My name is Neema John, but my friends call me Nemburis.  I am 21 years old. I am Maasai, born in Simanjiro in Tanzania .  My father is 70 years old and has two wives.  My mo ther, Namanyani, is 40 and is the second wife.  In my mo ther’s family there are five children and my father’s first wife has six children.  My father’s brother lives in the same Boma as we do.  He has three wives and nineteen children.  Altogether in our Boma there are thirty children.

With my mo ther’s family, we live in a local Maasai hut made of trees, mud and grass.  We have three rooms. It is always very dark. We have some problems in our house with fire, because the babies and the small animals living in the house can fall in and get burned. The s mo ke is very strong and there are snakes. When it is raining we get water in our house.  A Maasai house has no toilet.  We go to the forest to find a dark place.

Before I went to school every day I helped my mo ther clean the house.  I went to collect firewood and water and then I milked the cow.  I looked after the younger children to get them ready for school and had to make sure that they took their medicine. I went to school at 6 o’clock and walked for one hour to school. There were problems on my way.  In the rains there was sometimes no path.  There were wild animals in the forest.  I was very tired because it was a long walk.  When I got to the school I had to clean the area and the classroom.  I wanted to get in the class early or I would be punished by the class teacher. If I was late I found my desk used so I had to sit on the floor.  Sometimes there were not enough books. I had to self-study so I didn’t get to understand some subjects well.  I stayed hungry until 4 o’clock because we had no food at school.  After school I looked after the cow and took it to graze.

My district Member of Parliament told my mo ther about Emusoi.  Even if it was dangerous for her she helped me to go to Emusoi.  My brothers were very angry because my father had promised me to be married, for a Bride Price of 20 cows.  My brothers wanted to use those cows to pay their Bride Price.  My father refused to give them his own cows.  He said he could only give them cows paid for the girls’ Bride Price.

In my Secondary School, Irkisongo, there were other Maasai girls that I could talk to about our life.  But some of the teachers did not like Maasai people.

I miss the wonderful celebrations we had for big occasions like Marriage and Circumcision.  Decoration is very important to the Maasai, especially the women.  Before a celebration, they shave their heads and oil their scalps so they shine. Then they put on special beaded decorations they have made.  On their heads they wear special beaded bands.  They wear beads on their arms and legs.  They look beautiful.  I miss those special days

Now I want to continue my studies.  I will study Education and become a teacher.  After I finish, I can go back home to educate my people and the whole society if I get help from the elders.  My people will not listen to a woman but I will find help from the elder educated ones.  I can help other girls to continue their education.

Maasai people depend on the land and the cattle as well as boys with mo re education.  I believe for the coming future, they will depend on educated girls, like me.

NB:  Neema will be study at Mandaka Teachers College in Moshi.