclusive Discussions and Planning
Women, Kids, and Water!
Oltumo is a well project. In fact, I work hard to get the accurate name of Oltumo Maasai Project to become common use rather than Oltumo Well Project, which is how we started and obviously water is still the major draw to our project.
Every morning between 7-8 we become aware of this when the sound of water falling onto the bottom of a jerrycan becomes regular. Women from as far as 2 or 3 kilometers will use the well in the dry season. We have a log book and about 20 women are signed up to have paid 50KSH ($0.5 USD) per month, and then they likely have children accompanying them, bringing the number of regular users up to 60 or so. We actually will have to raise the fees for water if we hope to accomplish our goal of saving the communities money to replace the pump and solar panels themselves when the time comes. This is the only way to true self-sustainability, but will be discussed more after we can prove to them the money is being saved for this purpose.
It's nice to have so many friendly and lovely Maasai women coming to Oltumo to help us start our day. Sometimes we share chai or coffee, let them try our bread which is always to their approval, and exchange some smiles while Pemba or Salaash or George talk to them. And the kids...always the kids...
We hope you enjoyed this summary of our daily existence. You're also welcome to watch this video of a tour we made of Oltumo. It's very descriptive, with past, present and future all discussed as we walk around the site.
It was Lialo Salaash and I who came to finish the well and begin this journey of a project back in November 2014. Now, returning at the end of 2015 after 7 months away from Oltumo Kenya, it's hard to believe that the borehole was completed only 14 months ago and that this is the same place. The growth in the land has been incredible...
The gardens were the most obvious sign of growth. Starting with nothing but clay soil and piles of dung at our disposal, we worked hard and the process of building fertile soil has clearly begun.
Time to get back to work
Let's start with the fence. Last year Lialo returned to Kenya to visit Oltumo and secure the one acre of land which the borehole was drilled and constructed. Now, we have put up a one acre fence to expand our community support experimentation and education site. It is so nice to have this 1 acre to plan and design to help us reach our goals, we really needed more space.
A kitchen fit for a feast! Double chamber rocket stove (one fire-two pots), table for 10, earthen bench , 2 movable wooden benches, and a kitchen grey water system! Oh the luxury.
Volunteer accommodation is improving! Tents don't last long out in this intense sun, and most don't handle the huge rains which leave the ground with inches of water for hours after. So, now we have a roof and floor for 4 tents!
Back to the gardens... and so much rain to help!
New Swales!!! planted with sweet potato to act as a living mulch and protect the soil plus prevent erosion. Sorry, finished pics still to come. Will do a whole blog on the issue of water in the land.
Celebration during Christmas and Kenyan summer holidays, where we slaughtered a goat from Lialo Salaash and cooked dozens of chapati's. We also hosted a small rocket stove workshop with some local women.
This and a lot more has been going on at Oltumo Maasai Project. I'll be posting again in 3 weeks the progress of the one acre, including swales with overflow ponds, a large garden, our demonstration managers house, and our new tree nursery.
It has been an amazing time of collaboration and progression at the well site of Oltumo Maasai Project. Since February 10th, we have been fortunate enough to welcome 7 volunteers to our project! Largely through the website helpx.net, but also from our facebook page and this website, a steady stream of requests to come and help in any way they can has been flowing our way. In the end, about half of the helpers who requested to come were accepted, and I feel completely satisfied, even surprised, with the energy and support of those who have joined us. From far off countries like France, Sweden, and New Zealand, to even right here in Kenya!
Why does Oltumo need Volunteers?
On top of the obvious benefits of having this physical and motivational support, it is essential that we consider the reasons as to why a Maasai project would need help from people not within the community? It must be clear that our helpers are not paying more than their food costs to stay with us, so money generation is not the incentive, unlike most volun-tourism projects here in Africa. Our original intentions back in November were that this project was to be built in a way that the the local community would get involved, and eventually take ownership and lead the direction and management of the project. That is still the intention and our major goal, but the path to get to that point is unclear and full of obstacles that we were either unaware of before, or just not capable of understanding the bigger picture of until we had lived it.
