Dinner Meeting Oct 7, 2015 - Maasai Visit Doylestown

 

The Man with the Plan then introduced the guests.  There were two members of the Maasai present.  Mildred is planning to study nursing in this country next year.  Right now she is raising money to go to school.  She is staying with her sister in Lancaster.  Eventually, she wants to go to medical school.  We would be fortunate to hear more from Mildred later on. Daniel Salau Rogei is also a member of the Maasai.  He is currently working with Del Val University.  He will be taking part in a symposium about land use and how it is impacting people.  According to Daniel, land use is a commodity for some, but for the Maasai it is a matter of life and death.  Phillys Eckelmeier, who works with the Maasai, and Alice Sparks, who works with Phyllis, were also at the meeting.

We were also happy to have with us District Governor Elect Linda Young.  Thus, in two consecutive weeks, we had the District Governor and the District Governor Elect.  Not too shabby!  Finally, rounding out the guests was Tom from the Bucks County Herald.

El Presidente then opened the floor for announcements. 

 

We then heard from Daniel Salau Rogei, one of our guests of ho

nor from the Maasai.  Daniel said that he working with the Maasai community on development issues that involve water and food security.  Challenges to the Maasai come from climate changes and droughts. Daniel is working to develop water sources for the Maasai.  He told us that Rotary has been very helpful.  We have been instrumental in establishing seven functional wells.  These wells have transformed the way of life for the Maasai.  Children have been able to get water for school, which allows them to stay in school.  The wells are close to the schools, which help.   

 

Daniel said that it has been predicted that there will be no more rain in the area.  This could be the harbinger of a severe drought that could last for two to three years.  Daniel said that more wells are needed.  People are migrating to the areas where the wells are and the villages are getting crowded.  It would be nice to see more wells that are spread out so other members of the Maasai can get water.

 

Daniel told us that issues of health are a very big challenge for the Maasai.  The Maasai often live very far from a hospital.  The mortality rate is very high for children, many of who are afflicted with Malaria.    In the rural areas people have to walk far to go a hospital and many of them die before they can get there.  This is especially true during El Nino.  There has been an outbreak of cholera in the forest areas, and tragically, people have been relegated to looking for bodies in the forest.  The Maasai are trying to get first aid personnel for people who can be treated before being transported to hospitals.  Daniel said that it is good to see girls get opportunities, like Mildred, who can hopefully come back to the area and help.

 

Daniel then advised us that the Maasai are spread out in Kenya and Tanzania.  There are 300,000 members of the Maasai in Kenya, but that number is insignificant politically.  There are about 5,000 members in areas that have been helped with the wells. Daniel also talked about the diet of the Maasai.  It consists of milk and beef and a lot of soup from the meat.  During times of drought the milk is mixed with blood.  The community is now growing crops so there have been changes to the traditional diet.

 

The Maasai still move with their houses.  In the past they would never come back to their original homes.  Now they are coming back for the schools and wells.  Previously, they would go around to where grass was growing.  Now it is not as necessary. Change of land use has affected the mobility of the Maasai.  Daniel said that he is one of the few luck men of the Maasai who went to school.  The illiteracy rate is very high currently, the number is approximately 80%.  Daniel’s father encouraged him to go to school.  The school was far from his home and the high school costs money, as does the college, which was in Nirobi.  Daniel received his degrees in community development and climate change.

At the strong encouragement of Max Rose, we then heard from Mildred.  She told us that she is 21, although people say she looks like she is 16—which she definitely does.  The first time she came to this country was in 2009.  Mildred has been amazed by the difference in the food and culture. Mildred’s sister came to the United States in 2003.  She is a nurse living in Lancaster.  She is the oldest child and Mildred is the youngest.  Mildred told us that she wants to be a surgeon.  She knows that school is expensive, so she has to work and save up enough money so she can go.  She wants to become a licensed practical nurse and then a registered nurse so she can earn enough money to go to medical school. Mildred’s father forced her to speak English.  He said that if she could not speak English, she shouldn’t talk.  Mildred was encouraged to go to school and perform well.  Mildred is proud of her sister and the help she gives her family.  This reporter thinks that Mildred’s family is going to be very proud of her (if they aren’t already) and everything that she is going to accomplish.

 

Well, our prescient president was right, a lot went on at this meeting.  It should be duly noted that while all of the great presentations where taking place, many of the Rotarians went shopping to buy hand made items from the Maasai, which has become a yearly tradition. That wraps up this incredibly fantastic column.  See you on the 14^th in Newtown!