Samburu

Each day here begins with the fresh breeze that slowly, as the day progresses, gives way to dust, heat and lethargy as the heat of the day sets. The people, birds and animals move more slowly and then, as the sun sets, the breeze comes up again and the dull heat of the afternoon subsides.  The moon rises above the river, the stars come out and the river, frogs and cicadas are the only sounds that remain.

Yesterday the water in the Ewaso Nyero North was high and then, after a few hours, almost dry. This morning it is high again and I am told that is because of the rains in Nakuru - so many miles away and the other side of Mt. Kenya really. Although I would like to sleep with my door open to get a full view of the moon shining on the river, a lion from across the way keeps me from doing so. Three days ago, being too old to chase gazelles, she hunted and devoured a Samburu man who was drunk on the local brew. His pain was no doubt numbed by his intoxication. The lion is being sought out now and I am reminded of my father's tale of being hunted while hunting a cattle killing lioness - the motion of slapping at mosquitoes scaring the lioness away.

Although much of Kenya is westernized (relatively) there continues to be a larger number of people who follow the traditional culture. The Samburu and the Maasai continue to have numerous children with various wives while, at the same time, wanting education for all of them - an impossible feat. One man I met had 13 siblings from his mother but his father had 5 wives. He had a total of 45 siblings. I told him that was a village not a family! The five wives were all at one time!

How can you educate that many people? But family is important and so the older siblings or cousins educate the younger ones by paying fees for secondary school, and often times, not getting an education themselves. I think over the past couple of months I have learned more than a year at school. Among other things it has become very clear how vital it is to adjust to my surroundings and that learning from others through observation and shared experience is enriching.