One straight tarmac road cutting through the rift valley that stretches all the way to Tanzania, fenced on either side there is an expanse of green shrubbery and short acacia and succulents. Cattle, sheep, goats graze, tended by their Maasai owners. Small fenced communities and churches pepper the scene along the roadsides. Dirt roads turn off and lead to different Masai villages and camps, we turned off onto one such road and bumped down to the small village of Tepesua, a community founded by a woman called Helen who provides a safe haven for Maasai widows who, due to their culture, are forbidden from remarrying and have lost their cattle and therefore income, due to drought. These woman have faced FMG, and have not been afforded education due to the practice of child marriage. Helen herself was married and pregnant at 9 years old to a man who was 75, widowed 8 years later a missionary woman took an interest in Helen and supported her through school and into college where she became a teacher. The village she has founded teaches woman how to make jewellery and sew, making t-shirts, backpacks and other such items for sale to tourists and locals. They have started a project of sewing reusable sanitary protection that they then distribute for free amongst the Maasai communities, young girls often drop out of school when they start menstruation and so this is a lifeline for keeping them there. The Moto of the project is 'Eduction not Cows' in reference to the dowries that is paid for young girls at the point of marriage, further encouraging their ongoing education. Having been shown the natural sanitary protection which is nothing more than some leaves, it’s easy to understand why girls drop out of school. It is around this same time that woman are often cut and then arranged into marriage. FGM is illegal in Kenya but is still practiced, Helen provides sanctuary and rescues girls who are at threat of being cut.
On arrival it was the young Maasai men who met us, warriors, they p and dance for us before showing us around the camp that visitors can stay at, providing an additional income for the community. They taught us about the plants they use for medicine, protection from mosquitoes and even made soap right before our eyes from the bark of a tree. They can rely 100% on the natural world around them, no need for Unilever and its abundance of fragrance products here. A quick lunch in the shelter (my god it was hot) and we headed out of the camp along the dusty road towards the village for the widows. Firstly the young men had to show off their spear and archery skills, which was impressive to be fair. There is a school next to the village, all the kids well turned out in the grey skirts and trousers with red sweaters on. They were all out playing and clambering over the colourful climbing frame in the school year. Before entering the village, there was more show of male prowess this time with the traditional jumping, our own men joining in. The males cannot enter the village without the woman coming out to bring them in, on entering the village with them they brought all the woman into a circle for our own song and slightly less vigorous jumping. The village was in a circle, a wooden penned enclosure in the centre for the cattle. Around the outside are the mud homes, made from cow dung that the woman call home. There were some ten homes, with two in construction. They are small and dark inside, a very small corridor into the main room with a bed and space for cooking. The woman were all resting in the shade undertaking their jewellery making. Tables were laid out, each with a different coloured cloth for each of the woman. We spread out to choose items from different stalls, the money going directly to the woman who had created the jewellery (an excellent system and far better than the local curio shops that were nothing more than mass produced Chinese tat). In the sewing room we could see their new endeavour of the sanitary protection and other items they have started to create. I could not wait to get out of the heat, as it’s also necessary to be well covered in these villages. The warriors lead us back to our truck with more song and we departed, heading to the Maasai for the first game drive.
The previous day we had met Lilian, a woman with a love for her life long work in the fields picking tea, she shared with us how the tea was picked, processed and delivered. By no means an easy job, pickers work from early in the morning until mid-afternoon, ensuring they collect their minimum 50kg but some achieving up to 100kg. In return they are provided with housing and education for their kids, we passed many schools on our way through Kericho that were well attended from infant to high school. There has been a rejection to machine picking due to the wastage and the job losses, sometimes quicker is not always better. It’s a beautiful place to be with the fields stretched out all around and the temperatures much cooler, I have a new respect for my afternoon cup of cha!
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