Amboseli National Park

A short picture story, inspired by my life

by Rebecca Webber

Once upon a time, not too long, there was a mom elephant and a baby elephant named Dreana, and Ereccab, respectfully. They resided in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Moma Dreana had been known throughout the community to constantly keep the baby at her heels, and most of the time Ereccab was happy to do so because her mom had never led her astray before. Today however, she felt like something would be different, and when they set out that morning, she did so with a pep in her step for excitement of what was to come.

As they crossed the strange road where a bunch of alien like creatures stood out of a giant contraption with huge eyes focused on them, Ereccab thought to herself, 'I want to go on an adventure today.' 

So after crossing the road, she caught up to her mom and asked, "Can I please find the watering hole on my own today?" to which her mom responded "Are you sure honey? We always go together." But the baby elephant felt like she was ready, and so she insisted. This was going to be her opportunity to accomplish things all by herself.

Reluctantly, moma Dreana left her little baby girl behind with hopes that she would find her way safely. Of course she'd taught her daughter about the predatory lions and hyenas, and could only hope that Ereccab had been listening to all of those lessons and wouldn't be too naive to appreciate certain safety precautions. Ereccab wasn't nervous at all though. She'd been preparing her whole life for this adventure. She ran off immediately and found herself among a group of animals who didn't look anything like her!

After a bit of thought, she recognized them as being zebras. Ereccab had never seen so many on her own since she'd always been trailing so closely behind her mother. She wondered what other kinds of things she'd missed from her lack of independence, but was glad that she'd finally gotten out from between her mother's legs. Enthusiastically, she greeted the zebras with the same greeting she'd always greeted her family, but it seemed to frighten her new friends!

The zebras began turning to run in the other direction. Ereccab wondered to herself if she had done something wrong. She'd never really interacted with other animals before, so perhaps, she thought, her greeting meant something different in their culture. Rather than running back to her mom and the familiar however, she decided to observe the next animals she came across, figure out how they interacted, and then try to implement that instead of her own family's greeting.

Before she knew it, Ereccab came across an antelope. She watched and watched but was unable to determine the antelope's cultural norms because he wouldn't stop looking at her!! It appeared that neither was going to be able to ascertain anything from the other because the antelope was too hesitant of the new visitor, and Ereccab was trying so hard to blend in when it was clearly not possible, no matter how hard she tried.

Finally, the antelope greeted Ereccab, and the elephant excitedly responded in kind. The antelope offered to show her the way that they found the watering hole. Since the elephant was in unfamiliar territory now, she decided that her best option was to embrace the opportunity to learn a new way to do something, recognizing that her mom and familiy's way was not forcibly the best or even only way to accomplish arriving at the watering hole. She hopped into line with the antelopes, trusting that they would lead her to the right place.

Before she knew it, they had led her directly to her family! Moma Dreana got up so fast from laying in the water, and ran over to greet her daughter. She was beyond proud of the fact that she'd made it, and was so grateful that she was safe. The baby elephant on the other hand, was so grateful for the adventure she'd had, and the new friends that she made. She knew she would have never had the opportunity to meet them, or see the shortcut to get to the watering hole if she hadn't branched out to interact with others, and hadn't trusted that they wouldn't let her down.

-The End-

     Ultimately, branching out and interacting with people from other cultures, being non judgmental and fully open to their way of living, is the only way to fully experience time abroad. Regardless of what you set out to do when you go, be it as a student, a tourist, or finding a new home, the only way to get the most from your time, is to engage yourself with the community and the culture.

    During the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to interview community members of both Kisumu and Amboseli, and in Amboseli, I also had the opportunity to spend a night in a manyatta with a Maasai family. These were some of the most valuable experiences that I've had yet for a numerous amount of reasons, most notably the perspective that I was able to view from other students, many of whom opted not to experience the homestay for reasons varying from stomach virus to fear of getting lice. I was very sad for those who didn't get to experience it, and wish that it had of been required so that they could dismantle all of the stereotypes from a first-hand account. Regardless, I'll tell you about my experience.

    The family that I stayed with consisted of one husband, two wives, and maybe about 20 children. They were all very welcoming, and kind people, very happy to share their home. Many of my fellow students took issue with the fact that Maasai families are polygamous. However, it's so important to take into consideration why that is the case! People in polygamous relationships are not necessarily getting married for 'love' but rather for very practical purposes. They need more hands to care for all of the animals, and to

 

protect the family. Wealth is measured in the number of cows and wives one has, and it isn't fair to force our concept of wealth onto them, or to dis-value the way that others chose to express it. My family had many cows and goats. Since it's always been a dream of mine to hold a goat, and because with the Maasai anything is possible, that dream came true. I also had the opportunity to fetch water, firewood, sleep on a cowskin, and touch the tip of a spear that had killed two lions. These are just a few of the amazing experiences that I was able to have by being open to experiencing another culture, and I am so grateful to have been able to.

