The Maasai culture in East Africa has existed for millennia. Today, it is facing big challenges because of the globalization. We support young Maasai through scholarships in animal health and law to help them secure the survival of their people for future generations.

The Maasai are semi-nomads who live with and from their cattle herds. Livestock production is vital for the tribe, and milk from the animals is an important staple and valuable commodity at the same time. With the construction of a dairy, VSF has already provided an additional economic mainstay for the Maasai.

However, only healthy animals provide useful milk. Thus the provision of veterinary care for cattle is a prerequisite to Maasai survival. If people are able to look after their herds medically themselves, their food supply improves. Therefore, the project Maasai Veterinarians has two aims:

The widely dispersed Maasai and Sandawe people are to receive basic veterinary training to permit them to attend to their own cattle herds. In remote areas first aid skills and knowledge about causes and treatment of diseases or plagues can be decisive over the life and death of a herd, and thus the survival of a whole village.

The project "Maasai vets" can save lives: By helping the Maasai to keep their herds healthy, we are helping them to preserve their traditional way of life and culture!