Life Hacks from the Maasai
Five members of the community share some advice from their experiences to remember in life.
Asking the Maasai (2021) by Vibhor YadavProject FUEL
The Maasai are known as one of the oldest tribes in the world. Living in parts of Kenya and Tanzania, the Maasai were previously nomadic but now live as pastoralists.
Celebrating with a Dance (2021) by Vibhor YadavProject FUEL
We asked some Maasai what they would like to advise the world based on their experiences.
A set time for everything
There is a time for everything: “It is important to understand and acknowledge that there is a set time for everything”, says 50-year-old Langema. “You have to create boundaries in life and be disciplined about it.”
In the Maasai society, the Elders are regarded as the leaders, who everyone looks up to. “But when the time comes, the leader must also leave their position. They should know when to move on.”, Langema shared.
Invest when you are young
Moson Thomas’ advice is for the youth to start their investment when as a youth, like amassing cows so that they are comfortable in the future. He wishes that he could turn back his youth. He now has many responsibilities.
Preserve what you have for another day
This life lesson from Anna Yamat is inspired by the struggles of many Maasai women who have to walk long hours on foot to collect water, of which there is scarcity in the Losimingori village in Arusha.
Many a time, women have to walk 4 times a week to the nearby Nanja dam for 6-7 hours to get water for their families and livestock. This scarcity is getting severe by the day, with many people losing their cattle to the drought.
“Even if I had 5 buckets of water to use within a day, I will still not consume all of it. I might use 3 buckets to wash my clothes, but still not all of them. I will still save two for later use.”
Don’t spend your time ideally
58-year-old Lobodlo regrets being ideal when young. He wishes he could have utilised it in a productive way. His advice to the youth is to spend their time being engaged in something, be it farming or education. Education or knowledge is a medium for people to get what they want.
If you don’t lose direction, you can always bring the profit
This advice is by 65-year-old Maasai elder, Kititoei. He believes that it is important to help your community with the skills that you have gained for their betterment.
“Education can show you unseen things. But if you learn a lot and do not come back to help your community that means you have lost your direction. In my time, Morans were thieves, they stole other people’s cows. Now they aren’t because they know better. “
Project FUEL would like to thank the Maasai community in the Losimingori village of Arusha, Tanzania for opening their hearts and home to this research.
This exhibit is part of the Wise Wall Project, an initiative of Project FUEL, to document, design, and strengthen the wisdom of rural communities and marginalized villages using art and community outreach programs. In the third edition of this project, we collaborated with the Maasai tribe, in Arusha, Tanzania, to build an on-ground community centre for the tribe and bring an exclusive insight into the life, lifestyle, and learnings of this inspiring community.
Photography: Vibhor Yadav, Siddharth Govindan
Wall Murals: Poornima Sukumar
Canvas Art: Advithi Emmi
Cultural Consultant and Translators: Kaay Ndoika Lengima, Elisha Olchakai Kirumui and Lemali Ndoika
Research, Interviews and Curation: Project FUEL
Project Partners: Vijana Inspiring Foundation, Vikram Solar Ltd., Lions Club of Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Google Arts & Culture
