Non-scheduled Program Day!

February 11, 2014

                Yesterday we were given the opportunity to go visit the local Maasai mama’s and experience a little bit of their lifestyles and routines. As soon as we got to the bomas, we were bombarded with mama’s wanting to shake our hands and say hello. It was a little overwhelming but completely amazing at the same time. The mamas then lined up and sang for us while jumping around and stomping their feet. Some of them even hopped over to us and pulled us into the mix! It made me feel extremely welcome and honored that they were so willing to bring us into their lives, if only for a few hours. After they finished their song, our teacher Daniel asked us to sing one for them in return. We had a hard time finding songs that we all knew but we finally settled on Lean On Me and This Little Light of Mine (Daniel’s favorite). Finally, all the mamas laid out tarps and started pulling out bracelets, necklaces, wood carvings, even spears! Daniel tried to help us communicate better but there was definitely a huge language barrier. Even still, we each managed to buy something and each of the mamas got to make a little money, so everybody won.

                Today we got to sleep in a little because it was a non-scheduled program day. We all packed into our cars around 9am and drove to the area where we would hike to a waterfall! My car serenaded Daniel the whole way, with selections from Taylor Swift, One Direction, etc. We even got the entire car to sing Wagon Wheel, which is my favorite song! Once we got to the site, we started to hike down to the falls. It took about an hour of hiking down steep muddy hills, but we all made it no worse for wear. We explored the falls for a while, taking lots of pictures and just hanging out enjoying the view. After a while we hiked back up to the cars and drove to a Voluntary Counseling Testing clinic, run by a wonderful woman named Mary. The clinic was for people (mostly women) living with HIV positive diagnoses’ and helping each other to better cope with their sickness. These women sat with us in a circle and each told us the story of how they came to be at the VCT clinic. Most of them had been shunned by their family and friends, and most of them were now single mothers with multiple children. I can’t even imagine the amount of strength these women possess to have overcome what they have in their lives. They now get counseling at the center and they help each other via support groups and meetings. It broke my heart to hear their stories, but healed it to see the growth and strength of these women. We were given an opportunity to visit their shop, where they sold hand beaded items. All of the money goes to supporting them and their children, so we all bought a few things from them. As I was paying one of the mamas, I asked if I could give them a hug. They didn’t understand until I put my arm around one woman’s shoulder. Immediately she hugged me so warmly and just smiled back at me. I went to go hug the other woman and she immediately responded the same way; both women hung on for a few extra seconds and then gave me their contact information so that I could reach them again. That simple moment was absolutely life-changing. The simple act of exchanging a compassionate gesture truly meant the world to these women and to me.

After we left the clinic we tried to exchange money for the first time. That was insane. There were so many people and it was an hour before we even got to the teller. Finally we all loaded into the cars and drove to the market in Kimana. We were basically given free rein to walk around and look. Almost immediately we had a very persistent group of mamas following us around, trying to sell us bracelets. It was like the most hectic flea market you’ve ever seen, except people will actually follow you and corner you. I did end up buying a few things from one of the mamas and she was so happy she said that we were now friends and gave me a necklace as a present. I also purchased a really cool looking dagger from one of the Maasai men. The mamas saw me with the knife and said “No more, try bracelets.” I don’t think they were used to women being interested in knives and weapons. After spending enough time in the market, we ended the day at a small restaurant and got a beer. I, of course, got the sparkling apple alcoholic beverage… But it was exciting considering it was my first legal drink! While we were sitting around having our drinks, one of the little Maasai boys started a dance off with me. We had so much fun! We also made funny faces at each other for a while and we laughed so hard! When it was time for him to leave, he blew me a kiss. I was so excited about my new friend! Tomorrow we go back to classes but Thursday we get to see the Amboseli National Park!!! I can’t wait!

La la salama everyone!

Dani