Day 4 of the trip was my 44th birthday, and it did not disappoint! I woke up feeling so happy that I got to be in Kenya for my birthday. I took a walk outside to get my laundry I had hung on the line, and spotted my favorite birds in the wisdom tree. I also saw a lot of people working on the grounds, several I didn’t recognize. I saw trucks arriving full of chairs and tables and wondered what that could be for. Heidi said there would be surprises today.
Fred and his mom
Our morning was spent visiting the homes of Fred and Muneria, two of the Maasai warriors who work with 100 humanitarians and watched over us throughout the trip. They are both sweet young men. Fred lost his father when he was young, and takes care of his mom and younger siblings. He was sponsored through school by 100 humanitarians as a boy, and then when he graduated he went to work as their garden director. He teaches people in the community how to plant garden towers now. He had us pick seedlings from the garden there to take to the Ewangan village for their garden towers, we saw him harvest his first carrot, and met his sweet family. We taught the kids how to jump rope and they loved that. (Joni remembered an impressive amount of jump rope rhymes!) It was sweet to meet Muneria’s family also. The garden at his mothers home had been damaged by elephants, so we talked about ways to protect it. I bought some earrings from his mom, she had a little shop set up in her front room. Maasai women are famous for the beaded jewelry which they make themselves.
It was neat to see how each of their families is connected to the work of 100 humanitarians and what has changed for them because of it.
Then we headed back to the Ewangan village (where we visited the first night) to work with them in their garden. We brought them a natural fertilizer and pest control solution, and showed them how to apply it. We showed them how to prune out the damaged plants the bugs had eaten to allow for new growth (new things I’m learning too). Then we worked with them to plant some more garden towers.
Finally at lunch, Heidi spilled the beans. She told us that today marked seven years from the day that the cultural center grounds were dedicated. And today, the training center, along with the community water filling station piped from their new well to the road, would both be finished. All the women of the community, along with some of the men who were government, religious, and tribal leaders, had been invited to a celebration to open and dedicate the training center and the water station. The workers were painting and putting the finishing touches on the training center as we spoke. What an exciting way to celebrate a birthday! Another of our team members, Joani, also had a birthday that day. So amazing for both of us!
Before, the women had to walk several miles, several times a day, to get water. This is common throughout Kenya. And it wasn’t safe and clean water. They could not take their children with them, because there were wild animals that share the watering hole that could chase them. So they had to find childcare each time as well. Can you imagine dealing with that 3-4 times a day, just to get water? All the time involved? And then to have it not even be clean water. This is why the women are celebrating today! The water means so much to them! Now that the water filling station is finished, it will also be easier for them to keep their gardens growing well, since they can use their rainwater capture tanks for their gardens, and they can get clean water for drinking and cooking from the filling station, which is close to their villages.l
When we got back to the cultural center, there was already a huge crowd of women gathering. They had a tent set up with chairs so they could have shade while they waited.
People were already coming to get water at the new filling station.
There was also a group of people leading a cow that was meant for the feast. I did not go out to see it slaughtered, that’s not something I wanted to watch. But I know that they don’t do that lightly or often, cows are very valuable to them, it’s only for very special occasions that they eat one. And they do not waste any part of the animal. They prepared a huge meal of ugali (maize flour porridge), chapati, vegetables, rice, beef, and gravy, all in the biggest pots I’ve ever seen.
When everything was ready, and the last touches on the training center were done (almost - there were a few guys on ladders putting up electric lights even as we began), we walked together to the training center. It was an amazing feeling seeing the women pouring into the building and their excitement. We estimated around 150 people there.
Everyone feasted, and we ran out of plates several times and had to take them out to wash them and use them again. Toward the end one of our team members quietly offered to help serve the food, and the rest of us joined her so the cooks could enjoy their meal. That was fun. Then, after everything we cleaned up, everyone stayed for the dedication celebration.
Several leaders from the community spoke about how much the water, and the new training center would mean for the community, and local pastors and tribal elders offered prayers of thanks and blessings over it. For most of it we had a translator. Heidi shared the story of how she and Moses had the vision of the cultural center 7 years ago and what they hoped to create in the future. The crowd cheered most when she told them the training center will be not only a place to gather and learn literacy and other important skills, but a place where the Maasai culture and their stories can be preserved, so that their future generations can know who they are. These women are so strong and beautiful. They have prayed with great faith for these blessings. They are so deserving of this and much more.
The celebration went on for several hours. These families know and love the 100 humanitarians team as they have been coming and working in their community for many years. There was singing and dancing, and they brought me and the other ladies who had birthdays up so they could sing us happy birthday. Over a hundred Maasai women singing happy birthday is a pretty amazing birthday present! Being a tiny part of the amazing things happening in Kenya was even better.
The birthday girls :)
(Attempting to learn a Maasai dance. I don’t think I really ever got it down, but one of the Maasai ladies high fived me and encouraged me, in between laughing.)
Group picture outside the training center
After eating a slice of birthday cake made by our wonderful chef, Mancha, I ended the night under the Wisdom tree, watching the most beautiful moonrise I’ve ever seen. I guess there was an impressive eclipse on the American side of the world, during daytime in Kenya. But the moon put on a show for us too. Such an awesome birthday!
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