7 Guiding Principles of a Maasai Moran
Values that the Maasai warriors of Arusha, Tanzania, abide by.
Morans singing (2021) by Vibhor YadavProject FUEL
The Morans are young men of the Maasai community, from the ages of 14 to 30, who are trained as warriors to provide protection to society. They are considered to be the bearer of the community.
The Maasai (2021) by Vibhor YadavProject FUEL
Hence, there are cultural and societal norms that have been laid down for the Morans, that shape them up as the protectors of the society and as individuals.
Lemali Ndoika (2021) by Vibhor YadavProject FUEL
We asked Lemali Ndoika, a Maasai Moran, about these norms and he shared with us 7 principles that guide the Morans.
1. Protectors of Society
The primary responsibility of Morans is to protect their society and cattle against intruders and wild animals. They also take care of the cattle by taking them out for grazing. The morans learn how to fight wild animals using a fimbo, or warrior stick.
2. Always in action
A Moran is always prepared to be in action. They cannot roam aimlessly. This is also why the Morans can never stand in attention because as warriors they must be in movement or inaction. They usually stand while leaning on their fimbos.
3. Eat healthy and stay clean
As Morans, they cannot just sit anywhere or eat anything. Morans eat healthily and sit only in a clean space. Because they are given the power to protect everyone.
4. Eating together
Morans always eat with each other, and never alone. This is to promote bonding with each other.
5. Art of governance
The Morans are taught the art of governance from their elders, as once they are past the Moran stage, they are expected to become leaders of the society. The Morans see their elders as their fathers.
6. Selected friends
The Morans are not allowed to be friends with boys who have not been circumcised.
7. Protectors of culture
The Morans are seen as people who not only protect the society, but also the culture of the tribe. They are thus discouraged from violating the cultural norms through their actions and words.
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, in Arusha, Tanzania, to build an on-ground community centre for the people 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
