Learning Together:Learning Together:Noonkodin Secondary Noonkodin Secondary School and UK schoolsSchool and UK schools

Gemma BurfordGemma BurfordCo-Founder & International Liaison, Co-Founder & International Liaison,

Noonkodin Secondary SchoolNoonkodin Secondary School

Emaiyan – Blessings Emaiyan – Blessings (Starting from the heart)(Starting from the heart)

Meetings always start with a Meetings always start with a prayer. The most important prayer. The most important ones are held under a special ones are held under a special tree, which is like a natural tree, which is like a natural ‘church’ for the Maasai.‘church’ for the Maasai.

The Maasai call God The Maasai call God Engai.Engai. When the women milk the cows When the women milk the cows

in the morning, they spill a few in the morning, they spill a few drops of milk to ‘give something drops of milk to ‘give something back to the Earth’. back to the Earth’.

People go to the ‘Mountain of People go to the ‘Mountain of God’ to pray and ask for help.God’ to pray and ask for help.

Each area has a spiritual Each area has a spiritual leader, who’s also a healer.leader, who’s also a healer.

EnaboishuEnaboishu – Oneness– Oneness (We ARE one family!)(We ARE one family!)

Young men aren’t allowed to Young men aren’t allowed to eat meat, drink milk or even eat meat, drink milk or even take a bath alone!take a bath alone!

Elders & children are looked Elders & children are looked after by the whole villageafter by the whole village

Children eat wherever they’re Children eat wherever they’re hungry and sleep wherever hungry and sleep wherever they’re tiredthey’re tired

Everyone helps out at Everyone helps out at community festivalscommunity festivals

Everyone works together in Everyone works together in building new houses, searching building new houses, searching for lost cattle and growing foodfor lost cattle and growing food

Eserian – HarmonyEserian – Harmony (A (A place of peace)place of peace)

The Maasai keep livestock The Maasai keep livestock (cattle, goats, sheep and (cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys) and some grow crops donkeys) and some grow crops like maize, beans and wheat.like maize, beans and wheat.

Peace (Peace (eserianeserian) means a good ) means a good relationship between people, relationship between people, livestock and wild animalslivestock and wild animals

Maasai live alongside wild Maasai live alongside wild animals, and kill them only animals, and kill them only when they are a direct threat to when they are a direct threat to their livestock! their livestock!

Plants and trees are used to Plants and trees are used to make homes, tools, and even make homes, tools, and even medicines to treat diseases.medicines to treat diseases.

Osingolio – SongOsingolio – Song (Passing on the tradition)(Passing on the tradition)

Traditional Maasai communities Traditional Maasai communities didn’t write anything down…didn’t write anything down…

Songs and stories are the Songs and stories are the community’s `libraries’!community’s `libraries’!

Elders tell stories to children Elders tell stories to children around the firearound the fire

Stories and songs of ancient Stories and songs of ancient heroes are used to teach heroes are used to teach children how to behavechildren how to behave

Dance is used to help people Dance is used to help people make friends and get to know make friends and get to know one anotherone another

ChallengesChallenges In the past, the Maasai were famous for being fierce In the past, the Maasai were famous for being fierce

warriors who used to fight other tribes. An important new warriors who used to fight other tribes. An important new challenge is learning to work together with people who challenge is learning to work together with people who look different, speak different languages, and value look different, speak different languages, and value different things!different things!

The weather in Maasai land is changing. Sometimes The weather in Maasai land is changing. Sometimes there’s not enough rain (droughts), and sometimes there’s there’s not enough rain (droughts), and sometimes there’s too much (floods), so livestock and people die. Diseases too much (floods), so livestock and people die. Diseases kill livestock too.kill livestock too.

Getting enough clean water has always been difficult, and Getting enough clean water has always been difficult, and now it’s even harder. Some 10-year-olds have to carry a now it’s even harder. Some 10-year-olds have to carry a 10-litre drum of water on their backs for three hours every 10-litre drum of water on their backs for three hours every day! (Would you want to carry it for three day! (Would you want to carry it for three minutesminutes?)?)

As towns, cities, farms and National Parks grow, it’s hard to As towns, cities, farms and National Parks grow, it’s hard to find enough land for keeping livestock without ruining the find enough land for keeping livestock without ruining the grass and soil.grass and soil.

