Preservation at the Peace Museum, Kenya

About the Project

The Abasuba Community Peace Museum was founded by Jack Obonyo (photo below, top left), in 2000, with a mission to protect and promote the unique cultural and natural heritage of the Abasuba’s small and endangered community, in Kenya’s Suba district, Nyanza province. Due to socio-economic dynamics over the past decade, the Suba culture has come under pressure and it’s language is now listed in UNESCO’s Red Book of endangered languages.

The museum holds a rich collection of cultural artifacts ranging from farm tools, ritual objects, musical instruments, traditional fishing gear, boats and paddles, ornaments, baskets, and traditional black smith materials. As stewards of Abasuba’s intangible heritage, the museum is also a community center and setting for the long-lived Abasuba traditional methods for peace and conflict resolution, hence its name. The regions natural heritage, such as the Sacred Forest and Peace Trees are sacred to the Abasuba and proudly reflected throughout the museum with educational displays to promote responsible tourism and a better understanding of its significance. In cooperation with the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA) and the National Museums of Kenya, the museum does a great deal of work to protect and promote seven nearby rock art sites featuring rock paintings, engravings, cupule sites and rock gongs. Recently, the Peace Museum was able to make a significant contribution to its community with the construction of a new school for young children with the revenue earned from just one rock site’s admission fees.

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Donations needed

• Display cabinets – 50
• Storage cabinets - 200 drawers
• Computer
• Printer/Scanner
• Digital Camera
• Funds – USD$3,000

About the Project’s Needs

The Abasuba Community Peace Museum ensures cultural heritage continutity, awareness and education for the younger generation who will continue to conserve the living heritage of the Abasuba community. Presently, the youngest speakers of the Abasusba language have reached or passed middle age causing the language to be placed within the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages. The Abasuba Peace Museum is in need of tools to continue its efforts in preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, while promoting awareness of its natural heritage.  Digital cameras, a PC, printer and scanner are necessary for digitizing collection data and site documentation. Display cabinets and storage cabinets are urgently needed to keep artifacts free from further erosion, safe, secure and accessible to museum visitors. Display and storage storage equipment logistics are still being resolved, stay tuned for updates or email us to contribute in-kind donations.