An Eye and a Lens - Maasai Women

Although there are over 100 different tribes in Tanzania, the most visibly distinctive are the Maasai. They are pastoralists and known for their warrior-like behaviour making them popular as security workers.

Most of the younger men don't seem to mind having their photos taken, but it is much more difficult approaching the women. Johann is keen to organise a quick informal photoshoot in Mto Wa Mbu, and ably assisted by local tourist Esther who negotiates a token "fee" for the shoot.





The Maasai (also known as Masai) are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well known of African ethnic groups. They speak Maa, a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to Dinka and Nuer, and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania: Swahili and English. There are an estimated almost 900,000. Estimates of the respective Maasai populations in both countries are complicated by the remote locations of many villages, and their semi-nomadic nature.

Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programmes to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs.

Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands.