Maasai Traditional Medicine Experience

The Oloiboni (medicine man or spiritual healer) remains very important in Tanzania’s Maasai communities. Many villagers choosing his traditional approach over ‘modern’ medicine. This five-day experience introduces you to the world of East African traditional health care. You’ll visit the Maasai and the neighbouring Chagga tribe living on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Day 1
An hour’s drive from Arusha you’ll reach the village of Machame on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. After a cultural orientation, introducing the customs and history of the Chagga people, you will spend the morning with the village herbalist, learning to recognise and use some of the area’s medicinal plants.

In the afternoon you’ll meet the local midwife. You’ll gain an insight into the contrasts between indigenous and modern midwifery, and the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth in rural Tanzania. This is followed by traditional dancing in the village, before returning to Arusha for dinner at the Work the World house.

Day 2
After a talk on Global Trends in the Herbal Medicine Trade and Medicinal Plant Conservation, your second day is spent with herbal medicine sellers and the traditional healers’ cooperative around Arusha’s central market. The day also includes a visit to a Muslim traditional healer and an NGO that provides home-based care to HIV/AIDS sufferers.

Day 3
Your guide will drive you to the village of Monduli Juu, a mountainous area north west of Arusha. The day begins with introductions to community leaders and Maasai cultural orientations. You will meet the Oloiboni, or medicine man and spend time at a small Government dispensary in the nearby village of Enguiki. There you'll see first hand the delivery of primary healthcare to the rural Maasai.

In the afternoon you’ll hike to Olekitayemuni with a Maasai guide who will point out important edible and medicinal plants of the acacia bushland. For the next couple of days you’ll be living at a homestead in Olekitayemuni, to gain a true feel for village life.

Day 4
Through talks and a visit to a sacred ritual site, you’ll learn about the meaning and role of orpul, a holistic healing/strengthening ritual incorporating physical, motional, social and spiritual dimensions. This is followed by a goat sacrifice, lunch and Orpul songs and stories, with discussion of the importance of emotional and spiritual wellbeing in African traditional healthcare. As night falls, the Esoto begins – lively Maasai singing and dancing.

Day 5
After breakfast you’ll visit the Olomayani Women’s Cultural Centre to learn about the significance of female genital mutilation (female circumcision) in Maasai culture, and have the chance to talk to peer educators at the centre about the impact of HIV in their society. The week ends with your return to the Work the World house in Arusha (a weekend safari to Ngorongoro Conservation Area is also available for an additional fee).

Please note that the Maasai Traditional Medicine Experience is operated by Oreteti Cultural Discovery in Tanzania, not by Work the World. The cost of the five-day experience is £285 per person, based on a group of at least five participants, and will be paid directly to Oreteti.

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