| Traditionally, the masaai are nomadic pastoralists. | | | | society. The boys though spend most of the time |
| This meant that whatever shelter they built was | | | | playing look after calves and lambs. The girls help |
| very temporal for they moved according to the | | | | there mothers in cooking, milking and taking care |
| availability of water and grazing grounds for there | | | | of the home. The boys go through ritual beating |
| livestock mainly cows. This shelter is called the | | | | to test for courage and endurance. Boys between |
| enkaji and is built by the women. This is a small | | | | the ages of 12 and 25 go through a circumcision |
| shelter where the family cooks, eats, sleeps, | | | | ceremony to make them junior morans. This is |
| socializes and stores food, fuel and other | | | | done by the clan elders. Expressions of pain |
| household possessions. Small livestock are also | | | | normally bring dishonor to the family therefore |
| often accommodated within the enkaji. The | | | | the boys must be very courageous as no |
| shelter is made from readily available materials. | | | | anesthetic is used. |
| Poles are fixed directly into the ground and | | | | The men normally are the ones who guard over |
| smaller branches are interwoven in the spaces. | | | | the homes and livestock. They also decide on |
| This is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, | | | | issues concerning there homes and community |
| grass, cow dung and human urine, and ash. The | | | | depending on ones age group. The men also build |
| cow dung is for water proofing. The enkaji is | | | | a circular wall of thorned acacia for protection. |
| 1.5meters high and measures about 3x5m. | | | | The livestock are placed inside this enclosure at |
| The age set is the central unit of the masaai | | | | night to protect them from wild animals. |