Tag: Maasai
We are very conscious of the need for tourism to benefit local communities and impact the environment positively if it is to be sustainable. As a small camp we are limited in the number of people we can employ, but last November Sentinel Mara Camp ventured into new territory by sponsoring a business training for members of the Maasai tribe in the village of Mararianda which borders the famous Masai Mara Reserve. The training, was conducted by Business For Life, who focus on empowering people through effective training (rather than loans or grants) to start their own small businesses with minimum capital. This is particularly relevant when unemployment rates are over 50% http://jump4loves.com/live-girls/ and so many are unable to find employment despite the best of intentions http://jump4loves.com/live-girls/.
The Maasai, known for wearing colourful beads and dressing in red blankets, are sometimes referred to as “People of the Cow” due to the importance of cattle in their culture. Unfortunately overgrazing and land degradation as well as human wildlife conflict is a problem due to escalating numbers of livestock. During droughts they often lose over half of their wealth as out-siders from more fertile parts of Kenya come and buy their emaciated cows at a fraction of their worth, take them to their homes to fatten them up and then sell them at huge profits. Most of the businesses in this village of 1,000 families are owned and run by outsiders. This, coupled with the decline of the pastoralists’ nomadic lifestyle and reduced grazing areas, has led to increased financial pressure and even degradation of their major asset: the land. Diversification and a change of focus is vital to their future. Many of the participants on the course had unsuccessfully attempted business, so they came with an eagerness to learn. This was reflected by a high attendance rate…100%! A challenge faced in class was the number of illiterate learners; however, the course facilitators were able to overcome this obstacle with their innovative training methods. It was evident to them that the learners clearly grasped what was taught and acquired the needed skills to successfully run their own businesses. The Business For Life training seemed to set Mararianda abuzz with excitement. Many others in the village as well as Maasai from further afield are asking for this training, eager to start their own businesses as they witnessed these 50 have. The training demonstrated the power of effective training as a tool for transformation, not just for individuals but also for whole communities.
Dominic Matai has just chased the topi and zebra off the airstrip in preparation for the landing of the flight from Nairobi. As the engine comes to a halt and the dust settles the imposingly tall man in traditional attire of red shuka and beaded necklace greets his visitors. “Welcome to the Mara. I am Dominic and I will be your guide over the next few days. How was your flight…?’
Dominic Matai: Your Maasai Safari Guide at Sentinel Mara Camp
They have arrived as strangers, but will leave as friends with memories of an unforgettable adventure. Rapport is quickly established on the game drive back to the camp as the guests are amazed at how much they see on this short drive. His first task is to find out about his visitors as well as their interests and preferences. Is this their first visit to Africa or are they seasoned travellers with an interest in birds?
Matai is up well before his guests each morning washing his open 4×4 safari vehicle and preparing it with red fleece blankets, binoculars and guide books. If they are going to be out for breakfast, he is in the kitchen tent ensuring his guests’ particular preferences for their picnic breakfast are catered for. His day is a long one, sometimes being out with his guests for as much as six hours in the morning and three and a half hours in the evening.
In addition to being very knowledgeable about the animals, birds, insects, trees, geology and history of the Mara, he is an educator who captivates his guests by the fascinating way he shares his knowledge. He makes the bush come alive. He has an uncanny ability to find certain animals, interpret their behaviour and anticipate their next move. He is also a butler pouring drinks and serving meals in the most magnificent settings as his guests enjoy the untamed vistas of the savannah plains in carefully chosen places. He is an adept entertainer who is able to weave stories of past experiences and his early years as a young Maasai boy into what he shares. His instinct in the bush developed when he faced the danger of lion and hyaena while herding his father’s cattle. This is complimented by his formal training at the nearby Koyaiki Guiding School and his insatiable appetite to learn more about the wildlife he has lived alongside and learnt to understand. There is nothing quite like being introduced to the Masai Mara by a Maasai who was born into this world, who was a brave Maasai warrior and is now an elder with the wisdom associated with that stage of life.
In addition to Matai leading you in an unforgettable adventure, he will have you laughing much of the time with his primal but dry sense of humour. His cross cultural abilities mean that he is not only able to bring you into his unique and fascinating world with its spectacular game viewing opportunities, but he also understands yours – he is a “bridge” taking you into the romance and adventure of a bygone era in one of the best game viewing areas of the world.
What is it that makes a guide stand out? In a word, his unbridled and infectious passion.
As guests sip their drinks around the campfire a figure clad in a chef’s uniform emerges from the dark shadows and patiently waits for a lull in the conversation. Suddenly there is silence and anticipating eyes focus on the bearer of good news.
“Good Evening, my name is Joshua”!
“Good evening. My name is Joshua; I am your chef. For your dinner tonight we have Thai style prawns for the starter followed by beef fillet in mushroom and red wine sauce on a bed of garlic mash accompanied by Mediterranean vegetables. Our dessert is chocolate mousse and we also have a selection of Kenyan cheeses with crackers. I hope you are going to enjoy!”
What is a day in the life of a bush chef like? It starts at 4am preparing a picnic breakfast, if guests choose to spend the morning out on a game instead of coming back to camp for breakfast.
Meet the team who keep us fed!
Fresh bread, muffins and pancakes are baked daily. On certain days Joshua and his team are making a cake for afternoon tea or biscuits to accompany the coffee brought to guests’ tents for the early morning wake up call. On other days he is preparing his special salad dressing (which remains a secret) or his signature muesli.
Lunch is a lighter meal starting with cold cucumber soup, followed by a chicken salad as well as other salads. The meal is concluded with strawberries and crème fraiche – just enough to lull guests to sleep for a brief afternoon nap before the evening game drive.
Joshua takes great care in the presentation of his meals – plates are warmed in basins of hot water before he artistically adorns them with his wares: “the guests must delight in what they see as well as what they eat” he quietly chuckles. He is meticulous about hygiene and a tidy kitchen saying more assertively this time “cleanliness comes next to godliness”.
The true wonder of this is that the magic he spins each day is done not in a well equipped hotel kitchen but out in the bush in a temporary kitchen tent. In the rare moments when he is not busy in the kitchen, Joshua is sitting under a tree feeding his soul and finding new ways to be creative as he combs through recipe books.