STOPPING HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSION AMONG THE MAASAI PEOPLE
USING CULTURAL APPROACH

Unlike many organizations dealing with curbing the transmission of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, in a unique way CHATA seeks the solution to HIV/AIDS transmission among the Maasai ethnic society from a cultural perspective. For the Maasai people, unlike many ethnic societies in Tanzania, including East Africa and probably the whole Eastern African region, culture forms an integral totality of their daily living.

Based on an Anthropological stand point, the Maasai ethnic group forms one of the few remnants of African traditional societies that has, for ages, successfully managed to sustain a traditional way of living, not easily permeable with modern civilization, by remaining strongly attached to a powerful Nilotic culture.

For the Maasai ethnic community, their strong culture permeates every aspect of daily living. For the ordinary Maasai, culture is prominently everything; they live their culture, they sleep their culture, they eat and drink their culture, they speak their culture, they walk their culture, they even sing and dream their culture. It is basically the totality of their daily life.

It is within this unique realization that CHATA seeks to effectively approach and address the HIV/AIDS transmission among the target group.

To a greater extent the Maasai community preserves its culture through a centralized traditional leadership that revolves around GERONTOCRACY—simply meaning leadership by prominent male community elders.

These traditional elders, who usually command enormous community respect, play the dual role of custodian and stewardship of the Maasai society cultural values. As custodians, this relates practically to preserving the traditional ways of passing, or handing down the cultural traits of sustaining the society (e.g. acceptable ways of behavior, taboos, initiation and passage rites, etc.) from the older to young generation, and from one age group to another.

As cultural stewards, the elders are endowed with the responsibility of enforcing the appropriate observance of cultural values and norms, in accordance with acceptable community cultural norms and standards. It is within this approach that CHATA seeks to address the HIV/AIDS problem in a sustainable way, by creating awareness that enables the Maasai community to name the HIV transmission problem, understand it and own it, and face the arising challenges within their cultural perspective. CHATA is seeking to build the capacity of the people to be agents of their own change.

There is an effective, tradional communication system used by the Maasai people in which news flows very fast and effeciently from one individual to another in a narrative form, and from age group to another, as well as from one place to another. This traditional communication is called LOOMON, which means "traditional communication exchange."

Usually loomon starts as a form of greeting between two individuals, male and female, mostly adults, which includes news coverage over a detailed and wide range of happenings, in the immediate families and wide families, in the neighborhood, as well as the entire community. The news can range from relationships, their livestock, the sick, the weather condition, life threatening event or disease, festivals, new born, to marriage, etc.

The news spreads very fast and efficiently. This is one of the strategies targeted by CHATA to deliver the HIV/AIDS message to the entire community, using trained individuals from the elders peer group. The preference is elders because in a gerontocratic society, elders play the prominent role of everything, including being spokespersons of the entire community.

Boundaries in life are not meant to deprive of pleasure, but enable forces to be harnessed for good—building and benefiting oneself and others. Like the restriction of the rails of a track that enable the train to move forward with great power, accomplishing purpose and not wrecking, so rules in life provide the same benefit. CHATA's emphasis is on awareness, leading to behavior change and caring/solicitude.

Can sexual indulgence now, ruin marriage later? The following video shows modern neuro-science research revealing that powerful chemicals are released during sex that should create a powerful, everlasting bond:

GOAL

There is a serious need to facilitate the breakthrough for the Maasai community to prevent the escalation of the pandemic:

• To have appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge
• Building up of positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, removing associated stigma
• Care for AIDS orphans
• Poverty reduction

COURSE OF ACTION

1. Increase awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention in the Arusha and Manyara community age group 15-49 by December 2009.

• Determine baseline information on KAP through community participatory methods
• Develop at least 4 culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention messages for the community in Arusha and Manyara regions. [Though this music video was developed for a North American audience, it is an example of using current media for speaking a message to youth. See Lyfe Jennings Music Video: 'S.E.X.' and Lyfe Jennings Says 'S.E.X.' Inspires Teens Not To Have It]
• Sensitize 15,000 women, men and youths through monthly HIV/AIDS awareness meeting.
• Distribute condoms through 50 community based peer condom promoters.
• Mass media education through local radio

2. Provide quality VCCT services to the reproductive age group in Arusha and Manyara regions through 6 health posts by 2009.

• Identify at least 10 potential sites for VCCT services in Arusha and Manyara regions.
• Train 12 VCCT service providers.
• Equip 10 centers with VCCT equipment and supplies.
• Mobilize community for VCCT services.
• Facilitate at least 100 HIV sero-positive clients to access ARV services.
• One of the bad consequences of ARVs is that because symptoms are reduced as a result of the ARV, the infected person thinks they are now "okay" and continues to spread HIV to others. CHATA believes the emphasis should be placed on awareness, leading to behavior change and caring/solicitude; rather than on drugs.

3. Promote positive attitudes on HIV/AIDS, PLWHA and orphans among the Maasai community by 2009.

• Train at least 300 community peer HIV/AIDS and social promoters.
• Involve HIV sero-positive clients in mobilizing the community to live positively.
• Conduct community psychosocial support through home visits.
• Provide comprehensive care and support to 1000 PLWHA and 2000 OVCs.
• Encourage the formation of PLWHA and OVCs support groups.

COORDINATION AND COOPERATON

CHATA is currently operating the two regions with 70 wards, which are local government jurisdictions. Through the Executive Committee, activities by the volunteers are well coordinated in the field. CHATA in collaboration with the Regional and District Medical Officers, Regional AIDS Coordinators, the District AIDS Coordinators, and other NGOs, FBOs, CBOs who are also addressing HIV/AIDS related issues. CHATA will collaborate with them closely, share resources and avoid duplications.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Throughout the project implementation, community members will be involved at all stages of the project. The levels of involvement will not be limited to leaders, women, men and youths groups. The volunteers and peer community HIV/AIDS educators will be identified from respective communities.

The involvement of PLWHA and orphans will minimize the stigma and build a sense of community concern. In involving the community at all levels, the project will eventually build ownership in caring for the infected and affected.

CHATA COSTS

The 3-year budget projection from January 2007 through December 2009 is 666,049,500 TZS (Tanzanian Shillings), which exchanges into $833,341 USD (United States Dollars 4/15/08). This budget includes costs for:

• Staff
• Travel costs
• Program supplies for training/educational materials
• Medical supplies
• Nutritional/food supplements
• 1 Toyota 4WD Land Cruiser
• Office furniture/equipment
• Utility costs: water, electricity, fuel
• Office rent; house keeping/maintenance; vehicle insurance/maintenance
• Program overhead expenses (3% of budget)

Please proceed to THE ACHIEVEMENTS to learn what we've accomplished so far.

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