Going to schoolGoing to school When Maasai children go to school, they learn the same sort of When Maasai children go to school, they learn the same sort of

things as English children: Maths, Science, History, Geography, things as English children: Maths, Science, History, Geography, English, and the national language, which is called Ki-Swahili.English, and the national language, which is called Ki-Swahili.

They don’t have a chance to learn about things like how to They don’t have a chance to learn about things like how to look after livestock, how to respect and protect nature, which look after livestock, how to respect and protect nature, which berries are good to eat, or how to use plants for making berries are good to eat, or how to use plants for making medicines. medicines.

So when the old people die, there is nobody left who knows So when the old people die, there is nobody left who knows about these things. The songs, stories and knowledge die too!about these things. The songs, stories and knowledge die too!

There is an African proverb: “Whenever an elder dies, a library There is an African proverb: “Whenever an elder dies, a library burns to the ground”.burns to the ground”.

Noonkodin Secondary Noonkodin Secondary SchoolSchool

Noonkodin Secondary Noonkodin Secondary SchoolSchool

We built Noonkodin Secondary School to give young We built Noonkodin Secondary School to give young Maasai a place where they can still learn English, Maths, Maasai a place where they can still learn English, Maths, Science and the other subjects, but keep learning their Science and the other subjects, but keep learning their culture and values too.culture and values too.

They learn how to work together with people from They learn how to work together with people from different tribes and even different countries!different tribes and even different countries!

Years 8-9 have special classes where they talk about Years 8-9 have special classes where they talk about their history, share songs and stories, and learn practical their history, share songs and stories, and learn practical skills like cooking and making jewellery.skills like cooking and making jewellery.

Year 10 students go out into the villages to talk to elderly Year 10 students go out into the villages to talk to elderly people, find out from them about how to make plant people, find out from them about how to make plant medicines, and put the knowledge into books so that it medicines, and put the knowledge into books so that it can be kept for ever.can be kept for ever.

Noonkodin’s Motto:Noonkodin’s Motto:“The pen is mightier than the spear”“The pen is mightier than the spear”

TEAM: Together TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves Everyone Achieves

More!More! Maasai families work very hard to send their children to Maasai families work very hard to send their children to

Noonkodin, but there are some who can’t find enough Noonkodin, but there are some who can’t find enough money. We can work as a team to make sure that money. We can work as a team to make sure that nobody at Noonkodin ever has to leave school because nobody at Noonkodin ever has to leave school because they can’t afford it!they can’t afford it!

We can join forces with Noonkodin School to improve its We can join forces with Noonkodin School to improve its buildings and get more books, computers, equipment, buildings and get more books, computers, equipment, etc.etc.

In 2009-2010, through its partnerships with UK schools, In 2009-2010, through its partnerships with UK schools, Noonkodin was able to build a new boys’ dormitory and a Noonkodin was able to build a new boys’ dormitory and a new kitchen, equip the science lab, set up a library and new kitchen, equip the science lab, set up a library and install four new computers. install four new computers.

Our next goal is to buy a vehicle, so that pupils and staff Our next goal is to buy a vehicle, so that pupils and staff can be taken to hospital quickly if there is an emergency.can be taken to hospital quickly if there is an emergency.

Learning TogetherLearning Together What can we learn, with the Maasai youth at Noonkodin, What can we learn, with the Maasai youth at Noonkodin,

about healthy ways of enjoying nature without destroying it? about healthy ways of enjoying nature without destroying it?

How can we make sure that children in Tanzania and the UK How can we make sure that children in Tanzania and the UK grow up to care about one another, protect the things that grow up to care about one another, protect the things that are important, and work together with all different kinds of are important, and work together with all different kinds of people?people?

Why are some people hungry while others have too much? Why are some people hungry while others have too much? Why is land being taken away from some people, to make Why is land being taken away from some people, to make others even richer? How can we make the world fairer for others even richer? How can we make the world fairer for everyone? everyone?

What can we, as young people, learn from our elders? Are What can we, as young people, learn from our elders? Are there plants on our doorsteps that can be used as food or there plants on our doorsteps that can be used as food or medicine? Are there old songs, stories and games that need medicine? Are there old songs, stories and games that need to be saved? to be saved?

www.serianuk.orwww.serianuk.org.ukg.uk

G.L.Burford@brighton.ac.ukG.L.Burford@brighton.ac.uk

With thanks to Bob Webzell ARPS, Trustee of With thanks to Bob Webzell ARPS, Trustee of Serian UK, for the wonderful pictures in this Serian UK, for the wonderful pictures in this

slide show.slide show.