White men CAN bloody well jump

Some of the pride's women, lazy after a successful hunt the night before.  They've earned the right to laze around.

Game Drive

Mean, evil vultures consuming the last of a wildebeest

This morning we went out on an early game drive.  Apparently it was a lion day.  There was a pride of lions, all lazy from a recent kill, lolling around near a little ravine.  Even though the kill had only happened the night before, it was incredible to see the degree to which the bones of the unlucky victim had been picked clean.  When we drove by, there was a substantial flock of vultures fighting over the final scraps.  It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all.  Still, the circle of life really sucks for that wildebeest.  

The Masai

The lady-Mzungus join in a song and dance with the
Masai women. No, they weren't singing 'Ebony and Ivory'

The Masai people who live in this region have a rich culture.  They are generally thin and tall, dressed in brightly coloured garb (according to tradition, red must be a predominant colour), with plenty of beads and bright adornments.  They stretch their earlobes, and sometimes old men will hook the hanging loops of skin over the top of their ears to keep them out of the way.  They are inextricably linked to their cattle - as a food source and an currency system.  They drink milk and cow’s blood, and occasionally eat beef.  Up until very recently, vegetables or grains have not been a part of their diet at all.  Their society is extremely patriarchal; the men exert control over the community, and usually marry more than one woman.  The women cook, clean, look after the children, and build the cow dung homes they live in.  There is a strong tradition of dowry - depending on the girl, several cows could be paid by a man for a new wife.

The cattle door in a Masai cow-dung hut

The Masai live in small villages, based around a family unit.  They build a corral in the centre of the village for the cattle, and the cow dung huts are arranged around it.  The huts are dark, with low ceilings and little airflow - claustrophobic.  There is a small pen built into each hut for new calves to sleep before they are strong enough to join the herd for the night.  With my Canadian sensibilities, it was hard to see how there is any upside to these huts - it was not a pleasant experience visiting one.  It was hot, smelled bad, and was riddled with insects.  I can imagine major health repercussions from sleeping and cooking in such a dwelling.  But I suppose that they have always been the only option for shelter, given the lack of trees here.  

The Masai are smart in their dealings with the Mzungus - they will gladly show you their village and teach you all about their culture - for a small fee.  And while you are there, they will offer handcrafts for a good price.  They have realized that they have something of a tourist attraction and they take advantage of that to make some extra coin.

Vertical

Andrew The Duke Wiebe dominating the Masai Warriors

Okay, so ever since I joined the rest of the Canadians here on this trip, I’ve been recognized as the group’s athlete.  I think that they can all see my natural physical abilities, and as a consequence, I am basically the lion hunter of this tribe.  They look to my prowess when strength and coordination are called for.  So of course I was an obvious choice when we were presented with a challenge from the Masai warriors.  In the Masai tradition, the men compete with each other by jumping. They sing and jump repeatedly from a standing position in time to the music.  The higher the jumper, the more respected he is in the village.  In fact, the warrior with the highest vertical can pick any wife he wants and does not have to pay dowry for her.  The boys start practicing very early, so that when they grow into tall Masai warriors, they may have a chance to Be The One.  Imagine their surprise then, when, having been chosen by the group to represent the Canadians, I laid the smackdown and outleaped all those lion hunters!  Booyah!  Asante Sana.

Irbaan School

Headmaster Jeremiah introduces the very accomplished
music teacher, whose students had treated us to
an incredible display of talent

There are a number of A Better World schools in the Masai, but my itinerary only had me visiting one.  Another example of a mature ABW project, Irbaan school is truly remarkable when you look at the slatwall hut that the teachers first began holding classes and living in.  When ABW first came on the scene here, they were so impressed by the dedication of Jeremiah, the head teacher, and one other teacher, that they knew they could build a successful future here.  If someone believes strongly enough in a community to live and work under those conditions, especially when their education means there are other options, then creating a great school is simple.  The infrastructure - buildings, wells, trees, fences, gardens, desks, school supplies, bunks - is easy, it’s the quality of people that is difficult.  I believe that Jeremiah is a big reason why Irbaan is successful.