    Prior to spending the night in a Maasai family's home however, we as a class, attended a cultural manyatta. These are tourist attractions that 'demonstrate the life of traditional Maasai.' However, what they don't mention in their presentation of the home, is that there are very few Maasai that still live this way, and possibly even only those living in the cultural manyattas. Because of the stereotype of Africa, and all of the people in it, the Maasai have taken the role of perpetuating this image, in order to create a livelihood, but potentially at the detriment to all of Kenya, more broadly East Africa, and even more broadly, Africa as a continent. Too frequently, I hear someone refer to Africans as a whole, as those 'backwards bush people,' and the connotations of this are extraordinarily negative. First of all, there is nothing backwards about those who do live in the bushes (see previous post on the Hadza of Tanzania for my perspective on that), but the diversity of Africa is not at all reflected in this statement either. The perpetuation of this image however, is definitely achieved through the cultural manyattas. It is very discombobulating though, because in no way are they representative of Africa as a whole, or even of the modern day Maasai. Many people come to see exactly what is depicted in the cultural manyattas however, and is an issue entirely in it's own. What's even worse is the fact that the only reason the Maasai are having to find a source of income is because of the encroachment on their land, and the overall push for 'development.' In addition to the problems that this poses, for the economic sustainability and culture of the Maasai, it poses many issues for the entire continent's ability to be seen in a more accurate light. It is a continent full of very diverse countries, within which there are very diverse cultures, and the usage of the Maasai image to those who are not familiar with this concept poses great difficulty for all communities. 

    I propose that everyone be open to all other cultures, and try to understand them before passing any sorts of judgement. In addition, one cannot believe a single representation of a culture because as mentioned in my short story, people are often trying to adapt to each other, especially when interacting with foreigners, and this can lead to a misrepresentation of cultures as well. There should be some sort of exchange among tourists and toured, one which doesn't involve simply staring at other people as though they were animals in a zoo (as I believe is done in a cultural manyatta).

    Anyways, I've only just briefly touched upon the subject, there is much more to be said about the tourist industry in East Africa, as well as the concept of development. In a more positive light however, there is also much to be said about the different cultures and the beauty of the country! Take for instance, these beautiful landscapes: 

Siku njema!!

-Beca

Urban Homestay

          5 years ago I was studying abroad in France, keeping a blog much similarly to this one. While there, my grandfather (Grandaddy, Evangelist, Franklin Payne Smith Senior) gave me some solid advice in the form of a comment on one of my posts. He told me, in short, to "feel it all." From the great times with friends, to the less than great times. To feel every moment of it all means to be alive. He made an analogy about Michaelangelo's paintings. What was the brush thinking as Michaelangelo was painting, or the paint as it was being smeared on a canvas? By simply existing, and having an array of experiences, we become one with our environments, becoming as paint does, an entire picture. I'm sure that if the paint of Michaelangelo's paintings could think, they would be in awe at the beauty that they become by being a part of the bigger picture. My grandfather also said "copy as much as you can to your body's, mind's, and soul's hard drive so that the experiences will be a part of you forever." And it is in large part for this reason that I am keeping these reflections. To ingrain these experiences and to feel them completely. (*Although this is being posted after the fact because of a lack of internet access on my part-It's true, not everyone, no matter what socio-economic status or availability, places value on wifi!!)
          3 weeks ago, I had no idea what the life of a Nairobian was like. But after having spent the time with my host family, I not only gained much experience, but I left an impression with so many people, I became a part of their paintings. No matter what interaction we have with someone, we impact them in one form or another, and I am grateful to have had an impact on my family and for them to have one from me as well.

          My first impression arriving at the home of my family was "Wow, there's a lot of security here." In addition to the guarded gate to enter into the neighborhood, there is another gate with a guard at every individual house within the neighborhood. Surrounding the houses are brick walls, frequently with barbed wire on top, but in my case, shards and shards of glass. The door to the entrance remains locked, even when people are home, and there is another locked gate in front of the staircase leading to everyone's rooms that is locked up at night. This wasn't unique to my family though! All 22 of us had very similar security arrangements, and I find it fascinating that there is so much security despite the lack of obvious threat. The immediate concern is being robbed, and so these precautions are taken. I also think that families, if they have the means to afford hiring someone to watch the gate do so in order to give them a place to stay, and money to afford necessities that they may otherwise not have access to. I'm not saying it's completely altruistic though, as I will describe next.

