My visit to the Maasai Community is part of the South America & Africa Points Heist Trip Report.
Near the Kibo Lodge, there was a Maasai community which allowed visitors to come and see how they live. They charge $20 per person which helps the village in many ways including educating the young. This is not a tour of the favelas in Brazil or one of those day trips to see how poor people live. I’m against those trips. This, by contrast, is an opportunity to see how a group of people has voluntarily lived and how they sustain this lifestyle.
The Tour
The tour starts with a welcome ceremony followed by a few traditional dances. Visitors are encouraged to participate. I did my best.
From there, we were introduced to the medicine man who describe different kinds of roots used to treat ailments from malaria to snake bites. He also had Maasai Viagra but said I needed more than one wife before I used it because the stuff was too powerful.
He also demonstrated how he can make fire the old school way.
After some photos, we saw the inside of the Maasai house which is built by the women out of cow dung. The most interesting part of the tour was learning about the Maasai’s participation in the Olympics. Maasai’s are known for their skill in track. The athletes were those that traditionally hunted and killed lions and elephants. Since hunting was outlawed, incentive was needed to stop hunters from pursuing the animals. A clever response was to start the Maasai Olympics, a yearly event where Maasai athletes would showcase their athletic skills. The winner would get a cow or a bull and, if they were good enough, the opportunity for further athletic training.
Other Facts
Maasai live well over the age of 90. There have been no deaths from disease in the community we visited.
Overall
It’s not something I normally do, but I recommend going.
