Yesterday I traveled with a World Concern WATSAN team (Water and Sanitation)—John Leyian, the driver James and the fundi (carpenter) Paul. We drove from west out of Narok toward Maasai Mara and then way south, into the Osupuko Division, Naroogura Location, Enturoto sub-location to Olemegile village at some 7,000 feet elevation in the Loita Hills. Two schools in the area have rain water collection tanks and a separate village (Ololulungai) has a water pan (known in Texas as a cattle tank) for livestock and a latrine for a preschool—all installed over the past year by the WATSAN team. Yesterday was a visit to check on function, use and need for repairs. The joint US/AID World Concern WATSAN project was funded by US/AID for only 5 years—that 5 years comes to a close at the end of this week and so the teams are anxious to visit as many sites as possible to make sure the projects are in working order going into the future.
The drive was long (3 hours) and rough—2 ½ hours of the ride was on unpaved ‘roads’(more like rough trails) and once, close to our destination, James and Paul had to disembark to fill a rain gully with rocks so we could continue (the bed of the pick-up was loaded with ladders and PVC pipe, so walking the last couple miles wasn’t an option.) We ended up deep in Maasai land on the top of a ridge that if it weren’t for the mud homes and the tall timber fences (to keep the leopards from eating the goats) looked all the world like Marin County, CA.
It was an odd ride—dusty and hot through the acacia-studded Loita Plains (being early summer here, the acacia are actually in bloom, a phenomena I have not seen before. The fever trees have brilliant yellow blossoms, the run-of-the-mill acacias sport white blossoms) and then progressively cooler up into the hills through lowland forest; finally breaking out into the brilliant green grassland of the Loita Hills—accompanied all the while by the blare of the truck’s radio. Yesterday was the long awaited day that the International Criminal Court at The Hague was to state their decision on whether 6 prominent Kenyans—2 of which are current Kenyan presidential candidates—should be tried for crimes against humanity for acts committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence that killed and raped thousands and displaced thousands more. As we bounced up into the stunning high-country pastures, the radio broadcast a woman justice reading the court’s decision in it’s entirety. The incongruity of the natural beauty and pastoral peace of the Maasai goat herds against the background discussion of mass murder, forcible transfer, deportation and persecution that occurred in the exact country in which I was traveling, was not lost on me. We live in a difficult world, and when you see a Maasai woman standing on the highest point on the hill, turning in circles trying to get radio reception on her cell phone, you know it is a complicated world as well.
We spent several hours in the Loita Hills while Paul repaired the PVC that drains rain water from the tin roof of the school into the tank. I spoke for a long time with one of the Maasai school teachers—Josphat—who is also the designated ‘Health Promoter’ for the area. In addition to teaching 5th grade at the school, he is also in charge of educating the community on water filtration, the use of water purification tablets, proper disposal of garbage, and use of pits/latrines to dispose of human waste. The area he is responsible for includes many villages and several hundred people, yet only 12 defecation pits have been dug. Josphat tells me that the Maasai hold to a belief that burying one’s waste is ‘selfish,’ as it is considered food for the livestock (lovely . . . ) The women (who are much more open to changes that would benefit the health and well-being of their families) and the children (who learn about hygiene in school) are fairly easily convinced of the benefit of pit-digging. But the men view it as the lowest priority and since it is men who make the decisions, the women have no say in the defecation-disposal issue. As a result, typhoid is now rampant after the recent conclusion of the short rains. Josphat tells me that the best way to convince the men is to tell them this: if you defecate in the grass the grass will grow greener and thicker in that spot; if the grass is greener and thicker your animals will eat it; if they eat contaminated grass they will get worms; if they get worms they will grow sick and weak. So I guess I could summarize: the way to a man’s colon is through his goats . . .
It was a fascinating day and I’m thankful for this Narok office for taking the time to teach me about the important work they are doing.
Photos: Maasai woman with cell phone; rain water collection repair; Olemegile school latrine; Loita Hills; school gate; Josphate with a new hygiene teaching tool; deduication of repaired water system; Ololulungia village.
Wow. The things we take for granted. It just never occurs to us here that people might not understand the importance of burying their waste, of the possibility of disease. I like the saying ab out the way to a man's colon being through his goats. :)
ReplyDeleteThi is an amazing post. I love the image of the Maasai woman looking for cell service. Thank you for that and for all of it!
ReplyDelete