Father: once a Moran

The Wise Wall Project is an initiative of Project FUEL that aims to document, design and strengthen the wisdom of rural communities and marginalised villages using art and community outreach programmes. The arts lead the way to raise support for the challenges these villages face today like migration, quality education and access to basic amenities like water and roads.

In the third edition of the Wise Wall Project, we are collaborating with the culturally rich and one of the oldest communitys in the world, the Maasai community, in Arusha, Tanzania, in partnership with Vikram Solar Ltd., Vijana Inspiring Foundation, Lions Club of Dar es Salaam and Arusha City, and Google Arts and Culture. Along with building an on-ground community centre and museum for the community, we are bringing an exclusive insight into the life, lifestyle and learnings from this inspiring community.

My name is Joseph Shuaka Mollel. I'm from the little village known as Losimingori in Arusha, Tanzania. When my father was a Moran (Maasai warrior), he, along with his fellow warriors, had gone to raid cattle of the neighbouring community. They searched for the cattle and came across some in a white man's territory. They invaded the camp but while on their way back home with the cattle, the cattle’s owner, together with his servants, came and shot my father's friends.