Melita is a young man with hopes for the future. But his father is dead and his mother is very old. Unable to read or write, Melita provides for his family by making a living as a cattle-herder – the traditional way of life of a young Maasai man. He wants his younger brothers to have more options than he has.

“My father is dead and, as the head of the family, I worry about how to get more livestock. In Maasai tradition livestock is life, because that is how you feed your family and visitors when they come. My life is divided in two: I am a warrior and I want to enjoy my youth but I am also the head of the family and have to worry about feeding my mother, who is very old.

“If your father does not have any livestock, you have to take care of another family’s goats and cattle, and be paid in food. During this drought we have to take livestock – owned by neighbours – very far away looking for grazing and water. We face much hardship because many times the water is within the boundaries of the game parks like the Serengeti. It takes three days to go there and we get paid very little for this work. Sometimes we work for one year, travelling very far, and then are given only a small heifer by the person who owns the livestock.

“I believe we could contribute much more to the community. I hope I can help my young brothers go to school because I would have done better if I could have gone.”

What is Oxfam doing?

As well as offering adult literacy classes, Oxfam is providing small-scale credit and loan schemes. By giving people the chance to start a business with a loan, people are able to build a more stable future for themselves and their families. In Malambo, the beadwork enterprise – making and selling traditional Maasai jewellery – is a great example of a small-scale business that’s growing, and providing an alternative source of income for many people.

Find out about another of Oxfam's credit and loan schemes in the area.

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