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"Maasai culture is still sacred because many of our traditions have not been influenced by Western culture."

Mirishe, Maasai Culture Keeper

LEAF INTERNATIONAL TANZANIA

Arusha, Tanzania | Founded 2023 | 25+ Students Served

Why Tanzania - Maasai?

“I became the chief of my Maasai tribe in 2020 and have been teaching in my village for more than 10 years.” This statement led LEAF on a learning journey to discover more about the Maasai culture. This discovery journey led us to a Secondary School where culture keeper Mirishe Mollel teaches the traditions of Maasai culture.

Program Overview

This program focuses on the preservation of traditional Maasai dance styles, songs, chants, and storytelling. The culture keeper shares the history of the communities’ grandparents and ancestors through storytelling and ceremonial practices. Youth learn these traditions weekly with Maasai influences from across the region. This group of students at Shepherds Secondary school are brought together to learn about their culture and strengthen the unity within their community.

Meet the Culture Keeper
Featured Story
“We love this program because we have the chance to show so many people how beautiful our culture is.”
Angel
LEAF International Tanzania Student

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Program Highlights

  • Program Launched
  • Culture Keepers travel to Rwanda for cross-cultural exchanges w/ the LEAF Rwanda JR Troupe.
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Mirishe is a Maasai warrior and has been teaching youth about their culture for more than 10 years. His teaching focuses on the importance of singing, dancing, and respecting the culture in Tanzania or anywhere in the world. This includes creating exchanges between tribes throughout East Africa.

He has worked with the Umoja Center in Tanzania, where he supported youth development on the whole being – education & livelihoods, well-being & health, relationships & life skills, sports, family, and community. Currently, as chief of his village in Lormorije Simanjiro, his responsibilities include organizing traditional ceremonies and helping the community maintain health + medicinal traditions passed down by elders. 

“It’s important for me to keep our traditional culture because it is leading my community to unity and teaching our youth respect. And in Tanzania, we are one of the only tribes still keeping our ancestral traditions until now.” 

 

 

Mayani is a Maasai boy from Longido Arusha. He went to boarding school at 6 years old and lost his Maasai language and tradition. Since joining the LEAF program, he has learned to sing Maasai songs, practiced the ‘jump’ tradition and wear Maasai shukas (traditional clothing). Mayani is extremely happy and is currently teaching other youth the culture.

 

AN URGENT LETTER FROM THE LEAF BOARD:

For nearly 30 years, LEAF Global Arts has connected people through the power of art, music, and culture. Every shared moment has been made possible because of you – our community.

The LEAF Festival is critical to funding LEAF’s larger work: providing global cultural arts programming for thousands of local youth and preserving cultures and traditions around the world.

This year, we are facing a financial crossroads: between the loss of last fall’s Festival, losing a majority of our arts education funding in 2025, and not fully recovering from COVID, the future is bleak. The upcoming LEAF Festival could be our last if we don’t come together to sustain the heart of LEAF’s mission – but we have seen what this community can do when united for a cause greater than itself.

To open the Festival experience to as many people as possible, and to rally the full spirit of LEAF, we are offering a limited number of LEAF LOVE Tickets at a significant discount.

These special tickets, offered at 30% off (our highest discount, even more so than our Early Bird pricing) are our way of ensuring everyone has a place in this story. Full-priced tickets also remain available for those with the means to give a little more to help support LEAF’s vital work.

Your presence, your voice, and your support matter more than ever right now. Join us in making this LEAF Festival one that the world will never forget and ensuring the music continues for generations to come. 

Mayani is a Maasai boy from longido Arusha. He went to boarding school at 6 years old and lost his Maasai language and tradition. Since joining the LEAF program, he has learned to sing Maasai songs, practiced the ‘jump’ tradition and wear Maasai shukas (traditional clothing). Mayani is extremely happy and is currently teaching other youth the culture.

 

 

 

 

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