Boma Stays!

Yesterday afternoon the other Groton students and I triumphantly stumbled back through the Emanyatta gates after a 2-night homestay at an Orkeeswa student’s Boma. We set out for our trips after lunch on Monday and walked anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to get to our respective Bomas. Once we arrived, both hosts and guests greeted the family (in Masai) then  spent the rest of the evening settling in and getting to know their surroundings. The next day, however, was not quite as simple; the day began early (6 or 7) and most students had already begun chores by the time tea was served.
After the house was clean, the dishes washed, and cows and goats milked, we set out to complete longer tasks such as herding cattle, picking beans, visiting other bomas and/or collecting firewood. Needless to say by the time dinner rolled around we were all pretty exhausted. After dinner most of us played cards and spent time with the kids in the Boma – my group was even lucky enough to get a cooking lesson from our host’s Mama. The next morning looked very similar to the first (chores, tea, babysitting, etc) and after giving gifts and saying goodbye to the family, we set out back to Emanyatta. After a lovely hot shower (provided by our amazing chaperones) we sat around and shared stories from our adventures. 
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