When I say obstacles, I mean more that the everyday customs and culture of the Maasai need to be fully understood and empathized with in order to create a structure and systems that will truly benefit them. These systems also need to be self-maintainable and appropriate for the long run. For example, the cultural role of men and women in the society creates immediate constraints as to what can be done and who can do it. To try and force new ideas that put pressure on the gender roles of a culture is inconsiderate, illogical, and likely very damaging to the culture itself.
Oltumo sees it's role as providing working examples of appropriate ideas and small yet beneficial solutions for the Maasai, but is still unsure as to how to appropriately implement or introduce them into the culture.
Moreover, as the outside world encroaches on the Maasai, certain extreme changes are already taking place! Christianity is taking over their traditional beliefs and leaving their customs behind as 'primitive' ways of the past, education has transitioned from life-learning to something only to be done in the classroom, coincidentally anything outside of modern education is slowly being seen as less-worthwhile or important, including their traditional medicine, which is quickly becoming non-existent.
Being part of the Change
A reality that we face by being a project inspired by the Maasai, especially Lialo Salaash, yet initially driven by a whole bunch of foreigners, is that for better or for worse, we are indeed causing change by simply being here. Had this project been started ten years ago. we would have had to have been much more careful in what we were bringing into Maasai life. I personally feel guilt over the influence of my computer and camera from visits to the Mara in the past. Currently, all of the "modern society influences" that we are bringing are available in the Mara; in the center there are "cinemas" where you can go and watch movies on a TV screen, internet is available on any smart phone, new jobs and roles are being accepted by the men as they need more income than in the past. Combined with the exposure to outside cultures that has been around for a while due to the tourist camps, and to top it all off, land sub-division, and drastic societal change is not only inevitable, but here.
Does this justify us bringing in modern technology like Ipads and computers, or wearing more liberal forms of dress than is customary? It's hard to say, and all we can strive for is exposing the Maasai to certain aspects of outside cultures and customs, while not forcing them to accept, but rather leaving the acceptance up to the Maasai themselves. Balance is a fine line indeed...
John using a Maasai-English language website to communicate with some local women. The women loved it so much and it in-turn inspired John into the realization that education is desired by all of the Maasai, not just the young, and that what we have could potentially be a fantastic education space in itself.
The Role of Oltumo and the Maasai
As destructive OR beneficial as this all may sound, we believe that these changes also provide new opportunities to grow and become more resilient. There absolutely are niches that we know can be filled in truly beneficial ways. The challenge lies in the fact that the culture has no answer as to how exactly they can even be filled, or even who's role this would be to fill them!
A good example of this is the idea of growing food in a small garden within the village. Traditionally the women would take care of all matters in the village, like raising children, feeding them, making sure there is enough water and firewood, building the houses, etc. The men would be responsible for taking care of the animals so as to provide income and food for the family. So what happens when the droughts are more common and the animals one has are not enough to provide fresh milk everyday, nor fresh blood to drink (highly nutritious, although Christianity has really helped to mostly put an end to this "sin" as well), or even enough income to buy food from the markets or send their children to school? Does this mean that the men can grow food because it equates to earning money, or is it still the women's role because they are the ones who physically feed the family?
These issues are not the role of Oltumo to answer, but we can provide inspiration by planting seeds of hope and solutions for those who wish to take more control of their lives and have ownership of their own fate as much as "Enkai (God) is willing."
Cob and Natural Building - A way to build trust and respect among the Maasai
The Maasai women have always built their houses out of maybe a dozen solid posts, woven sticks, and cow dung. They also used to be nomadic, and a house was only needed to stay useful for a few years. Now with land sub-division limiting their ability to move as in the past, they are in need of more permanent dwellings. Beyond their traditional building style, concrete building done by a Fundi (builder) is seen as the only other option. Not only is this extremely expensive, but generally the basic and modern designs also take away from the cultural beauty of their close-quarters, fire in the center of the house-style living.
