Comments on: Maasai Culture: Cattle, Ritual, and Change

By: Program Update: Livestock as a Business | Water is Life Kenya

Program Update: Livestock as a Business | Water is Life Kenya — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:14:14 +0000

[…] Cows are essential to Maasai culture, economy, and status. This is why Water is Life Kenya’s (WILK) Livestock as a Business (LAB) program combines traditional livestock-raising techniques with modern business skills training to help Maasai herders get a better yeild on their cattle. Let’s take a look at what our newest LAB groups have been up to since they began training last year. […]

By: From Home to Homeless: Displaced Maasai in Crisis | Water is Life Kenya

From Home to Homeless: Displaced Maasai in Crisis | Water is Life Kenya — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:40:19 +0000

[…] met Songoyo after his cows and land had already been seized. He’d grown up in the traditional Maasai lifestyle and, as such, valued cattle above all else: “No cows, no life.” But in June 2022, […]

By: How to Affect Lasting Changes: People-Centered Work in Kenya

How to Affect Lasting Changes: People-Centered Work in Kenya — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 21:41:56 +0000

[…] LAB program is also important because there are no Maasai without cattle. The income in this region comes from livestock, and people needed better skills to manage their herds. Livestock benefit from fresh water, disease […]

By: Cows and Goats: Gifts of Hope

Cows and Goats: Gifts of Hope — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:09:45 +0000

[…] They equal currency and can either be used as payment or sold for money. They’re also an important, inherent part of Maasai culture, both in ceremonial and practical […]

By: Animals, LAB, and Maasai Traditions

Animals, LAB, and Maasai Traditions — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:54:36 +0000

[…] already know the Maasai have a close cultural connection with cows and livestock. Not only are they synonymous with currency and wealth, but they also are used ritualistically for […]

By: A Tribute to Kenyan Mothers | Water is Life Kenya

A Tribute to Kenyan Mothers | Water is Life Kenya — Wed, 10 May 2023 19:42:01 +0000

[…] today, women are expected to care for their homes and children while men tend to the cattle—usually far from home. Early in the morning, women milk cows and collect water to use during the day. If they have […]

By: Rain is Falling, But the Drought isn't Over (Yet) | Water is Life Kenya

Rain is Falling, But the Drought isn't Over (Yet) | Water is Life Kenya — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 15:41:03 +0000

[…] important as a buffer for crop cultivation, but it also is a major source of food for cattle—the main identifier of wealth for Maasai. While the focus during the drought was placed on cattle starvation, the reverse is certainly […]

By: Women Helping Women: How WILK Empowers Women in Kenya | Water is Life Kenya

Women Helping Women: How WILK Empowers Women in Kenya | Water is Life Kenya — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:06:45 +0000

[…] full responsibility of their household and family, and stay fixed in a cycle of poverty. Because Maasai value cattle more highly than women, this is not an easy cycle to break. That’s why we’ve developed several programs and services […]

By: How Kenyans Are Affected by Six Seasons Without Rain | Water is Life Kenya

How Kenyans Are Affected by Six Seasons Without Rain | Water is Life Kenya — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 18:13:15 +0000

[…] obvious problem with the drought is that animals are dying. Maasai measure wealth in cattle, so with record numbers of cows dying Maasai are struggling to produce enough income just to feed […]

By: Gathering Around the Fire: Maasai Food Culture | Water is Life Kenya

Gathering Around the Fire: Maasai Food Culture | Water is Life Kenya — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 06:22:40 +0000

[…] though Maasai are pastoralists, and more specifically cattle herders, they usually do not kill their cows or bulls. In fact, they don’t even hunt; rather, the other […]