Maasai Land

Hi!

So I made it to Maasai land about a week ago and so far have learned a ton. The Maasai people are so interesting. They are known for being honest and kind and I have definitely experienced that. I immediately felt welcome in their home. They make their living through tending cattle and goats...my family owns about 100 cows and even more goats. The animals stay in a big fenced in area outside and the older brothers spend their days taking care of the animals.

The scenery is BEAUTIFUL!

About my work: My days are pretty chill. The school is only a ten minute walk from my house so during the day I will go over there and help clean or play with the kids or help build shelves for the night school. Every night from 7-10:00 there is a night school that I help teach. It was started by three volunteers (one of whom I live with right now- she is amazing). It is the only Maasai night school in Kenya and it is a fully functioning primary school for people who have to tend the animals all day and can't attend school. The first day they started the school in December, there was 17 students. Now there are 40 students and 2 paid teachers. The students range in ages 12-30. They are all at different places in school; some are at a pre-school level and we are teaching them their letters, while others are at a grade 8 level. The school is completely free for the students! It is a really great program - it gives people the opportunity for education who otherwise wouldn't have one. They hope to expand to include women in the program and open other schools throughout Kenya.

About my family: I live with a family who has a total of 3 wives and 19 kids though there are only 2 wives around and 10 kids. The youngest is just over a year and he is adorable (he is actually one of the kids' kids) and the oldest is in their late 20's. It is so interesting - the wives build their own houses and live separately from each other. The dynamic is very interesting with the father; we rarely see him and he doesn't really talk to us or the kids. He always stays with one wife - not the one I live with.

A couple of my little Kenyan brothers - Tanango and Saalosh

The house mom I live with, Grace is soooo nice! She barely speaks any English but she makes a huge effort to talk to us through the kids. The kids are also amazing. They are so quick to make friends and they felt like brothers and sisters even on the first night when they were already making fun of my laugh haha!

I don't have a picture of my host mom, but this shows how the traditional Maasai people dress. I mostly only see the elders dressed like this - with elongated ear lobes and lots of jewelry.

About my living conditions: There is no electricity here. The house is a 45 minute motorcycle ride away so most of the time I keep my phone off to conserve battery and save myself the long and expensive trip into town. There is also no running water at all and since it's so windy here I am really dirty all the time! There are bucket showers but it's only half a bucket of cold water so it's hard to get clean. As soon as I step in the water my feet make it super dirty. The toilet is a hole in the ground and the floors of the house are dirt. Oh, and I have fleas from all the animals around...the bites are so itchy! The days are really hot and dusty and the nights are super cold - I sleep in a sweatshirt and long pants most nights. The kitchen is a mud hut where they cook over the fire. It gets really smoky.

Making chapati - my favourite! It takes about 3 hours to cook though-such patience

Overall, I am learning so much about the Maasai and what it's like to live like them. The thing I find most inspiring about them is their desire for education. One of my brothers is 20 years old and is in class 8. Three years ago he started paying himself through school and was fast tracked through primary since his family didn't have the money to send him themselves. And some of the night school students walk 3-5 hours EACH WAY to get there every night. It's truly amazing how badly they want to be educated. Being able to read is something I never really appreciated before I came here and I see how hard people my age are working to learn.

Anyways, I only have a little over two weeks left here and I think it will be a bittersweet departure. I have loved my time here but I miss my family and friends. I am so excited to see you all!

Much love and see you all soon! 

Lisa