The Gift

When we went to the boma in the Serengeti last year (see my post 16/03/2012 ), we were given gifts when we left.  These beautiful beaded gourds were given to us by one of the "Mamas" there -- such generosity and totally unexpected.

These gourds are used to hold milk.  The women pick the calabash, clean it out with a root brush and disinfect the inside of the gourd with charcoal. It is beautifully decorated with leather and beads. Each cow has a name and the woman calls the cow by name and milks it every morning.  The milk feeds her children and husband -- she gets what is left when they are done.  Milk is the lifeblood of the Maasai people and the mainstay of their diet.

The lady below gave us these gourds and looking at them brings back such fond memories of our visit  to her boma.  I realize that this is a very special gift of tribal art and I treasure it.