Maasai march in Istanbul to raise awareness of water issues in Africa

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Members of the Maasai ethnic group marched through the streets of Istanbul on Wednesday to draw attention to the ongoing water crisis in Africa. Members arrived in Turkey at the invitation of the International Water Well Aid Association.

In an effort to raise awareness among the international community of the continent’s water scarcity, also a global problem due to climate change, members of the Maasai tribe traveled a distance of approximately 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in three days carrying buckets of water on their heads.

During their visit to local authorities, they shared their struggle for access to clean drinking water and how they have to walk at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) a day just to have a drink of water.

Later they visited the historic Spice Bazaar and enjoyed Turkish delicacies offered by local traders and also performed traditional dances there.

They also visited the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, where they prayed, and enjoyed a sea excursion around the Bosphorus, including the unique strait landscape connecting Europe and Asia.

About 900,000 East African Maasai live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Maasai lands bordering the Serengeti National Park are crucial for the community as they rely heavily on livestock. As they occupy a total area of ​​160,000 square kilometers (61,776 square miles), the largely pastoral community has lost a significant portion of its land. Long before the current government plan, they were moved from the Serengeti by the British in 1959.

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