Two days ago, I shared news sources concerning the Maasai being evicted from their land in Tanzania so that Dubai royals may hunt big game. The Maasai are nomadic pastoralists, the land is their home and their livelihood. This eviction is a robbing of their ancestral land and will affect the livelihoods of 40,000 people. The women will bear the weight of this, having been the ones to tend this land and raise their children, while the men have often moved to the city for work. I just learned that three days ago, during the night of November 17th, the Maasai market in the city of Arusha (neighbor to Moshi) was burned to the ground. I can’t find any official news coverage of this event, which is not surprising. The consensus is that this was likely an act of arson, and considering the reports concerning the land eviction of the Maasai released earlier that day, there is speculation that these two events are linked. Regardless of your opinions on tourism, this market was another source of livelihood for the Maasai who’ve had to find work in the city. Much was lost, but this is only the beginning. January, five years ago, I left for Tanzania. While there I was fortunate to meet and spend time with some of the Maasai people, and on another occasion, I walked through what was the Maasai market. As we now prepare to move back, we are burdened with this news and of how we might be of service to our Maasai neighbors in the coming months. Last night, we attended a study on faith and agriculture with our local community and the pastor shared that in the coming weeks we would be considering the story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). He gave a brief overview of the text, a narrative which details the event of royalty spotting desirable land that could perhaps be used for profit, Naboth’s ancestral land. Those in power requested this land, offering to pay Naboth or give him another land. Naboth refused, this land was his ancestral inheritance and his livelihood. As the story goes, he was plucked from the land, murdered, and it was overtaken by the king. This violent act of social injustice angered God, and the cry of the prophet Elijah is a symbolic protest against the rich who seize the land of the poor. The story of Naboth and the present reality of the Maasai bear a striking resemblance. I made this connection last night and shared it with our community. Within a few minutes of considering the weight of what this means for those affected, we were moved to prayer. I would encourage you to do the same. wolfganghthome.wordpress/2014/11/18/speculation-and-rumours-mark-the-aftermath-of-the-massive-fire-at-arushas-masai-craft-market/
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 15:13:18 +0000