Cultural Heritage and Climate Change Resource Centre

The indigenous Maasai in both Tanzania and Kenya have remained some of the few African communities that still visibly display cultural expressions in the face of the grobal world and the impact of modernisation. They have also retained some cultural institutions that help in the resolution of conflicts, the creation and maintenance of solidarity between various age and gender categories, and in ensuring livelihood security to the economically weak members of their societies. Modernity and increasing levels of poverty started weakening both Maa indigenous values and the rich heritage. creating an urgent need to initiate collection, publishing and dissemination of essential cultural information to the wider community audience.
Strategic Objectives
• The establishment of a mechanism for collecting and disseminating information which would create awareness on issues relevant to the rich Maa culture and heritage.
• The centre will collect cultural artefacts and other symbols of value to inform present and future generation relevance of indigenous systems of peace keeping, reconcilliation, celebrating life, hospitality and ecological imperatives.
• The centre will then act as a repository, collator and disseminator of information necessary for the achievement of better development results for economically depressed pastoralists.
• Through training programmes, the project will improve the quality of skills, hence improved management of economic well being.
• It will also provide a meeting place for social, economic, and cultural exchanges between Tanzania Maa people and their kins in Kenya.