The Best News!!!

We partnered with the Maasai of Makuyuni in Tanzania to build Nashipay Primary School and the first group of kindergarten students started on July 1, 2013.  I just learned today that they are doing exceptionally well!  According to the superintendent of schools, the children are more advanced than children of similar age in the public system.  That made my heart sing!!!

I know many of the children and I can just imagine their enthusiasm as they learn their numbers and alphabet.  The parents go along too and watch, so I'm sure they are learning as well -- what a perfect partnership this has been for us, a group of Canadians, and for the Maasai of Makuyuni.

Thinking it over, it really shouldn't be surprising that the children of Nashipay School would thrive. At Nashipay there is one teacher for about 35 children, in the public school there can be 60+ kids in a classroom.  At Nashipay each child has a seat at a desk or table -- in the public school we saw as many as 5 children at a single desk, crowded onto a bench.

When we went shopping for textbooks and workbooks in May, we bought one workbook per child and one textbook for every two children that attend Nashipay Primary School.  In the public school we visited, they had 3 or 4 tattered textbooks for the whole classroom of 60 or more children.

At Nashipay, the teacher is multilingual and one of her languages is Maa, the only language Maasai children of primary school age speak.  Just think, they can actually understand what the teacher is saying! The Maasai children who attend the public school have their lessons in either English or Swahili, and they understand neither language when they start school.  This was initially the primary motivator for building Nashipay School.

Now, the Maasai from other villages around Tanzania are pressing Clamian to build a boarding school. I have no idea how he's going to do that, but if anyone can do it, Clamian can!  His will to help his people is strong and his heart is big!  For now, we will start another class of kindergarteners in January.  Fortunately, we were able to raise enough money to put a solar panel on the school, which means they can run another class in the afternoon and even into the evening if necessary.

Our partnership with the Maasai of Makuyuni has had amazing results in such a short period of time; it has truly exceeded my dreams and expectations! It is so gratifying to have the connection with this Maasai village, to partner with them and to be able to cheer them on -- even if I am cheering across 2 continents and an ocean!!

Good News for the Mamas!

The Mamas work hard!  I can see it on their faces when I look at some of the pictures we took.  They have a hard life.  Hauling water for kilometres twice a day, procuring food for their children on a daily basis, rounding up firewood to cook the food, building and repairing their bomas (huts), raising their children and so much more.

 They want the same thing for their children that women all over the world want.  Education, safety, food, clothing -- the basics.  Traditionally Maasai women are master beaders and the Mamas use this skill to earn money to buy necessities for their families.  Like artisans all over the world, they have a challenge finding a distribution network where they can earn a living wage for their art.  Occasionally (like when we were in their village) they get to sell directly to the end-user, and to us the prices seem so reasonable, and for them, they had the best day ever.  It is really gratifying to know that we have helped them feed their children that day.

Now, we have the opportunity to help them build a workshop and retail outlet so they can sell their beautiful jewelry at a fair price.  Clamian has found a great location situated on the road to the National Parks. My latest project is to raise $8600 so that we can buy the land and building materials for construction.  The Mamas will actually own the land and building as a cooperative -- what a unique opportunity for them!

Just think -- they will no longer have to sit on the ground to work, or haul all their materials back and forth every day, or struggle to get a fair price for their beautiful tribal art. I can only imagine what a difference that will make in their day to day lives and the lives of their families.

More About Clamian

I first wrote about Clamian in my blog "Clamian and the Maasai" on March 6, 2012.  Since then, I have  gotten to know him much better through our partnership in building Nashipay Maasai School and during lots of conversations on our last trip to Tanzania earlier this year.  Here is a short video that I hope will inspire you half as much as he inspired me!

When It's Me or the Lion????

We learned how to kill a lion!  It was interesting to process that, since I am totally against killing anything.  I am one of those people who will capture a bug and put it outside rather than squash it.  But what if I had to make a choice; the lion or me!

I got to thinking about the controversy here over wolves and how ranchers protect their herds with guns.  The wolves are just being wolves and they really don't have a chance -- the odds are stacked against them.  The Maasai have to protect their herds and themselves from predatory lions now and then. I'm sure guns are available to them, but they live in their traditional way.  Take a look and see how they do it.  Looks like a pretty fair fight to me!

Meeting our Maasai Family

We were received with ceremony when we arrived at the boma. Clamian said they had been excitedly awaiting our arrival for days and this day they were watching for our dust on the road.  Bob and I were given a special place in the middle of the circle.  He was given a ceremonial "talking stick" -- a beautifully beaded piece of tribal art that chiefs carry -- when the chief raises the stick, everyone must be quiet and listen!  I told him not to let it go to his head!!!  I was given a beautiful necklace with my new Maasai name on it, Nagaloi, which means "caretaker".

The sun was setting as we settled into our tents and in the evening the people danced and chanted for us.  Their music is intoxicating and before long we were all dancing together, Maasai style.  I had no idea what to expect of this day -- I knew we would be honored, but words cannot express how we were unabashedly honored and respected.

The Most Special Day

Today we get to go to the school.  The whole village gathered to proudly show us what they have accomplished and no wonder they are proud!  There are 9000 bricks in this school, each one made one at a time, by hand, on the brick maker we bought for them in January, and dried in the sun!  They gave us the honor of passing up the first sheet of roofing and we all cheered as it was nailed in place.

Above: Erastos showing the children how to use a camera.  They are like sponges and pick things up very quickly.

Below: Some of our future students

This was the most special day for me as a small group of the women gathered around me and began to dance and chant their thanks to me for helping them with the school.  Fortunately Erastos was right there and could translate.  This was a totally spontaneous outpouring of gratitude in the form of song, which seems to be a prevalent form of communication.  

The roof was on when we left 3 days later.

A Maasai Track Meet

The villagers wanted to show us their games.  What fun we all had.  First a soccer game, then races for all ages, followed by high jump, then spear throwing and a lesson in how to kill a lion!  And a contest between a lion and a mother buffalo.  Of course at the end of the day more dancing and singing.  We were told that the Maasai dance every night -- certainly a different form of entertainment than in our world!  It was great fun for the observers too.  Check out the school in the background.