Maasai believed a woman could not get pregnant without a circumcision, and if she somehow did, the baby would die. We left in the evening, but the celebration was hardly finished. Because I have been able to study at Maasai Education Discovery, I have not had to get married either. of passage in to have affairs with men of the same age set but not outside Most painfully, I have heard of girls from my community as young as 10 years old undergoing circumcision and being married. It takes a while for them to get used to this. Loibons are Safaris, discussions & donations that make a real difference in Africa. his age set. Absolutely incredible story. In the distance, Maasai women descended from the hills. the age set. The Maasai are not the only tribe in Tanzania, and Africa as a whole, who have a strict social system and who practise circumcision. I was aware how fortunate we were to be there, to be humbled by the generosity of this Maasai community to welcome two foreigners like us into a piece of their private world, their celebration. Unlike many non-Maasai anti-FGM activists, we have not threatened to prosecute those who practice female circumcision. Men will I said: Thank you, father.. the emanyatta camp the warriors would head for eunoto ceremony In fact, I am campaigning to encourage Maasai families say no to FGM. Female circumcision in Maasai and Samburu culture marks the transition from girlhood to womanhood, it is said to prepare her for being a good wife and mother. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. popular rite of passages and ceremonies in the Maasai society. For as out of place as I was, the men paid little attention to me. your eye. Circumcision is no longer legal, and maternity care is offered to women. Our generations parents have been very much affected by this tradition, and feel that since it was done to them they should also do it to their children. Local woman maneuvered amidst the growing crowd with grace and agility and respectfully left space for others, as I spun around disoriented, the clumsy interloper. Some couples request circumcision for religious reasons, others for health or cleanliness reasons. Meat chunks were passed around the best saved for elders, the rest scattered on plates of rice circulated among guests. from Kisioki tugged at each of us, indicating we had to leave; it was late and the sun would soon set. Capital FM Kenya. For an insight into life with the Maasai, please visit my website or check out my blog. We bumped on a dusty and rough track for an entire day until reaching the rarely traveled Kiteto district. I brought them candies, and using a lot of gestures, I managed to get them together to take a picture of them. It would have meant the child was not prepared for adulthood, and the women would have cried as well. circumcision, the next step is to form the Emanyatta This chair becomes a man's friend until it is broken. Maasai culture is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. Following Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. black cloths for a period of 4-8 months. whoever takes the horn out of the fire will suffer misfortunate Their customs, dress, and lifestyle had long captivated my imagination. Established 1991, BEST SAFARI PRICES young ones. The day before the ceremony, boys must sleep outside in for the duration of its existence. Two hours later, we arrived in a clearing dotted with a few huts and a large animal corral. A year later, on beautiful Mafia Island, I met a local Maasai who became my husband and I moved to his family boma in the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania. 5 Minute Circumcision Video. Subscribe for exclusive city guides, travel videos, trip giveaways and more! Your email address will not be published. Maasai people are among the most well known of African ethnic groups, due to their distinctive customs, dress and warrior traditions. With the support of MED, she will soon attend Chicago State University in the United States, where she will pursue medicine. frowns on warrior hood, it also uses its image to attract tourists. The knot allows Isina's mother shows the razor which will be used to circumcize her daughter. It is the mother's role to shave her of brotherhood, and security for their land, cattle, and people. See below a video of Maasai women dancing during Elatim celebrating their traditions the way they have done for centuries. After they had reached the house, they became silent to hear whether the child was crying or not. They tell us that unless we stop the practice, we are all going to be prosecuted. is where a boy's life begin in the Maasai society. But the maasia are also a very loving and caring community. Mela motioned to the carabiner hanging off my camera bag. They were so happy and excited because, for most of them, it was the first time in their life they had ever seen their own faces, except their mirror-like reflections on the water surface. The boys are accompanied by While she was there, many older villagers confided they were proud their community still practiced FGM/C. Abandoning our culture would be annoying our ancestors. Men gathered closely, their fighting sticks echoing the leanness of their bodies. The purpose of the camp is to keep men of the same age Girls who are not circumcised, it is argued, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law. form his own homestead. Of Maasai We hope the circumcision practice can one day be eliminated because the expectation that girls must be circumcised will be eliminated. "Are you circumcised?" one of the women said to me. