Write a letter for the Maasai

Since the colonial period, most of what used to be Maasai land has been taken over, for private farms and ranches, for government projects, wildlife parks or private hunting concessions. Mostly they retain only the driest and least fertile areas.

The most immediate threat to the Maasai is against those from Loliondo, an area in northern Tanzania. Here, Maasai villages have been burnt to the ground, and thousands have been evicted, allegedly to provide a safari hunting company, Otterlo Business Corporation Ltd (OBC), with easier access to hunting land.

How you can help

Please write to the President of Tanzania, raising your concerns about the situation faced by the Maasai.

You can use our sample letter below, or use it as a template to write your own.

H E The Hon Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete
President
State House
PO Box 9120
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania

February 09, 2012

Your Excellency

I am extremely concerned about the recent forced evictions of 3,000 Maasai pastoralists from their homes in the Loliondo district of Tanzania.

I understand that the Maasai have been moved in order to maintain a contract with the Otterlo Business Corporation, which leases exclusive hunting rights in Loliondo from the government. The Maasai have lived in Loliondo and grazed their cattle there for generations. Evicting them, and burning their homes to the ground, is a violation of international laws that recognise tribal peoples’ rights over the land they have traditionally lived on and used.

The evicted Maasai have lost their homes and possessions. I have also heard that some of the Maasai’s cattle are now dying, because they are being refused access to the water in Loliondo. The Maasai rely on cattle for their livelihoods.

I urge you to act quickly to reverse the evictions, and to recognise the Maasai’s right to live on their lands in the Loliondo region and to investigate and bring to justice those who  committed violence against Maasai.

Yours sincerely,

Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organisations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.

Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.

Write a letter for the Maasai

1. Write your letter, then 2. Complete it and 3. Mail it

How you can help