“Maasai Olympic Games” bringing hope for women

A young woman crosses the finish line to the cheers of the delighted public of “Maasai Olympic Games”which revisit an ancient tradition on rolling grasslands near Africa’s highest mountain.

While Maasai warriors once had to kill a lion to prove their virility, competition here replaces traditional hunting with sport, to protect wild animals threatened with extinction. It also offers more visibility to women.

Some 160 young athletes dressed in colorful costumes, including 40 women, met on Saturday in the Kimana reserve, about 200 kilometers south of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, near the famous Amboseli national park.

“Events like this are nice because girls notice their talent”declares Valentine Naisimoi, still panting after participating in the 100-meter race.

“After noticing their talent, they will work hard to develop it, so that it will help them in the future. »

Many women in her community are primarily destined for traditional roles, she notes: “They are just here to get married”.

The races then offer the 19-year-old, who hopes to one day be like the famous Kenyan Olympic athlete Mary Moraa, a chance to shine – and hope for other opportunities.

Participants in the games compete over distances ranging from 100 to 5,000 m.

Certain disciplines have also been adapted to local customs: “strictness”wooden clubs intended to protect against hyenas, notably replace discs in throwing events.

And even if women only compete today in the 100 and 1,500 m, projects are being considered to include them more, assures the Maasai coordinator, Samuel Kaanki.

« Champions »

“We need girls to participate too”he points out, explaining how the traditional ceremony, focused on men, clashed with the changing needs of the community.

“When I attended educational meetings, many women asked me why women were not participating in this program”he adds.

Created in 2012 by community leaders and the conservation organization Big Life Foundation, the games were designed to preserve the region’s lions, which had dwindled from around 30,000 in the 1970s to just over 2,000.

Thanks to them, estimates Big Life Foundation, more than 250 lions now roam the Amboseli ecosystem, overlooked by the snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro, compared to less than 20 at the start of the 2000s.

For Stephen Masindet, 21, the event is important because it helps change mentalities.

“Before, we killed lions”he notes. Today “Everyone wants to come here. And that motivates other athletes”.

“When they see other people running, they want to come train and become champions. »