Training in Maa

A couple weeks ago, we accompanied our predecessor to a training. Everything is about trainings here. Basically, its the way to bring education and information to a community. It is the main means of helping to develop and support the couple hundred Self-Help Groups  (an official title in Kenya) in the area. This training was on helping a specific group learn about developing their mission statement or getting on the same page with their goals. The use of drawing was key since many of the members were illiterate.  They got into small groups and drew pictures of what their community was like now and how they envisioned it in the future, then it was "show and tell".  Unlike group processing times I've been part of previously, no-one was falling asleep or getting up to go do their own thing and no one was complaining about the hard benches that they sat on for 3 hours. However, there were a few times particularly after lunch when the leader had us all stand for a rousing Maasai Gospel song which involved lots of smiles, clapping, and enthusiasm.  Across the front of the room was a row of plastic chairs. We were required to sit in the front in those chairs, though we actually were playing no role in the training. This way they could get a good look at us, I suppose.

This group training was attended mainly by women, but unlike many other Self Help Groups largely made up of women, this one actually had a Chairwoman. (we were told that many of the groups are made largely of women, but have a male chair person because women aren't seen as being able to make good decisions- we were actually told this latter piece by our 22 yr old Maa teacher- we encouraged him to try to understand the essential decisions that women were excellent at making on a daily basis in his society) . In this community where women so often literally have no voice, it was encouraging to see a woman being able to lead her group. The training was mostly taught by the MCC service worker who we are replacing this month and translated from English to Maa, but there were large amounts of input also from one of the local staff persons, a wonderfully competent and gifted young leader. Unfortunately, she may be heading out of our picture since her project is ending and she may not continue involvement with the program.