New Series Coming!

By Naserian Ferguson.

Mount Kilimanjaro (Photo by Lance Ferguson).

For approximately the past 6 weeks, I have been traveling in Kenya. Most of the time was spent in a rural area in Southern Kenya. It almost hugs the border of Tanzania, so that in the early morning you might catch a glimpse of the impressive —and elusive, due to the time of year— Mount Kilimanjaro. The dust is fine and red, thorn branches and wait-a-bit bushes are plentiful, the sky is blue and clear, and you might even catch a pair of ostriches attempting to snatch some tomatoes out of the fields. That place is called Shilishili.

My family has had wonderful connections to Imbirikani (which is about 6 kilometers away) for almost 20 years, and it is one of the places most dear to my heart. Back from 2006-2009, my parents worked doing Christian summer camps for Maasai children in that area. To this day, we have incredibly special friends and connections that these past few years we have been able to renew. My name, Naserian, is a common Maasai name that was given to my mother, who then passed it down to me. This past month or so, I have had the chance to meet many new —and old— friends who share it as well. Our time there was incredible, and I hope to be able to describe it through writing.  

Aside from the summer camps, we also had the opportunity to visit the Chyulu Hills and Kopjie Rocks, which I will write about in one of the upcoming articles, and the memorable experience of witnessing and participating in two traditional Maasai goat roasts. We visited two manyattas and saw the inside of bomas, learned from the children how to weave grass bracelets, tried raw kidney fresh out of a goat, met new friends and re-connected with old ones, and had more cups of chai than I can count. The last week of travel was spent on the coast of Kenya, in a town called Watamu.  

This time was incredibly special, and I am so excited to share it. The next week or two, be on the lookout for the new Kenya series coming, which I will try to post about twice a week. Some topics might include the traditional Maasai goat roast, visiting the Chyulu Hills and Kopjie Rocks, some of the special connections we have had, the train rides, and the time on the Kenyan coast.  

The striking contrast of the Chyulus (Photo by Tiffany Ferguson).

Glossary: 

Boma- a traditional Maasai home, built by the women, and made out of cow dung

Manyatta- a group of bomas for a large, extended family (traditionally, this might mean one boma for each wife) that also includes a thorn fence for the cattle, goats, and sheep  

Naserian- a common female Maasai name that means blessed or peaceful