WHY WE NEED THE MAASAI WORSHIP AND HISTORICAL CENTER

BY ADAM KULEIT MWARABU

My names are Adam Kuleit Mwarabu. I work for an organization called PAICODEO. PAICODEO stands for Parakuiyo Pastoralists Indigenous Community Development Organization, an organization that was registered in 2006. We are working for pastoralists in the six regions of Tanga, Manyara, Coast, Iringa, Mbeya, and Morogoro. I also work for Parakuiyo Community as a Secretary. This is a traditional institution, and we are focusing on finding a balance between our traditional culture and the new things that are surrounding us.

Our spiritual leader, a man called Yohana Lewan’an Ole Ngekee, had a number of dreams. One of his dreams was to have a resource center at Madungulu village in Mbarali district in Mbeya region. This center would be a resource center for the community. The community would be able to come from different regions to sit together to discuss a number of issues facing Parakuiyo pastoralists in Tanzania; land issues and globalization issues, violation of human rights issues and good governments, and also to discuss how we are going to accommodate the future for our children. We believe in our traditions, but if you organize for the future, you won’t lose your way.

This center would also help us keep records of our traditions for future generations. It will have a place for meetings, and a number of offices for different organizations within our communities. There will also be a hostel to accommodate our members coming for meetings from their regions, and also whenever we have friends visit from outside our community.

The Maasai community has decided to come up with this center and we have already started its construction. We hope to collaborate with a number of partners, and we believe that it will be successful. So we request you brothers and sisters to join us. We want to realize Yohana Ngekee’s vision for future generations.

The Maasais are one of the lost tribes of Israel. We came through Mount Sinai, along the Mediterranean, all the way to Egypt, Sudan, along the Rift Valley to present-day Kenya and along the valleys of Tanzania. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is almost about our culture. So for us Maasais, what we need is the Good News because we have been part of this Jewish family for a millennium. So we need the Good News and this good news will help us to go back to our roots.

Published in the June 2009 edition of the Vine and Branches