LOSADEI – Loliondo and Sale Development Initiatives

Economic and social promotion of the ethnic groups Maasai and Batemi living in the Ngorongoro District of Tanzania

  • Sectors: Integrated rural development
  • Duration: 12/1994 – 06/2002 (prolongation through NDDP)
  • Volume: 1.7 Mill. Euro
  • Persons/ Months: 64
  • Client: Austrian Development Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Vienna
  • Partners: Austroproject Association Tanzania (APA), Ngorongoro District Council, Local NGOs

The project stresses the economic and social promotion of the ethnic groups living in the Ngorongoro District on the eastside of the Serengeti ecosystem.

A considerable part of the population consists of semi-nomadic pastoralists pertaining to the ethnic group of the Massai (83%). The other predominant ethnic group is the Batemi (15%). Most of them live in the area of Sonjo as agriculturists.

About 60 % of the district falls under the prevailing jurisdiction of the autonomous Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). The rules of the NCAA imply restrictions in land use, for agriculturists as well as for pastoralists, who partly have been shut off from their traditional habitat in favour of the booming safari tourism.

Self-organisation is promoted as well as primary and secondary school education, in order to enable the Massai to protect their interests against adverse influences from tourism. Support is given to local initiatives, especially in the field of animal health (rural pharmacies) and infrastructure (dams and water supply).

The LOSADEI/LANADEI Project was integrated into the Ngorongoro District Development Programme (NDDP) that started in 2002.

Leave a Reply