Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Cultural Connections

At the MAC, we’re bringing the world to you! Join us for a quartet of events where you will experience “paired presentations” of multicultural music, film, and dance. Build connections in your culture or immerse yourself in new experiences as we offer an expressive mosaic of passionate artists and the arts.

Growing Up Maasai

Isaya Oleporuo, a Maasai Warrior from a remote village in northern Tanzania, loves to share his culture with others.  In his interactive “Growing up Maasai” program you will learn about this peaceful, kind and sharing people who live in extended-family homes (bomas).  Maasai life has remained largely unchanged for the past several centuries.  The arts and its symbolism is very rich in Maasai culture.  Isaya will show and demonstrate their traditions, dress, beautiful jewelry (available for purchase to help the Maasai women), dance and song.  He will tell about the roles of elders, young men and women in their culture.  Boys learn from fathers about becoming warriors who are guardians of their cows and servant-leaders for their people.  In the past, girls have become wives and mothers at a very young age.  You will also learn about Isaya’s work to rescue young girls from forced childhood marriage and finding sponsors to help them further their education.

Isaya Oleporuo is a Maasai Warrior Chief from the remote village of Eluai in northern Tanzania.  He grew up in the traditional family-centered lifestyle that the Maasai have followed for centuries.  As with all boys, he learned to herd and protect cows, which led to becoming a servant-leader among his people.  Isaya did not attend school, but had the opportunity to come to the U.S. in his 20’s.  He obtained his GED, an associate degree in Boston and completed his bachelor’s degree in International Affairs at Ohio State University in 2022/23.  His passion is to help his people and teach others about Maasai culture.  While in Boston, he did many presentations at schools about Maasai culture.  He continues to help support the women in his village by selling traditional beaded jewelry, providing income for their families as the men are away for months finding pasture for the cows.  Isaya has also established Osotuwa Foundation that helps young girls escape childhood marriage, with sponsorships enabling them to further their educations.  He began this work approximately 8 years ago with nearly 200 girls now having hope for a future of their own.

Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Students