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| Sanaiyan Metoyu |
My name is Sanaiyan Metoyu...I grew up in Loitokitok, a small township surrounded by Amboseli National Park that lies within the foothills, and in full view, of Mount Kilimanjaro. I lived in that area my whole life until college. I went to Nursery, Primary School, and High School in Loitokitok. For college, I moved to Nairobi and attainded a bachelor's degree in Tourism Management at the United States International University. Currently, I'm working with Tembokanga Tours and Education Ventures as the Vice President of Marketing and Reservations.
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| Maasai ethnic group |
I would like to take time to share with you some of my culture, because I come from undoubtedly one of the most famous traditional cultures on earth, the Maasai ethnic group, who sternly shun the modern world in favour of traditional rites and customs. Though I had the opportunity to go to school, I still experienced my culture first-hand.
I come from a polygamous family, and it's been fun growing up in a big family with so many siblings. My late father would slaughter 2 goats every month, then boil the meat and prepare soup mixed with bitter herbs. For 2 to 3 days no other food was cooked apart from the boiled meat and bitter soup. This was not enjoyable to eat as a child; but, for the health conscious Maasai people, this is the way to go, because it detoxifies the body.
I come from a polygamous family, and it's been fun growing up in a big family with so many siblings. My late father would slaughter 2 goats every month, then boil the meat and prepare soup mixed with bitter herbs. For 2 to 3 days no other food was cooked apart from the boiled meat and bitter soup. This was not enjoyable to eat as a child; but, for the health conscious Maasai people, this is the way to go, because it detoxifies the body.
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| Maasai hut |
My grandmother lived in a hut, a rounded house the women create by daubing cattle dung over a framework of sticks. I would visit her with my sisters, a walking distance of 6 kilometers. The hut was dark inside, because it had only a tiny window. This was exciting for me and I liked to visit her and stay with her whenever I was on school vacation. She would give us milk from a beaded gourd, and the milk was usually very cold, since the gourd kept it cold; and, surely, after that long walk, we definitely needed that.
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| Maasaethnic groupi |
The best way to experience and learn about the Maasai life is to take a foot safari or organized trek with one of our Maasai guides. This is a good chance to get to know the area and to spend time among the Maasai communiities. It is also a great way to experience the bush and wildlife from a completely different perspective than your own.
*Written by Guest Writer Sanaiyan Metoyu, VP Marketing and Reservations, TemboKanga Tours and Education Ventures, www.tembokangatours.com
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