Touring Hedaru II, Friday, January 27

Today was yet another amazing day!

First we went to Katae, the Maasai sub-congregation. The Maasai were very welcoming and much less shy than the previous Maasai group we met. The Maasai sang many songs for us and were very animated, jumping in rhythm with the drum beating in the background.

Katae is located on the very arid Maasai Steppe. I still can’t believe how dry the land is here. The lack of water is surely the largest impediment to development. Clement told us today on the way to Katae (on another “special” road) that they have a saying in Swahili, “maji ni uhai,” meaning “water is life.” After seeing many of these areas, I understand this saying quite well. The Maasai presented us with gifts, beaded bracelets and necklaces, which were beautifully made. They also gave Alex the drum that they had been using during their songs. It was a beautifully decorated cow hide stretched over an old metal trash bin and had a nice sound. They said, through two translators (Maasai to Swahili to English) that their gifts were very small and that they were sorry they couldn’t give us more. We thought they gave us far too much! We had a small snack before moving on to Gunge.

Gunge was a difficult stop. It was clear that the people were tired and hungry, and it was blisteringly hot and dry in the afternoon sun. I find it unimaginable that anyone could survive in a climate such as this, and in reality, they are barely surviving. We had lunch after the introductions and some songs, and none of us felt like eating because of the intense heat and the throngs of hungry, tired people outside the building. Maji ni uhai.

We returned to Hedaru and met more Hedaru residents. A youth choir (young adults) sang and danced during their songs. Two other choirs also performed, one “normal” African choir and another comprised of older residents. After introductions, which were much more detailed than in previous visits of the day, we were presented with hand-woven hats, baskets, and a large mat as gifts.

< Prev		Next >