Nighttime in Maasailand….

As my first day came to an end in Saikeri, I imagined the night and how dark it would truly be with no electric lights for miles and miles and I anxiously anticipated it. We settled around the living room – all of the volunteers and Jennifer who cooks the meals and cares for the homesite. It was nice not to have a television or computer to draw attention away from human interaction and communication that separates so many modern households around the world in the evening. I had so many questions for the volunteers that had been there for a while about their experience and I learned so much from them. There was Carol, who is originally from Kenya and moved to Belgium when she was twelve. Her mother was diligent about keeping up her original language of Swahili and now as an adult, Carol spoke seven languages including Kimaasai – the local language. Emma and David were 18-year-old girlfriend and boyfriend from Scotland who had worked steadily for 6 months and saved every dime so they could travel to Africa and South America before entering college. Out here, they were no longer Carol, Emma and David. They were given Maasai names of Soila, Senewa and Lechon, respectively…..I am was now Sima. I really liked my name and there is a little part of me that will always be Sima and of course, when I return to Africa, Sima will return.

When the sun completely set, it was the darkest I think I have ever seen. And the only way to describe the sky was literally like a planetarium. I was amazed at all of the bright shining stars that I was never able to appreciate every night back home. Once it was completely dark, two men entered the homesite. Maasailand may not have ADT Security Systems or subdivisions with a 24-hour security guard and gate, but we had even better! We had two Maasai warriors – Musa and Moses (which, ironically, both mean Moses) to watch over us nightly. Traditionally, to become a Maasai warrior, a man had to kill a lion, so you can’t let the small frame of these men fool you. They were very brave individuals brandishing a sword and club for protection. Protection from what you ask? Protection from cheetahs and hyenas!! Exciting and frightening at the same time. Maggie, the nurse, hires them to protect the homesite and they are paid 2000 Kenyan Shillings monthly. Sounds like a lot, right? Converted to US Dollars, that is about $30.00 monthly or $1 daily. For that position, though, those men are grateful because employment for Maasai is very limited due to education. And if you are not raising cattle, there isn’t much potential for income.  Moses and Musah were also the men that did the Maasai burns which are done by rubbing/turning a stick until it is scalding hot and then placing it on the skin.  There were some brave volunteers that did receive these permanent souvenirs, but being a physician, thinking worse-case-scenario, I would have been the one who developed an incurable skin disease, so I passed on the opportunity.

Our Maasai night watchmen

At about 9p, we had mokimo – potatoes, corn and spices – in front of one burning lantern, sipped chai (which is the name for tea in Swahili), gathered our flashlights and headed to be to retire for the evening. I thanked goodness that I had a sturdy bladder from all of those years working in the hospital and having limited time to void being so busy because I had no intention of leaving my locked room overnight to walk out in the dark, mysterious, unknown Maasai night.

And then morning came……..

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