Maasai Warriors

Introducing solar lights to your community, building a church and community centre, building a six classroom primary school, kitchen & dining room and teachers' houses, undertaking maintenance of clean water supplies, sponsoring 65 orphans or children from very poor families to attend school – perhaps not exactly what you’d expect a warrior to do? The Osiligi Maasai warriors are slightly different. Osiligi is the Maasai word for ‘hope’, and Osiligi is a UK charity working with the Warriors to help to relieve poverty in the Maasai areas of Kenya without changing the culture of the communities it assists. The charity is run by volunteers and 100% of all donations go to Kenya to be used in projects like introducing solar lights to the community and…oh yes, that’s where we started.

Tajeu Ole Minisa (known as Richard) is the leader of the group. Born one of nine children, his father died when he was fourteen and his mother struggled to sell water and firewood in an effort to pay Tajeu’s school fees. In the end he had to leave school and after training as a warrior for one year, he went to help his mother drive out their cows to look for pastures. He supplemented any money they had by working as a night watchman. Realising that he had a gift as solo singer, he met with friends and saw the potential singing had to inspire people as they coped with poverty and hard times and to educate people on how to lead a more Christian life. Richard is married with three sons and he will be performing in the Abbey with Kamayet, Kesame,Lydia and Miriam.

The Warriors tour the UK each year performing their songs and tribal ceremonies and this year’s tour takes them from small village halls and community centres to Exeter Cathedral and Malmesbury Abbey on Saturday 3^rd November at 7.30pm; tickets £7 (adults) and £3 (children) available at the Abbey bookshop on on the door on the night. The music is mesmerising and unforgettable – a spectacle, with a good heart, not to be missed.