PROGRAM

Indigenous Knowledge and Culture

Working closely with cultural practitioners and elders to bring positive indigenous knowledge and culture into holistic health and solving community challenges.

Problem

In Kenya, with rapid urbanization and modernization taking place, generations of young people are losing their connections to their traditional cultures.  The endangerment of traditional knowledge, values and practices is leading to increased conflict, environmental degradation, extinction of important medicinal plants, discrimination, disenfranchisement and loss of livelihoods.  

Indigenous knowledge systems and culture are deep resources for the sustainable management of lands, health improvements and peace building efforts.  Unfortunately, ongoing colonialism, racism, exploitation and dispossession of indigenous peoples have led to structural inequalities and societal exclusion and vulnerability.

Intervention

TICAH has been working with traditional plant medicine experts, elders, peacekeepers and musicians to create safe spaces where traditional knowledge can be shared and preserved, common challenges discussed and overcome and connections to young communities made.  

There is a lot that contemporary humans can learn from indigenous practices and traditional knowledge in order to improve our health, relationships, communities and the planet.  Diversity and inclusion of cultures and traditions is critical to the health of Kenya and other countries.  The UN points out that traditional knowledge, “can offer valuable responses to climate change, food insecurity, reducing inequalities and other challenges that we are trying to resolve through the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Program Initiatives

Medicine Wheel

Connecting with traditional Kenyan elders to encourage cross-cultural and cross-generational learning on plant medicine, peacebuilding, ceremony and music

Voice

Working with elders and youth of the Maasai and Mijikenda to tackle the challenges of elder murders
 and girls education

Cultural Sites

TICAH managed cultural spaces within the National Museums of Kenya system for learning, meditation and peace: Medicine Shield Garden, Peace Path Labyrinth, Kaya ya Mto sculptures and DreamKona public art space.

Advocacy

Working with other culture organisations to advocate on behalf of supportive policies for the protection and use of traditional herbal medicine.

Our Impact

1,090

Traditional Elders connected and sharing their prayers and plant medicine with one another

156

Maasai women using traditional collective action to advocate for their voices to be heard

400+

musicians engaged in the use of traditional music for healing and peace building in communities

515

participants learnt about plant medicine from traditional herbalists

31

videos sharing the value of tradition in contemporary times
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Program Highlights

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Support our work

With your support, TICAH will continue to listen to Kenyan traditional elders, connect generations with culture and find solutions to our challenges through culture and community.

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