We have began to experiment with adding other elements to the cow dung, such as clay and sand, essentially making a cob mix instead of only cow dung. The goal is to try and find a mix that would reduce the cracking and increase it's longevity. It took us a few tries for sure, but in the end we have found a way to almost completely stop the cracking which could mean fewer bed bugs, leaks, and in general an increased longevity of the houses! All for free just a bit more labor.
We have also realized that termites are the greatest destroyer of buildings here, and so are experimenting with different kinds of foundations such as rock, or concrete. Our idea is that if the Maasai do a simple concrete base under the exterior walls of their home, then they can see the termites and stop them before they enter the walls. This is not natural, so the other option is a rock foundation, which is a LOT of work. We're trying to stay as close to the traditions as possible, but with some modern advancements that will keep the cost very low, and increase longevity of the buildings.
The women who come and gather water ever day have been watching us with excitement as we evolved from a fully cracking wall to a rocket stove that has no cracks whatsoever! Some have said how they want one in their home, and most initially think that we are using cement because it doesn't crack! Another huge benefit to this rocket stove design is that it uses about 1/3 of the wood as normal fire-top cooking, and without smoke if the wood is dry! This is a perfect way for us foreigners to do something that is somehow traditional, locally applicable, and can improve their standard of living without costing much money.
There is a lot more that we've been working on, like gardens, grey water systems, a movable toilet, tree planting, maps and drawings of the site, and more! My time in town is finished, so I have to end here. Thanks for reading and supporting Oltumo Maasai Project!
Happy new year Oltumo friends supporters! We hope you had a joyous and fulfilling transition into 2015. We really appreciate all of your support, both in reality and on Facebook. Now that I'm back in Nairobi on a break from our project to take anAdvanced Permaculture Consultancy course, I thought I'd do a little summary with some more pictures and details of our progress during the past 6 weeks or so.
To see a slideshow and avoid reading, here it is. If you want to read more, click 'Read More'.
Oltumo Project has some big dreams, yet as expansive as they are, it all begins at the well. This constant source of fresh water is truly a blessing, and it's actually done!!! It's a necessity and developmental center point for the first stage of Oltumo's development.
Now that Salaash has gone home, it's time for myself to really dig in and get to work on this small space. I'll be encouraging help from all who I see or meet, but this is the tricky first stage where we must be careful with money and that whole issue, so are basically just hoping for participation. I'm confident it'll work out.
This is a general summary of the projects we hope to accomplish by April 2015. All of these small systems are highly beneficial in the initial stages of Oltumo. This stage must be focused on learning as an organization by sharing and practicing different ideas and examples. Both to inspire on a smaller scale, then also to better prepare for larger projects. The benefit of which will be felt both within the local Maasai and for anyone coming in to work with Oltumo.
These first steps are the beginning to the larger vision of a Maasai school and community center. Right now, we need an inviting and demonstrative place where anyone can feel comfortable, while also feeling inspired by the simple yet highly beneficial systems they experience. For women gathering water, this may be the first time they will ever have a hot shower. This simple reality in itself is enough to motivate us to create an oasis for the local Maasai that doubles as a demonstration site for applicable projects they can implement at home.
I cannot update this blog from the Mara, so keep an eye on our Facebook page to see pics as progress happens. Then next update on these projects will be in late January.
Stay tuned, it's gonna be sweet...