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more great videos: https://www.youtube.com/KTNkenya Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KTNNews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KTNNewsKenya For more great content go to http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktnnews and download our apps:http://std.co.ke/apps/#android KTN News is a leading 24-hour TV channel in Eastern Africa with its headquarters located along Mombasa Road, at Standard Group Centre. Traditionally, boys and girls must undergo The white and blue colored cloth, the Maasai nation's his age set's bad and good deeds. by participating in the bull's skin ritual. It hurts seven days, and then it starts to improve, one of the Maasai women had told me. They told stories, laughed, and motioned others to join in. are many ceremonies in Maasai society including Enkipaata Female circumcision is regarded from a different perspective by the rest of the world than it is by the Maasai, but the fact that we practice it does not make us lesser people. Mela came to Audreys rescue, grabbing her hand and squeezing it as if to say, You come with me.. A major international movement has developed over the past 20 years to eradicate the cultural practice of female circumcision that takes place in many African and Asian countries. In such a small community, they could afford neither. lenkashe, Oloboru enkeene and Olotuno (the ceremony, boys dress in loose clothing and dance non-stop throughout In some areas this percentage is as high as 95%, and as many as 50% of the women were operated on when they were between 10 and 15 years old. We are told to art of oratory skills and animal husbandry. This is a horrible cultural trait , and makes you wonder why it is acceptable for boys to be circumcised in the western word. 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Film makers: Dante Montagaliani, Roger Eaton, Michael Tombeur, Mattias Nyberg Education is a powerful tool for all of us to reexamine and question those beliefs, and to change those that no longer serve us, or even to our detriment sometimes. Three of us sat on the ground together, sharing one plate and one spoon, taking a bite and passing it on. set together and fulfill their role as a military force. The Two A few minutes later, it was time to dance or rather to practice. Secondly, the practice today is often done under unhygienic conditions and health problems develop. And this is just the way they dress up on the way to a party. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Warriors who violated Meeri KoutaniemiEcho 1 of 15 Maasai man walking to the forest to. This is the world they'll create. must raise eight bulls, before the ceremony, to be distributed Maasai believed a woman could not get pregnant without a circumcision, and if she somehow did, the baby would die. The The actual circumcision takes part at night after a ritual washing of the boys out in the bush. the cow. Kisioki and I sat down with two other men and ate from a heaping plate shared between us. Magazines, Digital The Maasai women all seemed to be happy to be circumcised. Over four days, over 400 girls aged 8-15 undergo training sessions as per Maasai culture . If it were not for my schooling, I would have been married by now. An Elatim takes part over two days, including a day of Endomon, where an offering, often a sheep, is made. Many Maasai, therefore, mean many cattle, which leads to potential overpopulation and overgrazing, causing a decline of local . Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. The girls' names have been changed in this piece. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. All Rights Reserved. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the freedom, the opportunities, the beauty and love around me. This wasn't a performance for my benefit, it was all theirs. They have many interesting rituals and ceremonies for boys entering into adulthood and later being initiated to become warriors. Women are luckier and are spared of such comments. is important to note that with the rising challenges of the is important to note that many of these initiations and rituals Follow. Excessive bleeding can occur during the practice and can lead to death. Circumcision is a cultural practice in the Maasai community, not a religious practice. However, seeing as the ritual has serious health consequences and makes sexual activities highly painful, circumcision has been illegal in Kenya since 2011: it can cause death and . I love my people and I will do anything possible to bring changes where they are necessary, especially concerning FGM. Are they now safe? Evelyn Nashipae Nkadori graduated from the Moi Girls Secondary School Isinya in 2003. at the age of about 35 years. the Orporror (morrans age group). A poorly performed procedure causes excessive bleeding, which causes death or anemia. He was an educated man and lived outside of the tribe. advice. As we came closer to our final destination, I heard a terrified scream. We followed the group into the open-air corral and moved to the edges, positioning ourselves to absorb a widening scene in front of us. male circumcision is the latest weapon against africa's spiralling hiv problem, with research showing it can cut infection rates by up to 60 percent . olkiteng, chief of the boys, must be chosen. Note: If prose isnt your thing and video is all you're after, click here. It was done to millions of boys to stop them from masturbation..at least in my ase it was done in a hospital even it it will eventually leave me impotent, was done (in my ear) to provide forskins for burn patients (the hospitals sold them for moneyit was a big income item). My mother says those who dislike female circumcision would be better to tell us how to improve the procedure rather than to stop it. Writer, speaker, storyteller and consultant. I answered I was not, and suddenly her smile was gone. 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