After all our rearranging of my class, Ticha was of the opinion that the market didn’t really get started until later, so we went to school on time after all. It was not a problem and Keith was able to plug in the school computer but not ours, since there was only a DC converter attached to the solar electricity system, not an inverter to produce AC power. We were still dependent of the
My sessions with Forms three and four introduced me and Australia at appropriately higher levels, with student questions making me really think about our culture and habits. For each area that I covered, students explained in English how things are done here, which was really interesting and a great eye opener for me. Their dreams for the future included jobs as nurses, doctors, parliamentarians, teachers, soldiers and pilots. Only one student wanted a life as a farmer, and he had big ideas way beyond the subsistence level currently practised by his family. The boys smiled a lot and were much more confident in speaking, while the girls needed to be encouraged, even though their English skills were about equal.
To follow up on life here and to introduce a way of using the digital camera and the computer for an English language activity, Madam Simbee and I planned a range of projects, with written and oral work to accompany a slide show on aspects of life in Farkwa for the Form fours, and a slide show on aspects of life at school for the Form threes, to be completed in groups.
We were really on a roll and as enthusiastic as could be. Madame Simbee raced back in to the form fours and asked the students to think of what they would work on the next day so that they would come with ideas.
We were home later than we had hoped and Rosie had gone to the market earlier, so we wouldn’t be going with her. She had been frightened on her way, with a bull in a herd walking in front of her turning and careering off towards her and all the other people. Everyone was a bit concerned, in a protective way, about us going to the market alone, and so we decided to go with Gracia and Inyasia when they went after lunch.
While we had a little pre-lunch snooze, we could hear Rosie stopping Sebi from taking money from her purse. He said that he wanted it to buy biscuits. There are so many things for a child to learn, and in the same way that we grasp some aspects of new cultures and completely miss things that are very obvious and are taken for granted by the participants in those cultures, Sebi had picked up on the purchasing power of money but not the need to consult if he wanted to go somewhere. Rosie was very patient and explained again, but Sebi screamed and kept repeating that he wanted biscuits.
We set off in a party with Gracia, Inyasia, Hawa, Katerina and little Goodie, gathering more friends as we went. Gracia and Katerina chatted and called out to those going down and then up the hill to the market, and to those on the return journey.
Although there would have been people from villages round about who had come in for the market, it was the first time that we had seen that there is a reasonably large population living in these parts, and the first time that we had seen what lay on the next hill. A truck laden with satiated shoppers and with a tangle of fowls tied to its bonnet threw up the dust as it passed, and created havoc in a newly purchased herd of cows.
Every form of transport was put into use, with the original number of passengers being totally disregarded as new records were surely being set all around us. Human power was being taxed to the extremes, with heads providing a regular spot to allow both arms to be free to carry more. A woman carried a rooster in the same companionable way as the ladies of
First up we met Ticha who assisted Keith to buy some maasai sandals, made entirely from recycled car tyres. There were literally hundreds of pairs lying out waiting to be bought.
Gracia and Inyasia asked me what I wanted to buy and they were very business-like about it all. They were not inclined to just wander around and browse, drinking in the ambiance. After all, this was ordinary to them. They were concerned about thieves, and said that we had to be careful. These conversations were largely in gestures with Hawa being invaluable for translating when we needed to understand each other at a more subtle level. I wanted some material so that the tailor could make me an outfit for celebrations at church next week. The others had the man opening up fabrics for my approval, and I settled on a very bright piece that I loved, deciding to go with the vivid colours instead of my usual softer clothing style.
I also bought another piece that I couldn’t resist. I was looking at it but wanted to see what else was around before I made my choice. I explained that, but it seems that I had hit upon a top bargaining manoeuvre because suddenly the price dropped when I had thought it was reasonable already. Next we bought thongs, the same colour for Hawa as for me. The row of clothes for sale reinforced my impression that the 1950s were alive and well fashion wise for little girls and that the 1980s were trying to take over the older ladies market. Ticha phoned Gracia to ask if we could come over to see the goats that he had purchased for Maria, tethered to trees at the other end of the clothing section. We met Maria, her uncle and her brother, and admired the goats before they were herded together for the walk home. Maria was very quiet and gentle, looking more like twelve than her sixteen years.
We took photos to send to Maria’s sponsor. The others were ready to go, having completed my list, and I was keen to stick with them because their company really added to the experience for me. Keith said that he wanted to stay and look around the stalls – animal sales, a butchery and lots of gadgets that didn’t require electricity. I took our purchases, which Hawa insisted on carrying, since there was concern that they would be pinched out of our bag. We set off down the hill on the return journey, along with lots of others. Every now and then there was a chatting pause, and as we came nearly to the dry river at the bottom of the market hill,
The water here is not pure and can carry diseases so we, and Rosie’s immediate family, have been drinking bottled or boiled water. We bought four bottles in one of the two ‘down the hill’ shops. All the shops have metal grills at the front, set into baked mud brick buildings with corrugated iron shelters and lean-tos attached. You don’t enter, but just ask for things as you would at a kiosk. They carry basic necessities of life such as soap, grains, vegetables and fruit that locals grow or are sent out from
Just as the sun set, and as a few drops of rain began to fall, we, Ticha, Rosie and the little boys set off up a bush track to Mama Willie’s place for dinner. Her son, Father Willie, is a priest who grew up here and so is the pride of the neighbourhood. He is a good friend of Ticha’s, and had recently been in
The path wound past small houses and many low prickle bushes that grabbed at our skirts. This is indeed a prickly land, with thong bottoms regularly being penetrated by something like a three cornered jack and acacia thorns. The new soccer ball had already been punctured. We arrived at the same time as the rain, and stepped inside a tiny, neat lounge room to eat. The food was brought in by Mama Willie’s granddaughter who lives with her. The grandfather smiled his welcome. Keith distracted Sebi with his camera, looking back at the photos of the group and seeing if Sebi could name each person, and Rosie fed Jarvah. It was a fairly short visit, but there was such a feeling of warmth and courtesy in that house that we came away with a happy glow inside. Naturally we were escorted, along a shorter path back to the main road, and from then on we had Ticha’s torch to guide us.
Maasai people normally wear traditional clothing, no matter whether they are with their cattle or in the capital city.
Christine shows off her market purchase to Bibi (Ticha's mother).
Keith continues use every opportunity to instruct the Head Master, Mr Chalala, in using the computer.
Due to a water shortage, students bring water to school with them most days.
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