Rasha Al Jundi
(Palestine/ Kenya)
Description:
Driving from Arusha to Wasso in Loliondo is one of the most scenic road trips I have ever taken. The rough roads that lead to Lake Natron, snake their way around rolling hills and tall mountains that tower over scattered Maasai homesteads and rows of cattle. The wind drives up sand storms in the horizon as the vegetation changes and volcanic black soil mixes with red soil of the southern tip of the Great Rift Valley. As we make the climb up the newly constructed tarmac road that eventually leads to Serengeti, the dry vegetation is replaced with lush green hills that stretch as far as the eye can see. This beautiful land has witnessed the slow mounting oppression of the Maasai by different culprits throughout its history.
The two submitted images are part of my ongoing documentary photography project “Red Soil” that aims to document colonial legacy on indigenous people. Despite the grim reality of continued land grabbing of ancestral Maasai land, I chose scenes that portray beauty and a counter dystopian narrative. While one illustrates the original pre-colonial Maasai name “Ogosorok” given to Loliondo, meaning the long dark path within the forest, the second image showcases the authentic Maasai semi-nomadic lifestyle that is under threat.
“Us, we are today’s leaders and we tell you, it will never end. But we will not stop fighting”, 48 year old community leader from Loliondo.
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