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.

Water, a human right?

I remember a story our guide, Jackson, told us last year about one of his clients, an Italian woman, who went home and raised enough money to bring water to his mother's village. (See my early post, "Jackson's story") For $5000, they brought water to the village and it changed everything.  The biggest impact was on the school children because it meant that 700 children could have their morning meal there -- often their only meal of the day.  That was a teachable moment for me --- look at the value and impact money can have for Africans when it is thoughtfully and lovingly directed.

I was looking at the receipts I received for the construction of the foundation and it struck me that water was close to 10% of the cost.  Do we even consider that as an expense when we are building something here?  Don't we just turn on the tap and use as much as we want?  We recently did a renovation and I don't remember ever paying for water!

Searching for, waiting for, and hauling water is an activity that takes up much of a Maasai woman's day.  When we were in Tanzania last year, we witnessed women standing in long lines waiting for water from a single well and then hauling it on their heads for long distances to marginally meet the needs of their families.

Deodorizing the Tourists!

I am so looking forward to seeing my friend, Clamian again.   He took us on safari last  year and it was amazing.  He taught us so much not only about the animals and the incredible variety of birds, but about the land, and the way the Maasai live on it.  They are very knowledgable about a vast variety of herbs.

One day as we were driving along, he stopped the vehicle and got out and picked what looked like a weed on the side of the road.  It was an herb that the Maasai use in their bedding for its deodorizing properties -- he said they use it as deodorant as well.  Well, it was getting toward the end of a hot, dusty, sticky day and we thought deodorant was likely in order!

One of Clamian's many talents: herbs

Bob like it!