A genius concept - having a sink in the dining room

          I would classify the family that I stayed with as upper middle-class, with similarities to my family at home. One thing however, stuck out as a major difference. It is not uncommon for families to have house help. This bounces off what I was saying earlier however, about giving people who otherwise may be struggling, to have room and board. I find that in America you have to be very well-off to afford help in the house, or to constitute having a security guard in front of your house. However, here in Kenya, my parents didn't get home until 8-9 pm every evening. In America, my mom stayed home to raise me and do homely things. At first, I thought that the dichotomy between rich and poor must be so vast that this middle class is comparable to our upper class. However, upon further reflection, I became cognizant of the fact that in America, if families are able to lose an entire income for a parent to stay at home everyday, they are just as well off, if not more so, than in Kenya whereas the cost of hiring help is probably significantly less expensive than the family losing an entire source of income. Although the house help is in most cases given room and board, depending on their role in the family, they do not make a substantial amount of money. Many come from informal settlements, and the room and board, and support from the families they work for is usually more than enough to sustain their lives, but probably not to pursue more education/sustain their own family.
          One such informal settlement is called Kibera. It is often referred to as the largest slum in East Africa, but there is a lot of ambiguity as to how many people truly live there. In fact, the reported numbers by many NGOs are seemingly 4x as much as research shows there to actually be. As a class (of St. Lawrence University students), we had the opportunity to visit one of two NGOs: Carolina for Kibera, or the Red Rose School. I visited Carolina for Kibera which had both a health clinic, and a girls outreach group within Kibera. I was also afforded the chance to enter into a home of a resident in Kibera. Despite the inaccuracies of the number of inhabitants in Kibera, the living situation is still very cramped and very unsanitary. I would argue however that the perpetuation of the idea that Kibera is the largest slum in East Africa makes it seem impossible to improve, and is in fact detrimental to their improvement. I therefore propose abolishing this stigmatization and for NGOs to continue focusing their attention on getting to know the needs of the residents, as well as the government acknowledging their existence. For instance, if the government held the landlords responsible for having basic necessities for their tenants, such as toilet facilities, many of the issues, I believe, would remedy themselves. Anyways, that's just my opinion.

          Just on the other side of the city however, there is a huge outdoor mitumba (thrift), called Toy Market. I had the opportunity to visit it with my host-cousin after a free yoga class provided every weekend by The Africa Yoga Project. This came at the perfect timing because very shortly after arriving in Kenya, I realized that there was only one comfort from home that I absolutely needed, and this was further reiterated during my homestay. I was greatly missing wrapping my toes up in my nice wool socks while I studied, and then still being able to go walk outside.  This, my friends, is possible only with my adidas, which I left at home. However, while out shopping I found the perfect pair, almost brand new, for $10.00. Although I without a doubt could have gotten them for significantly cheaper, my bargaining skills at that point were not up to par, and I so desperately wanted them. Here in Kenya, you can bargain just about anything from your taxi fare to the bracelet in the market that you really want. The only place that I've identified which cannot be bargained at are restaurants and Nakumat. The prices are frequently jacked up even higher because we're white, but I always resort to telling them "Mimi ni mwanafunzi!! Si na pesa. Tafhidali." or "I'm a student, I have no money, please." This is only after they've said they're lowest, final price, and what I've offered is literally the only money in my wallet. Then the bargaining turns into my begging. Regardless, it's super fun and I've gotten many amazing summer clothes, shoes, and dresses mitumba shopping! Including, most importantly, my adidas.
          Some other fun things that happened during my homestay, are as follows. I went with my host sister to a place called the Karen Hub (which had just opened) for three different occasions. The first was for an open-mic night, the second for pizza at Dominoes, and the third for a screening of a film for the International Woman's Day. The short film depicted a story of a woman who accidentally gave her daughter the wrong medicine because she was illiterate (as she'd been raped, become pregnant, and had to leave school at a very young age), and it ended up killing her daughter. As a now adult woman, she went back to school. The purpose of the film was to speak on the importance of educating females, among other things. The mall itself is absolutely beautiful and the owner, of European descent, came to the open-mic night to convey the significance of the arts and how happy he was to have so many people interested in them.  Another weekend, with my host-sister, I had the opportunity to participate in the First Lady's Half Marathon through the town of Nairobi. It was held by the first lady to raise money for initiatives to reduce maternal and child mortality. At the end of the televised marathon, as people ran through the finish line, they were given medals and certificates for completing! It was awesome! By the time I got around to seeking a medal, there were none left though, no big deal! It was still awesome.
          Overall, the three weeks were exceptional and flew by! I had so many experiences that I will never forget, met so many amazing people, and learned so much about the many dichotomies of life in Nairobi. It was definitely a feel-everything kind of experience, and I'm so grateful to have been able to live the way Nairobians live every day for these three weeks, ultimately becoming a part of the greater picture. I hope that everyone takes my Grandfather's advice to feel it all!

I've been thinking about my Grandaddy a lot lately, and so this is in very loving memory of him.

Grandaddy and myself being goofy

Siku Njema!
-Beca