Invited in to Gabriel's Samburu Village

October 27, 2018

Jumping challenge accepted

Deedee entering a traditional hut

One thing you will often hear me tell potential Africa safari clients is that the animal encounters will be magical, just as you imagined, but it is often the indelible people of Africa that change visitor's perspectives. No doubt seeing how some of the rural villagers live will lead to questions about what things really are neccessary and important to living a happy life. I always come away feeling quite lucky that I was born where I was born, in a place where I don't have to spend multiple hours every day trekking to the river and back, then boiling the water before we can fill our cup.

Inside Gabriel's home

Just outside Samburu Reserve in northern Kenya we stopped in a small village of my friend Gabriel. This is one of many villages near parks and reserves that invite tourists in for a cultural demonstration. Gabriel is the guide for this particular village. We first met thirteen years ago on a visit here and I have been coming back ever since. I've watched Gabriel get a few more grey hairs while he has seen me become a father. I always find a warm welcome here.

Our visit started off with a few dances from the women, adorned with colorful beaded jewelry. The men also adorned, performed a few dances as well, including the typical jumping competition dance. In Samburu culture whichever man jumps the highest becomes more appealing to the ladies. After reviewing the tape everyone agreed that David was the highest jumper out of our group but you can take a look for yourself.

Making fire

watch out ladies

After proving our virility and being welcomed into the village we broke into two groups. We were then taken inside one of the huts. There are 20 families living in this village which translates to slightly more than 200 people. The families get quite large since the men can and do have multiple wives. In fact, Gabriel is the youngest of 42 children of his father. He was also the naughtiest, getting in trouble often as a young boy for losing track of his goats. After some of them were eaten by jackals he was sent to school as punishment. This did put him on a track to learn Swahili and English, which come in quite handy for his role as point-man for visiting tourist groups like ours. Now he is able to bring money into his village and help send the next generation of kids off to school.

School is in session

Gabriel

A couple of stories that were brought up were about coming of age rituals and marriage rights. In Samburu culture female circumcision has traditional always happened before the female marries, usually as a young teenager. However with more access to higher education the ritual is being questioned. In outskirt villages like this it seems that peer pressure might still overrule the new mode of women empowerment, but hopefully it is changing.

Samburu men also have the rite to have several different wives. Gabriel said that he wants all of his four wives to like each other. They each have their own hut, and to avoid jealousy he never sleeps in the same hut two nights in a row. There is a special stick that he plants outside the hut where he is going to sleep that night.

Becca and the boys

I always think that the faces here in Gabriel's village are so striking. It is a rare chance to get an immersive look into a culture far different than our own. One of my favorite experiences came next. Gabriel and two other men brought out a set of special sticks. Made out of a hard but dry wood, with several blackened holes in one of them, they proceeded to make fire right in front of our eyes. They said this is all young boys need when they leave the village with their goats and cows off into the bush.

At the end of our visit the ladies has rolled out their wraps and placed some of the handmade beaded jewelry on them. It provided a way for us to walk away with something tangible to remember our visit while leaving a donation for the next wave of schoolkids.

I think that this experience really left an impression on Chris, Erica, Becca, David, and Deedee. I hope they will remember it, and think about how different cultures can be while the people in them are still so similar.