This is Clamian Kitesho. He is a Maasai Warrior who sought an education (to the consternation of his father) and made a success of himself as a tourist guide and founder of Warrior Trails Safari Tours. But, he never abandoned his warrior responsibilities and his connection with his Maasai heritage.
There is no single word in the English language to capture the essence of Clamian. "Great person" doesn't do justice, because he is also "fun guy," "smart man," "wonderful family man" -- you get the picture. There's a Yiddish word for him: Mensch. This is the word to describe one of noble yet humble character, who gives of himself for the sake of others without expecting anything in return, who jumps in and takes responsibility for problems he can help fix, who genuinely cares for his family, who is always ethical....again, you get the picture.
Among the things Clamian wishes to fix is a traditional problem for Maasai women. You see, when a woman is widowed, the tragedy is compounded by the Maasai tradition that widows cannot marry again. Thus, widows are left to fend for themselves and children that they cannot support. And, the problem of widowhood has grown in recent years, because global climate change has seriously undermined the habitat for cattle, which is the only means of support for traditional Maasai. So, many husbands have ventured out to find alternative means of supporting their families. Lacking modern skills, they've only found jobs as watchmen or security guards. Sadly. some have been killed by robbers while working at these jobs.
This is where the Maasai warrior steps in. The role of the warrior is similar to our police motto, "To serve and to protect." When he is young, the future Maasai warrior is groomed to devote his life and energy to assisting his fellow Maasai, be it protecting cattle from predators or thieves, or protecting villagers from dangers posed by wildlife, or would-be robbers, trying to help in any way he can, traditionally receiving no income or reward other than what's provided by his fellow Maasai.
Clamian, having embraced a modern lifestyle to support his family, is still committed to his Warrior role by helping to fix whatever is wrong that crosses his path. One of his passions is helping his fellow Maasai to become educated and learn modern skills for better employment.
Another project is the Mamas jewelry cooperative.
Each Mama in the jewelry co-op has a story to tell that is tragic. All are widows. The only skill they possess is jewelry making. In Tanzania, traditional bead-woven jewelry is marketed to tourists, but that is a very limited market. Sadly, self-described "designers" from first world markets have ripped off the traditional Maasai designs, slapped on their own labels without giving credit or residuals back to the originators of the designs: Maasai women.
So, while first world entrepenuers may profit handsomely by adopting Maasai traditional designs, those who can claim rights to the designs remain impoverished. Karen and I resolved to address this issue with Jambo Creations.
For our Jambo Creations Etsy store, we have two primary goals. First, we'll support the Maasai Conservation Fund with proceeds of sales from Jambo Creations, to improve lives of women like
the Mamas, and that of their families and communities. Secondly, we hope to raise appreciation for intricate and colorful Maasai and African tribal jewelry, oft copied by first-world designers and crafters who too often neglect to acknowledge the cultures behind these inspirations.
