Student Reflections

We visited the boma of a local traditional Maasai medicine man who showed us just a few of the many indigenous plant species he uses in treating common illnesses. He had a vast knowledge about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for several conditions; and his methods are so successful that the local district hospital even refers patients to him. It was amazing to have been shown a glimpse of medicinal practice that has been preserved within the Maasai culture for generations. As a future healthcare practitioner, this experience has confirmed my notion that the integration of different spheres of medicine is more beneficial than the utilization of one medicinal tradition alone. Audrey Lenhausen, Meredith College

It's hard to imagine something when you have no frame of reference. I mean, I could have read books and watched documentaries about the Maasai all day long but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to do. I was drawn to this particular program because it was the first time it was being offered. The idea of being the pioneering team to collect baseline data was both exciting and intimidating. Would we be able to collect the data that NIDRA needs? How would the community respond to wazungu (white people) coming into their homes and asking them a bunch of questions? These questions were quickly answered once we entered the field.

The most rewarding part of this program has definitely been the fieldwork. Visually, it was incredible to experience a traditional Maasai boma but socially it was even cooler to hang out with the mamas and their children (and sometimes their husbands) and get to learn about their daily lives. Almost always I felt like we were welcomed and, by the end of our time in a boma, even accepted by the community. I definitely feel connected to the people in this area of Maasai land and I am looking forward to coming back! Kelly Marshall, Kansas State University 

Seno asked me on the last day of our data collection field work if my experience here had met my expectations. My response to him was that it has exceeded every expectation that I ever had. This is by far one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life; but at the same time one of the most rewarding periods of my life.

On our seventh day of data collection we drove out for two hours to a community called Olgulului. When we stepped into the first boma, I was in awe of the women. They were the first group of women that we saw all in their traditional dress and beadwork. They were breathtaking.

While my team members were conducting surveys and we had weighed and measured the children, I was “talking with” the Maasai women. Talking to them when we do not speak each others languages took on a whole new meaning. There was lots of gesturing and laughing. I was trying to tell them that I loved the way that they carried their babies on their backs and that when I had my own children I wanted to be able to carry my babies the same way. Our translator told the women that, and one of the women asked if I wanted to learn right then. The next thing I knew I had ten Maasai women tying a four month old child on my back and they were all helping and laughing. After we got the baby tied on me he settled down and fell back asleep and we stood around all laughing and talking for the rest of the time we were in that boma. At that moment I realized why we were here, and it was to be accepted into the community and to share and to teach, and to be taught. I am here to understand more about them and their health and nutrition needs, but I am also here to learn about myself and my values; to learn what the things are that are important to me. I learned a lot from that group of Maasai women; how to communicate, how to laugh, how to share, and how to carry a baby the way that the Maasai women do. I learned more in that day, and in that experience than I ever dreamed I would in the five weeks I am here. Kate Dilley, Boston University

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