I arrived in Muhuru bay, home of the Mama Maria Clinic and it’s projects with little idea of what to expect, but was greeted so warmly by the villagers I would be living with, that it was difficult to not feel as though you had been part of their family for years. The ten weeks I have spent in Kenya, seven of those being at Mama Maria and the others at Namunyak Maasai Welfare, have been the most rewarding, eye opening and humbling ten weeks of my life.
At Mama Maria I was involved in the building of the new volunteer compound site where the new clinic will eventually be placed, and the upkeep of the ambulance. The clinic is running a continuous battle against Malaria and has to give out so many drugs in this fight that it is consistently under pressure to try to keep from running out of these precious resources.
Throughout my time there I met many different people and the one thing that stood out above all else was there overwhelming happiness. Despite the fact that everyday there is a struggle to buy food and collect drinking water from the lake which is often filled with parasites, and that simply feeding your family every day is your main objective, everyone has an amazing appreciation of life and unwavering faith, which humbles you to the bone. I made an uncountable number of friends, both locals and other volunteers and as a result of the experiences we went through together, these friendships became very strong. For the people I was able to meet and the things I was allowed to accomplish I am eternally grateful.
After my seven weeks in Muhuru Bay were up, I headed to the hills of transmara and to the Namunyak Maasai Welfare project that is led by Emmanuel Leina Tasur. When one meets Emmanuel you can tell that there is something special about his character, but it was not until a couple of days of living with him and speaking with him on various issues that I realized how truly inspirational he is. He is running for MP for the whole of Transmara constituency, which is inhabited by the Maasai and Kipsigis tribes, and has an amazing vision for this area. He allowed me to see how much hope there is, not just in Transmara but throughout the whole of Kenya for it’s future. Its people are truly amazing and have simply been let down by years of corruption, broken promises and marginalization by the government.
Emmanuel believes that Transmara is an area on the edge of prosperity and I believe he is the man that can finally bring this area into this prosperity that they so deserve. He and his family are some of the most warm and welcoming people I have ever had the opportunity of meeting and they love every volunteer that stays with them. I was given the chance to speak on his behalf at some of the political rallies that we attended and jumped at the chance of portraying my belief in his vision to people of the area.
Transmara is a simply stunning land; its fields expand to the horizon everywhere you look and its culture is probably the richest I have ever seen. We were able to experience many cultural Maasai events, which were simply stunning to see and it was fascinating to follow a man around that is starting so many projects for the area and is so warmly greeted by everyone you meet. It is a long and hard road that Emmanuel is beginning, but with our support for him and his projects, I believe Transmara can be transformed into one of Kenya’s great regions and aid the continued development of Kenya as a whole.
I will sorely miss this great country and all the people who I have had the fortune of meeting, so much so that I am already making plans for a return trip either next year or the year after.
To anyone who may be considering volunteering in Kenya, make the jump with an open mind and an easy going approach and you, as I did, will have the most incredible, rewarding and inspirational experience of your life – of that I’m sure.
– Chris Kwiatkowski
chriskwiatkowski@hotmail.co.uk