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Women at Bogoria
With the women film group at Lake Bogoria This blog is rather overdue as I arrived here at the beginning of April, after all the election troubles had died down. At the time people were relieved that life was getting back to normal and were glad to see visitors returning. I soon found that the basic lifestyle in Bogoria also means that internet connections are sporadic so I have found it difficult to complete my blog regularly. But now, two months on, I have just returned to Nairobi for a few days to collect some data and catch up a little on writing so I will upload a couple of blogs now and try to keep them coming more regularly. As a start I thought I would describe some of the basics of life in Bogoria. Mzungu, mzungu! Jambo mzungu. Every time I pass by the children call out a friendly greeting to this white woman in their home village. Only some of the small babies take one startled look at me and turn their heads to their mothers balling their eyes out at this strange pale creature. But mostly the children follow me happily along the road for a short way or visit me at the house
mzee
The oldest man in Sandai and I start to feel like the pied piper. I have agreed to sponsor one girl to school, Judith, who made friends with me in an earlier visit. She is bright and intelligent but her family have fallen into hard times. Her grandfather used to be a ranger here and I think she has inherited his interest in wildlife. I am also helping a deaf boy, Geoffrey, but more about his story in another blog.
Below the house is the village well, although this water is only used for washing and is not fit to drink. The well is colourfully festooned with washing that is draped over every bush and tree. Goats and cows wander between the women as they scrub their clothes. Drinking water comes from the springs up the road. I am lucky as there is a pipe to the house but most women have to carry 20 litres of water several kilometres from the spring or river to their homes.
I am staying at a government house in Loboi, a Tugen village, on the edge of Lake Bogoria that is a second home for my Kenyan friend, William Kimosop who is Chief Conservation Officer for
pattas
The lonely pattas monkey the Baringo area. He does not live at the house and it is sadly neglected but I have finally managed to get rid of most of the insects, cockroaches and spiders, repair some of the broken windows and generally scrubbed it up a bit. Although no sooner had I got rid of most of the animal life than a scorpion decided to keep me company. It got hastily swept out with a broom. The lizards and geckos I am welcoming as good neighbours as they eat mosquitoes. Another neighbour is a Pattas monkey that lives in a cage near the government houses. She is sadly lonely but has lived in captivity since she was young so it would be difficult for her now to adapt to the wild. I often take her fruit, passion fruit, water melon (she loves the seeds) or bananas.
Life here is so very basic compared to home. The local dukas, or shops, sell a scant variety of food: ugali, tomatoes, onions, rice, flour, margarine, cabbage, sekumowiki (like spinach) and goat meat are the staples. Ugali is made from maize starch that is boiled up with water to form a solid paste like a cross
scorpion
I occasionally get these visitors to my house between thick mashed potato and wall paper paste in consistency and taste. I had to borrow a screwdriver to repair a lock on the house and someone went all round the village to try to find one. My only kitchen knife has been used variously to cut veggies, dig holes and spread putty. I even saw one villager idly cutting his finger nails with a 20inch panga (machete).
I have learnt that life is slow here and you have to adapt to ‘African time’. A meeting scheduled for 8 am doesn’t usually start till at least 10 or 11. Sometimes I demand English time if I am organising a walk so that at least the first part is in the cool of early morning.
I feel that I am being accepted now within the communities here in Loboi where I stay and also in Sandai with which community I am mostly working. I have made a lot of friends and people are genuinely happy that I want to work with them. I find the hardest part of working here the hardships and poverty that some people cope with. The area around Lake Bogoria is semi-arid and the rains
nyama choma
Anderson eats roast goat meat with the wzee in Sandai have been late to arrive. Cattle are looking emaciated and thin. Although some rain has fallen it is not the big rains that the area needs to survive.
I have been filming and mapping with groups of women, the old men who can remember traditional ways and times, the sanctuary committee at Sandai and local conservationists. I hope it is a two way exchange as I teach them about filming and they share their knowledge with me. Normally I then buy a round of sodas or lunch of nyama choma (roast goat meat) and ugali for everyone. I am finding the wzee (old men) have a lot of wisdom although in these times of change their knowledge is less valued.
I have also organised various visits and camps with my Tugen friends to explore some of the trails in the area and understand more about how local knowledge, both traditional and modern is contributing to conservation.
My study is going well and I hope that I can write up my blogs to tell you more about my Tugen trails, the lives of some of the people I work with and how traditional knowledge can be used in
sandai
Main Street, Sandai wildlife conservation.
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