The Canadian flag raised at
 Irbaan School to honour the guests

That said, there are still problems at this school.  Part of the student body boards here, which is very important because the Masai are still nomadic.  The girls’ dorms are great - housing approximately 75 girls, with a protected yard and latrines.  The boys, however, are crammed into a classroom - two to a bunk sometimes in order to accommodate.  There is also a problem with elephants.  They often prevent the students from going to school, and the garden is vulnerable.  The big brutes have also eaten almost every shade tree the school has attempted to plant.  The school needs a boy’s dorm, and a fence around the perimeter.  The community has agreed to supply fence posts - three per parent - and dig the holes, but they need help with the wire and the construction.  As usual, they also need lots of help with the garden.  Rob was able to consult on this garden too, but there is just not a rich history of agriculture here to draw on, and they’ll need a lot of help going into the future.  

Environmental Challenges

One of the macro problems here on the Masai Mara is over-grazing.  This is a complex, multi-faceted issue (as so many are here), but the long and short of it is that due to their reliance on cattle to express wealth, the Masai are extremely hesitant to limit herd size.  Also, because schools and other modern amenities have made it more advantageous to remain in one area rather that roam to the Serengeti and back, the herds are beginning to stay here all year rather than chase the water and good grazing.  As a grand result, the land is over-grazed in the extreme.  The plant-to-animal ratio is all screwy.  Erosion is a problem, because plants can’t get a decent start before they are consumed by livestock.  The cows are skinny here (the only place in Kenya I have witnessed that problem) and it’s painfully obvious that they are malnourished.  The sad irony to this situation is that the Masai’s herd culture may end up bestowing poverty upon them rather than wealth.  Yet again, I must stress that the only clear way to deal with this problem is to make sure that the next generation has access to good education.  These schools are so important to the future because, by definition, they are not aid; it is our hope that they are the conduit through which Kenyans better their own country, with their own people and their own resources and their own ideas.  That simply will not happen if they can’t read or write.   

Comeaus

We were met by Ray and Deryl Comeau at Fig Tree Camp.  The Comeaus have a practice in Sylvan Lake, and they have been coming to Africa to run clinics here for five years.  They’ve put an immense amount of time and effort into these trips each year to help the sickest of the sick in areas with very little healthcare support.  They will be joined by dentists, imaging technicians, and med students, all from Central Alberta, next week to do a two-week circuit of some of ABW’s schools.  They also have a strong focus on health education; rather than just treating illness, they investigate the cause of the disease and help the community to understand ways to prevent it from reoccurring.  They also train nurses and doctors throughout Kenya - usually a local doc or two will join them in the clinics to learn.  

Unfortunately, like most of Africa, Kenya’s life expectancy has been steadily decreasing over the last ten years.  HIV, malaria, and TB are wreaking havoc here.  One of the Comeau’s efforts is to use local health workers to track the spread of these diseases.  Generally, the most at-risk populations are less educated and poorer than the norm.

Since they have been coming, Deryl says the results have not been fast, but they are encouraging nonetheless.

A Cheetah lazily watches the safari van

Serengeti

On today’s game drive, we crossed the border into Tanzania to visit the Serengeti.  Along the way, we were treated to elephants, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra, a cheetah, elans, impalas, and the graceful, majestic guinea fowl.  My dad is in love with guinea fowl.  He keeps threatening to strip naked and run wild across the Serengeti with the flock of guinea fowl, never to return.  Rob and I just wish he would already.

The girls’ van managed to get stuck again on this trip - this time within 100 yards of three ravenous lions.  I kid you not, they were out behind the van pushing while the lions, curious, watched for a few moments before bolting in the opposite direction.  It was a little tense.

One of the thousands that didn't make it.

We visited the Mara river that was crossed by the animals during the great migration a few weeks ago.  The water was riddled with the bodies of wildebeest that were trampled or drowned during the crossing.  Thousands of carcasses in the water made for an unpleasant experience anytime we were downwind, but it was amazing to see the unfortunate results from the massive migration.

Yeah, just another day on the Masai Mara