Facts about Maasai People from east Africa
Get interesting facts about Maasai people of East Africa living in Kenya, Tanzania, etc. Africa information about Maasai tribe is discussed on InformAfrica.
It is estimated that 1 million Maasai people live in Kenya and Tanzania.
Please note that Most Maasai doubt these numbers. Many Maasai see the national census as government meddling and often miscount their numbers to census takers. Some people want to be counted ten times while others refused to be counted.
Photo by Maasai Association
Tanzania does not conduct census based on ethnicity, which makes it difficult to estimate Maasai living in Tanzania.
Popular tourists destinations in East Africa such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Tarangire game reserves are located inside the Maasai region. The reserves are now considered protected areas set aside for conservation, wildlife viewing, and tourism. Maasai people are prohibited from accessing water sources and pasture land in game reserves.
With the arrival of formal schooling in the wider Maasai region, herding of livestock is becoming a parents’ responsibility. Young boys resume the responsibility of livestock herding only on weekends when schools are out.
As a result of global warming, droughts are becoming severe in East Africa, forcing the Maasai people to seek out alternative livelihoods. Herds are smaller than ever before, and most people are relying on relief food.
Information and Facts about Maasai People of East Africa
Maasai tribal leadership, the council of elders, is loosing its power year after year as a result of emerging western forms of leadership and governance.
For more information on Maasai people, and to support their destiny, visit Maasai Association.
