This photo was taken in Samburu, Kenya, pictured are Dallas and I along with the teacher, our guide (standing in between Dallas and I in red) and school children are inside of their school house. Jim is taking the picture. The large tree is the roof and they use sticks to write in the dirt. They do have wood benches to sit on and a chalkboard for the teacher. That's about all. We brought paper and pencils. The teacher told us the pencil would last a student's entire education, 10 or more years. The tree, which looks more dead than alive, has thickets on its branches and is good protection from the "lions"
The children are in "western wear" mostly from US charities that donate clothing. They were quite dirty and buggy with flies buzzing around their heads. We brought M&M peanut candies to hand out to the children, they all stood in a line and we gave each of them a couple of candies. They just stood and looked at the candy like it was from a foreign planet. They did not know what to do and we showed them they could "eat" it. We laughed and cried later thought we probably gave all their children the "runs".
The village wanted to build a "real" school for their children so they walked us over to the construction site which consisted of a dug hole and a few rocks and bricks. I ended up donating money on behalf of our ADI clients instead of sending our clients "gizmos and chachkies" that holiday season.
The Samburu tribe leaches blood from their cows daily (no kidding, ask Dallas) and that is their food source and protein along with milk. They don't drink much water as they live in a dessert. A few times a year they will kill a cow or goat usually along with a celebration like a wedding or warrior ritual, and the whole village (maybe 30 people) will eat meat. They don't grow anything, no vegys or fruits. They don't eat the lion if they kill one (which the warrior ritual requires), they only eat cow and goats/sheep a few times a year and drink cows blood.
The women build their house huts out of sticks and mud with dirt floors, the children tend to the cows and goats all day in the fields. Men are the warriors and hunt but not for food only for protection. We took a tour of their houses. Really outdoor living there is best! Men may take multiple wives. Our guide, a warrior, his grandfather had 70 children from multiple wives. Your wealth was in how many cattle and goats/sheep you owned. Girls had "female circumcision" which our guide explained they are trying to eradicate.
We had driven from our tented camp through the desert for over an hour do get to this village. There was no road, so just imagine driving out into the AZ desert.... that's what it was like. They did not get visitors very often, so we were a curiosity. They introduced me to their prize student, a young woman about 13 years old (in the blue dress). They were so proud that she was in school, as was she. I tried to inspire, but honestly I was a bit speechless. What could I say to these kids. They live day to day like they did 4000 years ago. Some people may think that this is bliss. I for one do not. I saw the looks of desperation and need on their faces, curiosity in their eyes. I wonder what she is doing today?
