Volunteer Journals
Namunyak Maasai Welfare

Steffi Rahn, February 2006

Today we slept in and got up at 7.30.

While waiting for the youth group we talked with Emmanuel's kids, Sharon, Victor and Shiloh. Sharon shows me the Maasai bracelets, giant necklaces, belts and other decoration, which they have on the walls of their house. Every piece is so colorful and -of course- handmade by Lillian, Emmanuel’s wife. It’s amazing. Sharon teaches me some Kiswahili by writing a letter to me. Realizing that it’s too difficult for me, she starts writing down single words.

After two hours waiting for the youth group, Lillian serves a plate with delicious fruits; oranges, passion fruits, pineapple.... after another hour the youth group finally arrives. We have already learned to change our thoughts from "they are late" into "we are in Africa so hakuna matata".

Seeing about ten young guys in their traditional outfits, I got so excited. They are wearing black sandals made of tires together with tennis socks, which almost reach their knees. The most important thing is the traditional red-blue checkered cloth called "shikka" which everyone is wearing around their shoulders and the massive wooden stick they all carry with them. It is a traditional Maasai weapon. Some even carry a knife with them. The original Maasai decoration which I had only seen hanging on the wall. They are wearing many bracelets, necklaces and ropes made of colorful beads, which they are wearing around their chest and shoulders. I feel like I’m dreaming. REAL Maasai who I had only seen on pictures in books about Africa.

We introduce ourselves to each other and they all them seem very friendly. Finally they start singing and dancing outside in the garden. Their colorful outfits match perfectly with the intensively green landscape. The hills of Maasailand seem to reach the horizon and so does the blue sky above us. The young Maasai sing in maa, the language of the Maasai tribe. There is a background choir while one of them sings solo, telling stories which come to his mind. The singing gets interrupted by "screams" from the warriors. They dance while walking in circles and when they stop walking, one after another gets into the middle and jumps as high as possible to show his manliness. It’s so mystical. After they finish their dancing we sit together and talk. Most of them would like to go to secondary school but don’t have enough money to pay the fees. One of them takes a book that I’m reading at the moment and starts "reading- holding it upside down.

We ask them if they have ever recorded their singing on tape and they tell us that they don’t have money for tapes. We want to buy tapes and record them next week.
When it gets dark we accompany the group up to the road. We thank them for coming and arrange to meet them again..

What a great experience!

Lydia Taylor, January 2006

Today when I went in to Oronkai Primary School, the headmaster met me and told me he had to show me some things. I went into his office and he pulled out this box full of bubble stuff, pipe cleaners, yo-yo’s, and various other toys. He told me they had been sent from abroad but he had no idea what they were or what to do with them and neither did anyone else. I told him they were toys and I would be happy to demonstrate, so he gave me the box and sent me off to show them to the kids. I set up outside and soon had a large gathering of curious students. I took out the bubble stuff and began blowing bubbles. Soon they were all screaming in delight and backing away from the bubbles in disbelief. I let them make bubbles themselves and showed them how to twist pipe cleaners and play with yo-yo’s. Although it was totally chaotic and I did not have a translator, it was a fun day. I never thought I would find myself in a place where a yo-yo is a foreign object.