In the Shadow of the Serengeti

Maasai squeezed out of homes to make way for wildlife tourism

In the Shadow of the Serengeti The Serengeti’s beauty draws tourists from around the world — but for the Maasai, that fame comes at a cost. A Maasai human rights lawyer fights to stop the evictions of his people from their homelands in Tanzania.
“It’s us Maasai who nurtured the Serengeti… why do they separate what God has made together?” On the borders of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, Maasai communities are being evicted to make way for tourism and game reserves. Human rights lawyer Joseph Oleshangay leads the legal fight, risking his safety to collect evidence from emptied villages. “They gave us only 24 hours to move,” recalls one evictee. Joseph’s case argues that 1,500 hectares have been illegally seized to form the Pololeti Game Controlled Area, with victims facing harsh violence and brutality from authorities. Risking his life to gather evidence from recently depopulated villages, Joseph battles in court where he leads the fight to resist the evictions: “We have become refugees in our own lands. We are running every day”.
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