The Masaai Home

Traditionally, the masaai are nomadic pastoralists. This meant that whatever shelter they built was very temporal for they moved according to the availability of water and grazing grounds for there livestock mainly cows. This shelter is called the enkaji and is built by the women. This is a small shelter where the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and stores food, fuel and other household possessions. Small livestock are also often accommodated within the enkaji. The shelter is made from readily available materials. Poles are fixed directly into the ground and smaller branches are interwoven in the spaces. This is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and human urine, and ash. The cow dung is for water proofing. The enkaji is 1.5meters high and measures about 3x5m.

The age set is the central unit of the masaai society. The boys though spend most of the time playing look after calves and lambs. The girls help there mothers in cooking, milking and taking care of the home. The boys go through ritual beating to test for courage and endurance. Boys between the ages of 12 and 25 go through a circumcision ceremony to make them junior morans. This is done by the clan elders. Expressions of pain normally bring dishonor to the family therefore the boys must be very courageous as no anesthetic is used.

The men normally are the ones who guard over the homes and livestock. They also decide on issues concerning there homes and community depending on ones age group. The men also build a circular wall of thorned acacia for protection. The livestock are placed inside this enclosure at night to protect them from wild animals.



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