Book on Maasai's conservation role to be launched tomorrow

Masaai's entertained guests when Canon partnered up with Ishara Mara to launch a Canon Experience Centre in Kenya aimed to raise awareness about nature and wildlife while empowering the indigenous Maasai people. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

The Great Lion Hunt, a book on the author's journey through the vast expanse of the savannah, will be launched in Nairobi today.

The book focusing on the Maasai's pivotal role in conservation is written by Norwegian photojournalist, documentary filmmaker and development worker, Ole Bernt Froshaug.

The book is a summary of the writer's encounter with the Maasai in Kenya.

It documents the Maasai's own tales, the ancient lore of the lion, Kenya's colonial past, its fight for independence and the challenges of tourism and neocolonialism.

The author himself has been involved in safari operations in Maasai Mara and is familiar with its opportunities and curses. He was encouraged to write this book by an elderly Maasai leader who has lived through the British invasion, the loss of land to European settlers and the more recent influx of safari tourists.

The Great Lion Hunt was launched at the House of Literature in Oslo just before Christmas, earning favourable reviews.

The author has been honoured with a grant from The Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers Association - and Arts and Culture Norway, backed by the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

Froshaug lived in Kenya with his family in the late 1990s. Together with the Maasai and some old friends, he started a safari camp in Maasai Mara. Since then, he has, beside filmmaking, been involved in projects related to tourism, local development and the sustainable use of bamboo for small-scale farmers.