Past Project
HIV/AIDS Prevention Seminars with the Maasai of Longido, Tanzania
HIV/AIDS Seminars in Longido’s Maasai communities
The Maasai communities of the Longido District in Tanzania live a pastoral life; however, this simple lifestyle is not profitable enough to support large families, which are common among the Maasai, and men travel to bigger cities, such as Arusha, in search of jobs. In recent years, pastoral living has become financially inadequate given the frequenting droughts and drying climate in Tanzania.
One of the Maasai elders’ son, Danny, explained to us how in the process of striving to provide for their families, the Maasai men are unknowingly accelerating the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) within their villages- namely HIV. While working in the bigger cities, Maasai men engage in unprotected sexual intercourse with individuals of different communities from their own and unfortunately, many often contract STDs. These STDs are brought back, and consequently spread, within the Maasai villages. This problem is aggravated by a lack of knowledge regarding STDs and their prevention, alongside poor general sanitation practices.
Even though preventative programs have been implemented throughout the country, the reach of their assistance dissipates within rural villages that do not have access to adequate resources or funding.
Contraception is a controversial topic within the Maasai community due to traditional, cultural, and religious perceptions surrounding their use. Many Maasai believe that condoms are associated with satanic practices and infertility and as an organization we strive to dispel such myths in a respectful manner. During our HIV/AIDS seminars in August 2019, it became evident that a serious problem was the misinformation surrounding contraception amongst the Maasai, as a result condom use is reported to be at a sparse rate of 15%. Through educational intervention co-designed by leaders in the Maasai community, we plan to develop safe spaces encouraging of conversation regarding sexual health and wellness.
Although polygamous relationships are deeply rooted in Maasai culture, as an organization we are encouraging the Maasai to engage in family planning to help reduce the prevalence of STDs. We are encouraged by the success of our 2019 initiative and the support we received from the Maasai communities of Longido. As critical partners to our organization, we continue to work to advance access to educational modules and clinical services that consider the culture of the Maasai in their approach and effectively reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS amongst this indigenous population.