Field Trip Story

As told to me by Ann, the manager of our MCC project that is currently training 10 Maasai community groups in the region: 

We left this place about 3 a.m. The bus from the school cost Ksh 43,000. I had to go to a board meeting for the Boy's school to bargain them down.  It was the lowest they could go. You know, they are doing a good business with that bus. We had to change our date because there was another group that wanted to use it. We went down to Olodongoro and picked the group there (25 people).  Then we went up to Olgumi.  It was about 5:30 a.m. when we picked that group (25 more).  It was then about 10:30 a.m. when we reached the community training centre near Kajiado.  They were really waiting for us.  We had some time in the classroom.  It was an introduction to zero grazing, poultry, rabbit management, dairy goat management, greenhouse management, water harvesting, drought resistant crops. Then they took us on a tour and showed us their place. I quickly saw that one teacher was not enough. As you can imagine, group members were having their own little meetings on the side! So, I asked the people there if they have more teachers.  They said, "Ann, you have a good point". So then, we were divided into three and it worked very well.  One group would be finished in the greenhouse and the next would rotate in, like that.  And I can tell you, they asked so many questions. It was so good. And if I can tell you about some of the challenges, I was so busy trying to keep the people moving.  And you know, they can really talk on their cell phones, like: "Oh, so and so, yes, we will meet". And I said to them, "now is not the time! You did not come all this way to talk on your cell phone!" And you know it was especially the ladies! The men were really listening. So, I got the two chairman and I said, "now, these are your people". And they said, "Ann, now leave us. We will take care of this". And they began to take care of their people.  And I tell you, even when it was time to leave and everyone was running around going to the shops for one last thing, it was the chairmen themselves that said, "The bus is leaving in 2 minutes and whoever is not here will be left!" And oh, did they run.  And we finally got to our meal by 5 pm. And you see everyone had so many questions all day and we left them. So, the people themselves brought money for their meal at the community center.  The project paid for the bus and the entrance fee, but the group members collected Ksh 200 for lunch, Ksh 100 for a stop for shaai, and Ksh 100 for anything extra, which many of them got back later. So we were arriving back in Mai Mahiu by 12 a.m. and then we dropped the group back at Olgumi. And you know many of them had to walk a good ways then in the dark because the bus could not get off the roads.  Then we dropped the second group at Olodongoro and they, too had to walk a ways home that night.  By the time I got back to my house it was about 2:30 a.m. Yes, almost 24 hours. And you know I never even ate! I had been so busy. And you know how much it takes to organize 50 people! But, I tell you, I love my work and the joy I feel in seeing those people at that place, learning so many things, it fills me up and I don't even think about being hungry!  

(Note from the writer- This kind of passion reminds me of someone else who had an unseen source from which he was filled.)