Study on Clinical Needs: Assessing the Feasibility of Building a New Medical Facility for the Maasai People Group in Narok County in Rural Kenya

In the current age of modernization, the traditional way of living seems to be the way of the past. The Masai Mara Game Reserve, one of the world’s finest wildlife reserves, the nation's top tourist attractions became a big part of the Nation's economy post-independence after 1963. Seeing the potential of the tourism market, the Kenyan Government, back in 1960’s, passed various laws for land escheatment from the protected Maasai Reservation for key positions in politics (Olo-Dapash, 2001). This subsequently divided the Mara, allowed for foreign bodies to buy land, eventually leading to a rise in the cost of living. The traditional Maasai are currently fighting for a way to preserve their culture while still being able to live in their ancestral land. To combat high costs, many Maasai have turned to giving tours in the Mara as tour guides. The Maasai Education, Research, and Conservation (MERC) partnering with the Mara Guide Association created a facility, the Dopoi Center, to help the Maasai become independent. This research focuses on the limited medical facilities the Maasai have access to, and the feasibility of having a medical center at the Dopoi Center.