I have spoken a lot about the Maasai tribe because our guide, Josh, is Maasai. It has definitely enhanced the experience in this trip because of his intimate knowledge of how this tribe works. This is my second visit at a Maasai village and the differences were clearly apparent. This year’s village was definitely a poorer community than the previous one but the people were still as genuine.

We first spent time exploring the village, looking in the houses that have no windows and a small hole for fire and smoke ventilation. The lack of windows are to keep the flies away.

The houses are made of cow dung mixed with straw and are built by the women. After our house tours we spent some time learning how to milk goats.

After we got to tour the village we met to have the “controversial topic discussion” Female Genital Mutilation. When we participated in this 3 years ago all the men warriors were there in addition to the women. We told our guide, Willie, how we felt that we couldn’t be open with our questions with the men sitting there. This year there were no men. Great to see that OAT listens to their consumer.

The history of FGM was explained to us by a volunteer whose job is to educate the women that they do not have to have this procedure. All the women of the village who participated in the discussion have had the procedure referred to as “the cut.” None of them wanted their daughters to have it. This conversation went on for a while until one of the young Maasai women asked a question about sex through the interpreter and literally all hell broken loose. The interpreter couldn’t interpret fast enough. Everyone was talking at the same time and laughing so hard. It was such a great feeling that 20 women who did not speak the same language could come together and share the experience that basically we are all the same. This was one of the highlights of the trip. I will tell you that Braydon was mortified.

After this came the fun part: the singing, dancing and jumping contest. I may have mentioned this before that Maasai women are attracted to men that jump high.

After we left the village we went to a school that is sponsored by OAT’s Grand Circle Foundation. We visited a primary school that they have supported since 2005. I have been to a lot of these schools and the Foundation certainly shouldn’t be bragging about what they have done here. It was a Sunday and a whole class of 5th graders came to school to meet with us.

The child that I sat with wanted to be a pilot. He went through all his school books with me explaining what he was learning. His English was very good. We have been watching children walk to school everyday and they all jump up and down and wave when we go by. They also carry a stick to school. We all thought it was maybe to hit animals they might meet on the way. But, no, the sticks are saved to burn so the classrooms have heat in the winter. So much for the $1,000.000 that OAT has given them.

Tomorrow on to Tanzania!