Growing up in a traditional Maasai home, Lialo Salaash would take his families’ cows to graze everyday. As he walked, he would think of what he wanted for his life and what he appreciated about his culture. While he loved the peace of being alone with the cows, he also enjoyed being a part of a community where everyone helped eachother, no one had just one mom or dad and everyone was part of a bigger picture. Lialo did not see himself as an individual who was separate from the group, like how more modern cultures do. He grew up in a village that focused on the collective good of all…
Lialo was the child who was “supposed” to attend school as per the government rule of one child per family having to get an education. His family hid him to avoid this. Eventually they were forced to give in and his younger brother had to go. To this day, Lialo credits much of his strength, pride and conviction as being the result of his traditional upbringing.
Lialo followed the coming of age traditions of his culture beginning with scarification done by knife and fire as a small child, getting his earlobes cut and stretched at age 10, circumcision at puberty, followed by warrior training for several years as a teenager. All of these rituals involved overcoming hardship, pain and struggle in order to build an inner strength that is more powerful than the pain or struggle itself. Lialo firmly believes that these stages formed the person he is today and that they gave him a strong sense of identity and purpose within his culture and community.
After warrior training Lialo worked several jobs at different camps and lodges on the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. It was in 1997 that he first met Natasha Wiig at Planet Safari’s camp. He couldn’t speak English, nor she Maasai, but they were instantly drawn to each other. Him to her happy, carefree ways and love of children. She to his quiet, caring disposition and strong work ethic. Their relationship developed into love, full of hope for a future together, but also the challenges of blending two worlds. Natasha made it a point to quietly watch the Maasai – women especially – and learn their way of life. The parenting practices, in particular, fascinated her and she marveled at how different the Maasai children seemed compared to children in Canada. Babies were never alone, always in arms and mothered by many different people. They didn’t seem to cry or want for anything. Rather than becoming indulged and spoiled they grew into confident, capable and independent children. She began to see that the community raising the children together, provided a firm base from which they could thrive through being mentored and guided by all. Together, Lialo and Natasha planned to live in Kenya and build their own campsite for backpackers visiting the game reserve. They hoped that it would be a way to bring their worlds together for the benefit of many.
After the birth of their first child, Acacia in 2000, they did just that. Acacia Camp, as they named it, was a camp where Maasai and world travelers came together. Maasai staff ate with guests, played checkers together at night, and shared stories by the fire. It was not “US” and “THEM” it was “WE.” Friendships were formed and learning opportunites were abundant for everyone involved. It was not uncommon for travelers to stay longer than their three day safari and be invited into Maasai homes for tea and to spend a night or two. It was here that Natasha and Lialo really began to become a bridge between two cultures. Not just for themselves, but for the people around them.
Unfortunately, living in this way was not the norm in the Safari industry where school educated businessmen took advantage of the many Maasai who were illiterate and unaware of the corruption and greed. These companies built themselves up while exploiting the Maasai and encouraged travelers to spend money rather than build connections. Lialo and Natasha ended up having their lives threatened, and fearing for their safety and the safety of their daughter, they quickly left Kenya for Canada.
Life in Canada was not easy for them as it was difficult for Lialo to navigate this new world without being able to read and write. He took English classes part time and delivered newspapers door to door. He next found work at a greenhouse, and then tree trimming. His work ethic was noticed and he was offered a permanent job as a laborer. Despite his difficulties with reading and writing, he quickly worked his way up to the position of welder where he remains today. During this time, the Salaash family continued to grow with the addition of 4 more children – Mateyo, Selam, Matakai and Senaya. Natasha ran a daycare in here home and in that way was able to create a sort of village for them. There were children of all ages and ethnicities in the home and neighborhood mothers helping out. The Salaash family made a conscious effort to build community around them. They added a front porch onto their home and ate meals there so that they could easily interact with neighbors. They had potlucks and invited friends from all over. Lialo made a tetherball pole and put it in the front of their house. Children and adults from all over the neighborhood enjoyed playing together.
The Oltumo well project is Lialo and Natasha’s vision and another extension of their idea of coming together. It is so much more than just a well. It is really about bringing people together, forming common bonds, community, learning from each other, and appreciating the differences.