We value your privacy

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies. Cookie Policy

Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

ADVERTISEMENT
Africanian
  • News
  • News 24/7
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • World
    • US
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • America
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Africanian
No Result
View All Result
Home Culture

Hundreds of Young Maasai in Kenya Undergo Right of Passage to Adulthood

For centuries, Maasai men have gone through three rites of passage which have been inscribed since 2018 on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

in Culture, Destinations, News, Politics, Travel
Reading Time: 2 mins read
1 0
0
Hundreds of Young Maasai in Kenya Undergo Right of Passage to Adulthood
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Whatsapp

With beaming smiles, their hair dyed a red ochre and adorned with a ceremonial headdress of ostrich feathers, the young Maasai men are busy taking selfies. They have just completed the first day of Eunoto, a traditional ritual marking the transition from young warrior to adulthood.

Read More: The Business of AI in Africa –Unlocking Opportunities for Innovation

Aged between 18 and 26, the young men came in their hundreds to the village of Nailare in southwestern Kenya, all from the same generation of “morans” (“warriors” in the Maasai language), a status they have held for a decade.

Many left their homes in the region to work or study in the cities of Kisii or Nairobi, or like Odupoy, further afield in the town of Machakos that lies more than seven hours away by road.

All wear red, the sacred colour of the Maasai — from their hair which is coated in a mixture of ochre and oil to their traditional plaid cloth shukas. This rite of passage brings together the families of the morans as well as local inhabitants and officials, in all several thousand people.

More

In Tanzania, the Kibuka community has improved their household economy by more than 50%.

Lesotho increases blood collection by 70% between 2017 and 2024

RevUp Women Initiative Launches Nigeria Edition at Lagos Startup Week 2025

Read More: The Visionary Architects of Africa’s Tech Ecosystems

For five days, the Eunoto ceremony features traditional guttural chants, single-file dances on one leg, and the adumu — the famous Maasai jump. Cows are sacrificed and their blood drunk by the young men, whose hair is shaved from their heads by their mothers.

For centuries, Maasai men have gone through three rites of passage which have been inscribed since 2018 on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

The morans no longer spend two years in an isolated village, called “emanyatta”, but meet there during school holidays to learn Maasai history and traditions, as well as the rules of life in society.

The killing of lions was to prove the bravery of the Maasai men, but has been illegal in Kenya for decades to protect the threatened animal. The decline of the lion population was also threatening tourism, a precious source of income in the southwestern region of Kenya which is notably home to the emblematic Maasai Mara wildlife park.

Read More: A New Norm ? Remote and Hybrid Work in the African Labor Market

In theory, young Maasai men can only marry after Eunoto, and their bride must have been circumcised. But female circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM) has been banned in Kenya since 2011 and is officially no longer practised or recommended.

Africanian

Africanian

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Rwanda combines youth innovation and circular economy to build a resilient nation

Rwanda combines youth innovation and circular economy to build a resilient nation

July 3, 2025
Weather in South Africa: Climate and Seasons

Weather in South Africa: Climate and Seasons

August 25, 2020
Weather in Morocco: Climate, Seasons and Average Temperature

Weather in Morocco: Climate, Seasons and Average Temperature

August 25, 2020
In Tanzania, the Kibuka community has improved their household economy by more than 50%.

In Tanzania, the Kibuka community has improved their household economy by more than 50%.

July 11, 2025
Lesotho increases blood collection by 70% between 2017 and 2024

Lesotho increases blood collection by 70% between 2017 and 2024

July 8, 2025
Nigeria accelerates economic transformation with key reforms and signs of recovery

Nigeria accelerates economic transformation with key reforms and signs of recovery

July 7, 2025
Twitter Instagram Youtube Facebook
No Result
View All Result

Africanian News

Is a dedicated project aimed at amplifying the voices of the African Ecosystem and Diaspora. We actively collaborate with initiatives to improve access to education and digital inclusion, both in traditional schools and through digital platforms, for African children.

It’s crucial to emphasize that none of the articles or images featured on our platform are intended for copyright infringement, neither now nor in the future. If you believe that any information, text, image, etc., may be subject to copyright and should be removed, please notify us by sending an email to info@africanian.com

Your dreams matter; your stories matter.

Feel free to explore collaboration opportunities with us. Share your articles, thoughts, interviews, experiments, or no-comment videos by reaching out to info@africanian.com. You can also subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates from Africanian News.

© 2024 Africanian News: From Africa, by Africans, for Africa, and friends of Africa.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • World

© 2024 Africanian News: From Africa, by Africans, for Africa, and friends of Africa.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.