Maa Cultural Heritage Organization is legally constituted as a community-based organization under the laws of Kenya.
It is registered under the auspices of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and Social Services within the office of the Vice president Registration number 7313 in Laikipia North District, Republic of Kenya. This is a strategic arrangement that enables the organization to undertake specific activities relating to promoting, preserving, and conserving the diverse Maa Community Heritage and different forms of cultural and traditional expressions.
As a registered organization, it is able to undertake a variety of activities ranging from intellectual property rights, local economic development through enterprise development, cultural education, and preservation, supporting livelihood, and using culture as a resource to address conflict and promote peacebuilding.
Due to limited human and financial resources the project; Maa Cultural Heritage has been operating under the auspices of several organizations. However, since 2007 it was able to consolidate itself as an organization and has an office in Nanyuki.
Objectives
- To preserve, protect, and promote Maa culture through cultural education and cultural talks.
- Promote recognition of/and respect of Maa indigenous peoples’ culture by documenting and posting cultural information.
- Promote tolerance and understanding of the cultural, spiritual, and language diversity through traditional songs recording and dissemination to raise community awareness and education on productive health and HIV/Aids.
- Enhance sustainable economic development drawing on the wealth of knowledge and experience of the Maa culture to advocate against corruption and protect human rights.
- Establish a cultural museum and documentation center for storage and preservation of the cultural art, community research, and database.
- Enhance and uplift the economy of the Maa community through supporting livelihood programs and encouraging the advancement of positive cultural practices that form the back borne of their economy.
- Create awareness of the rich culture to policymakers and lobby for the participation of the community in policy formulation at the national level.
Activities
- Document, record, and patent Maa ethnomusicology, rituals, and cultural practices.
- Mobile cultural education through schools.
- In the process of establishing a medicinal and spiritual orchard.
- In the process of establishing a cultural resource center (community museum).
- Peacebuilding and HIV/AIDS education through the use of Maa songs and performances.
- Local economic development through enterprise development with a focus on women and youth.
Contact:
John Ole Tingoi,
Project Chairman,
MCH Kenya,
Po Box 499 – 10400,
Email: oletingoi@yahoo.co.uk,
Nanyuki, Kenya.
Laissa Malih,
Project Coordinator,
MCH Kenya,
Po Box 499 – 10400,
Email: laissamalih@gmail.com,
Nanyuki, Kenya.