The Masai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands.
We had the pleasure of not just meeting the Masai people but also shared in a little part of their lifestyle. These people actually shocked me. Even though they haven't adopted the western lifestyle, most of them have gotten an education. They spoke very good English.
We met the Chief"s son, who took us round, they danced for us, showed us how to make a fire using two sticks.....a soft one and a hard on (very intriguing) and also took us into their huts.
We learnt that the men get married at about 20 years and the ladies at 15. To marry a girl, you must give her father 10 cows, so if you are poor, marriage will be very hard or the families involved can exchange their daughters to get married to their sons.
It is the responsibility of the female to build the house (that is once she is married), made out of cow dung, mud, sticks and grass and the house takes about 2 months to build and usually last up to 9 years then needs to be rebuilt.
When the guys get to the age of 15, they are sent into the wild for 5 years to fend for themselves and to learn how to defend themselves against wild animals. Then after that the guy has to kill a lion to be initiated into manhood (don't quote me on that info, but that's what we were told). The older Men are usually around to help the guy if he needs help, so that the lion will not kill him.
Anyway, here are some photos, ENJOY.
We had the pleasure of not just meeting the Masai people but also shared in a little part of their lifestyle. These people actually shocked me. Even though they haven't adopted the western lifestyle, most of them have gotten an education. They spoke very good English.
We met the Chief"s son, who took us round, they danced for us, showed us how to make a fire using two sticks.....a soft one and a hard on (very intriguing) and also took us into their huts.
We learnt that the men get married at about 20 years and the ladies at 15. To marry a girl, you must give her father 10 cows, so if you are poor, marriage will be very hard or the families involved can exchange their daughters to get married to their sons.
It is the responsibility of the female to build the house (that is once she is married), made out of cow dung, mud, sticks and grass and the house takes about 2 months to build and usually last up to 9 years then needs to be rebuilt.
When the guys get to the age of 15, they are sent into the wild for 5 years to fend for themselves and to learn how to defend themselves against wild animals. Then after that the guy has to kill a lion to be initiated into manhood (don't quote me on that info, but that's what we were told). The older Men are usually around to help the guy if he needs help, so that the lion will not kill him.
Anyway, here are some photos, ENJOY.
The chief's son and I
Some children in the compound.
Women and children.
Look at her ears, beads on the ears signifies marriage instead of a ring.
A women making beads.
The huts.
Inside the hut.
The Roof.
Ann and I
They made us dance with them.
The Masai primary school. It has about 600 pupils who come from different villages and 15 teachers.
If you missed the post on my Safari experience, you can find it here.
