Browsing by Author "Ndagala, Stephen Appolinary Makene"

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    Cultural barriers to the implementation of University Primary Education (UPE): a case study of the IIparakuyo Maasai of Bagamoyo.
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2004) Ndagala, Stephen Appolinary Makene
    The Maasai community is among very few societies that have maintained their traditions and allowed very minimum western cultural infusion into their life style. This study sought to investigate the distinctive Maasai cultural features that have greatly protected the Maasai community from full involvement/participation in various societal development activities, such as UPE. The study focused on Ilparakuyo Maasai of Bagamoyo district in Coast region. Unlike other Maasai speaking groups (either of Kenya or Northern Tanzana) the Ilparakuyo Maasai of Bagamoyo have adopted man the Non-Maasai traditions. However, they still maintain three distinctive Maasai cultural features of age-set, nomadism and ritual ceremonies. The data suggest that the Maasai traditional features or ethics are still deep-rooted in the minds of the Maasai family members. These features were not tempered with by colonial and post-colonial administrative systems and they have remained to be the barriers for various socio-economic projects including the Universal Primary Education program. Therefore, the nature of colonial penetration and post-colonial administrative systems contributed to the exclusion of the Maasai in the modernization process. The study recommends, therefore that the existing administrative system should involve more and more the Maasai community in the planning and implementing of their developmental projects so as to reduce the exclusion of the Maasai community in the development process. It is suggested that further research should focus on monitoring the incipient changes among pastoral communities as a result of formal education.