Our Community Cow

On Tuesday we traveled to Maji Moto to see "Enkiteng Lepa," The purple school and vocational training center Hellen founded and named "Our Community Cow."  The directions to the school were simple: "turn right at the tree." There at "the tree" stood Sabore with Sinti, a young Masai warrior who is about 18 years old. He is the figure Hellen had painted on the school's emblem. We love him.

The visit to Hellen's school was a great treat because we were able to see for ourselves some of Hellen's most important work. School is out for the month of August, but there are still about 10 girls who board --girls who are not interested in early marriage but rather long to complete their education first. That's the desire of this lovely community; even the sign on the gates we entered read "Don't trade cows for girls: Give them education." So we saw the lovely classrooms, the gardens and dormitories, the showers and toilets, kitchen and dining room and, most delightful to us, the vocational training center, a bright, airy room with several sewing machines and several adult Masai women sitting at them, sewing. And for the first time, we saw the product of the WHISP-her* project.

Lack of sanitary products is a problem in developing countries, and WISP-her is a means to keep girls and women in class and in the workplace. On the table the training center were washable sanitary pads in all colors. They're being sewn and used and soon will be part of micro-businesses that hopefully will help support Hellen's educational projects and her widows.

The children sang songs to us; one little girl recited a poem that characterizes her dreams. We sang songs to them, danced with them, laughed with them. Cyndi led everyone (Sabore and Sinti included) in I'm Singing in the Rain ("thumbs up, elbows in, knees together, booty out," etc.). Kids and adults all loved it; Sabore called it a "high five song."

Later on, after visiting with Chief Salaton Ntutu at his campsite, Cyndi and Nancy gave the gifts we brought --school supplies, candy, toys and games. Hellen particularly loved flying the kites we brought and the whole group of us played games with the enormous parachute--great fun to see Masai warriors run beneath when their colors were called.

We left in great spirits, yet also once more sobered. The women who teach at the school are single or widowed; each has dreams of her own. One of the young women is not Masai, but her husband recently died, leaving her two young children. She asked us if we might take the baby so that he could have a better life.

*Washable Intimate Sanitary Pads for Her