Maasai people willing to stop Female circumcision, Documentary reveals

John Cheborot, a Kenyan from Lowell, describes the bad effects of Female Genital Mutilation practiced in Kenya to the producers of the "Massai at the cross roads" documentary as dumbfounded guests listen keenly during a premier at Harvard University. H.Maina/Ajabu

Story and pics by Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News

BOSTON, Mass, NOVEMBER 7_The revelation that the Maasai would be willing to shed off the decades’ old practice of female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) received a mixture of shock and praise during a question and answer session soon after the screening of the "Maasai at the cross roads" documentary last week at Harvard University.

Many participants expressed shock that the cultural procedure that is meant to usher in young Maasai girls into womanhood still existed despite modern evidence that FGM is not of much help to a woman’s sexuality.

The 45 minute documentary, produced by Teri Gabriselen, a tourist who first visited Kenya over 10 years ago and vowed to go back to help  in the education of the maasai children, together with two film-makers, Joe Dietsch and Kristin Jordan received wild applause from the audience.

It chronicles the changes that the nomadic Maasai of Kenya are struggling to make to adapt to the increasingly difficult times occasioned by climatic changes that are wrecking havoc to their traditional means of livelihood which depended mostly on their animals for food.

In the film, many Maasai contend that they can no longer depend on their animals, making education paramount to every child if they want to have a future.

Many Maasai are therefore embracing any opportunity they can get to send their children to school, even if it means studying under an acasia tree, where Teri first saw a Maasai teacher scribbling on dirt in front of a group of children, a sight that inspired her to start the African Schools of Kenya as a way to bring more education to the maasai.

The documentary also revealed that in conforming with the culture, many  Maasai parents did not want to send their female children to school  fearing that if a girl gets educated, she will run away from the community and never get circumcised either.

This prompted heavy grilling of the producers by the audience who wanted to know more about the practice and why it has not ended.

Filmmaker, Joe Dietsch answers questions from the audience

Executive producer, Teri Gabriselen answers questions

Filmmaker, Kristin Jordan answers questions

Many women interviewed in the movie said that they did not enjoy sex at all after the archaic procedure.

“Sex feels like nothing after the circumcision,” one woman said in her native language through an interpreter.

The documentary also revealed the openeness of the Maasai people to start using condoms to protect themselves aganist the spread of the dreaded HIV Aids virus that is also ravaging their community in Kenya even though they disliked any discussion of the subject.

"If they are the only way to stop us from geing infected, then we can start talking about it", a Maasai man says in the film.

During the ensuing discussion, it emerged that although the Maasai continued to practice FGM, they did not like the consequences that it brings to their women.

Many Kenyans in the audience were similarly dismayed that the practice has not stopped among the Maasai.

“Other tribes like the Kikuyu not too long ago used to practice FGM and attached a serious cultural value to it, but they have completely stopped it,” said John Cheborot who drove from Lowell to attend the premiere. “This was all because of the education they got,” he added causing a loud applause from the learned friends at Harvard.

Cheborot's concerns were supported by the executive producer,Teri Gabriselen, who said that during discussions with the Maasai men as they shot the film, most men admitted that they secretly go to get better sex from Kikuyu women after their women are circumcised.

Guests congratulate Professor Calestous Juma, the narrator in the film

The Kikuyu is the largest tribe in Kenya and are neighbors to the Maasai, thereby interacting on the fringes for decades in many regions like Ngong, Kikuyu, Dagoretti, Nairobi and other areas.

According to our history consultant, Daniel Karanja from New Bedford, intermarriage between the Kikuyu and the Maasai has been common for many decades.

Many ethnic tribes in Kenya have shed the practice considered deplorable by many as it grossly hinders full functioning of the female sexuality.

 However, a considerable number of communities in different regions still continue the practice.

“This beats the logic why they have to circumcise their own women, only to go looking for the uncircumcised Kikuyu women,” said Teri, causing wild laughter from the auditorium.

However Teri was quick to add that all that the African Schools for Kenya wants was to give the Maasai children some education to sustain their future livelihoods and the issue of FGM can be left to individuals and their community.

  “If they decide to stop the practice, well and good, If they decide to continue with it, it’s entirely up to them”, Gabriselen said.

“The younger generation seemed eager to move away from the practice, and the older generation is seriously considering shedding the culture,” added  Joe Dietsch, one of the film-makers of the ground breaking documentary.

The second film-maker, Kristin Jordan, said that she was encouraged at the fact that the new opportunities that the Maasai are getting for education will lead to the total shedding of the retrogressive culture of FGM.

“When a woman is well educated, she will never agree to be circumcised,” said Jordan.

The FGM issue dominated the discussion so much that it was very clear that no one from any part of the world was excited about the archaic culture.

White people, a Chinese, Kenyans, Japanese, and a Ugandan all shot up and voiced their concerns and hope that the practice will totally end.

Ms. Betty Nalwa, a human rights lawyer from Uganda, however cautioned the audience to go slow on the FGM issue within the massai community, citing the need for people to look carefully at the spirituality of the Maasai.

Others in the audience however disagreed with Ms. Nalwa, saying that good sexuality goes hand in hand with spirituality.

The event was hosted by Sarah Hyunee of Harvard University and moderated Professor Calestous Juma, also of Harvard school of government.

Guests watch a demonstration from the OLPC on revolutionary laptops by MIT for the disadvantaged children around the world.

Prof. Juma also served as the narrator in the documentary that left many people asking for more.

He thanked the many people who came for the "Maasai at the Cross Roads" premiere and hoped that more people would be inspired to do more such projects in Africa.

The premiere was followed by a reception and a demonstration by the organization, a media off-shoot from MIT that provides cheap laptops to children living in poverty in many different parts of the world.

OLPC is seeking to provide the cheap laptops to Maasai children within the ASK schools.

 The fully functional wireless laptops cost $200 and can be configured to use solar generated power.

To view clips of the film, visit http://www.askenya.org/

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