Victory is something that varies from person to person. As you maybe celebrating about getting over an addiction, someone else might be shaking their heads asking themselves what there is to celebrate about. These days, there are celebrations of all kinds like my cousin held a party for her small kid who was graduating to class one and I was like, “What in today’s world is this!” After a serious ponder on why people have over-exaggerated birthdays, weddings and even house warmings, I came to realize that each and everyone’s achievements means a lot to them. I realized that I may not know the struggle my cousin had undergone with her small kid that she decided to hold a party for the beautiful soul who graduated to class one being top of her class.
The world is merciless, it has a way of humbling you to the constituents of its choice. It will always show you that you are just a grain of sand in a vast desert. No matter how flashy your wedding is, someone else’s will be the bomb. No matter how you think you’ve nailed it in any competition, someone will always break your record. In short, world’s mysteries never end. And if you are struggling with the current, then am sorry, you will end up being broken piece of pot which we all know it’s very useless, especially in the village. It cannot even scrap the dead skin on the farmer’s heel. All that matters in our achievements is how well do you enjoy them. Not how well you treated those who come to enjoy with you.
Let me end my brief history and life teaching on how to scrap off dead skin and let me now go straight to Enterkesi. (That is a name of a place, not food) You can see am walking…
It was a friend’s graduation ceremony. His name is Ntikoisa (We Maasai’s don’t use the English name, we are so much proud of our culture) It was around 13 years since we met. He was a childhood friend whom we used to swim in the river and play football with. There was no X-Box, Nintendo, Wii nor PlayStation but instead we had ant-hills where we could smear mud on our butts, spill water to the anthill’s peak and enjoy the ride. Armed with my Nikon D3200 (Actually it’s not mine but my sister’s. Without this confirmation she would have been the first to comment, “wewe, ati since when did my camera become yours?”) I was ready for the task before hand, capturing memories meant to last. I was an amateur photographer. I only knew how to slide the knob to the Auto setting and press the shutter. I also had the great skill of placing my left eye into the viewfinder eye-piece. Like This.
This is the photo you post in Instagram or Facebook and all the ladies are like, “Woooow. How much do you charge for photoshoots?” And you are like, “I really do not shoot people, I shoot thugs, thieves and cockroaches! My father used to work in the army.” (What a pickup line) That was then, not now. I can now shoot and frame anything.
We were late. We were four guys rushing to the big occasion. Namely, Tikwa, Mepukori, Merin and I. We are all childhood friends having schooled in the same primary school, drank the same ‘uji’ during lunch hour and swam in the same river ‘muguru’
We arrive our destination and we are welcomed by the scent of roasted goat meat. The sight of more childhood friends welcomes your soul into a realm of warm ecstatic state and you are in that kinda sad, reminiscent trance. Memories of cheekiness and laughter in the rain bombard your coiled head intestines and you are left bereft of a 13 year puzzle of ‘how could it have been if I grew up with them?’ That was deep, wasn’t it.
Meat first!
And this is the state of satisfied morans awaiting battle…
The graduand has to go far away into the bush to wear the gown. Don’t ask me why. That marks a beautiful stroll into the wilderness.
And that is when I decide get in the picture.
It’s scorching hot, dehydration knocks in like a broke villager but one thing we don’t lack at our place is water…
The walk of a thousand steps starts with a step. I bet my S Health could say, “A lifetime target achieved, You have walked 10,000 steps”
As we await the graduand to dress up. I become a shutter-bug even in my amateur photography. I get photos of the beautiful breath-taking stream…
And sad pictures of donkeys…
“Ero, ou toosho mbisha, koree enaaiyeni?” (Hey, come take the shots, where is this guy?) They start looking for me. And here I come with the first shot.
You could see the struggle in his eyes. You could see his whole self saying, “I deserve this, I worked for this!” There was something in him that said, “I have made my community proud!” It vehemently read, “I am strong, many may have failed but here I am today, I have to be an inspiration for this upcoming generation!”
And we took a group photo. And trust me this photo was taken by someone who has never touched a camera before maybe even seen it. He was a middle aged man herding his cows and I believed he would nail it in which he did. Moral: What any human can do, a Maasai can do it even much better.
In weddings, the bride throws that flower for the spinster’s to catch. In Maasailand there are no flowers. We decide to throw the graduand for the world to catch. And he smiled like a gladiator.
We head back. We are not blessed with limousines, Maseratis nor Bugattis. We are not well endowed with helipads and those posh entrances. Personal cars cannot maneuver because of our unroadworthy passages, but we have friends who would swarm with motorbikes to make the occasion as glorious as they can. We have talented MC’s who would just be as proud to MC your event for free. Simply because you have made the community proud. We have a family, we have a bond.
Here comes the bride. Sorry the graduand…
And he reaches the compound where all sorts of cries, ululations and singing is done. The women gracefully give him a royal entrance, something that will make a scorched stone cry. He is treated like a gem or rather a heart needed for the whole community’s survival.
He gets to the tent
Then the preaching, the thanksgiving, the speeches, the prayers and to his speech. While all this was happening, I was picturing the moments. I was overwhelmed by the pride and innocence on everyone’s face.
From the Morans…
To the Maasai Women
The old men…
To the old women
And the man who braced everything to see his son graduate. The man who valued education more than what many others value. The beloved teacher who taught me in primary school, Mr. Nekarei.
Occasions like these challenge you. Puts you to question, how did I graduate? After a harsh 3 years of projects, CATs, assignment, school fees issues, attachment etc, did I just took it lightly, a normal cause of ‘friends, come celebrate with me, let’s drink to this awesome achievement’ or did you involve God in this? Did you celebrate with those that are most dear to you? Those that gave you nothing but a statement of good luck and prayers or those newly found friends you meet along in life? Did you challenge your community? Did you inspire anyone?
If you see Ntikoisa, you may see just a Maasai young man who just graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education but I beg to differ. He is someone I look up to. Some may see a mere teacher. The same teachers who are oppressed by their government. The same teachers who are seen as the lowly in society but on the other hand he wants to pass on what he has to his younger generation. The guy doesn’t sleep like me waking up to report to work, slave from 8-5 and get back to rest. NO.
He got featured in the Loitokitok Website, Standard Media, AWCFS, News From Africa, The Business Daily, Innovate Development, Ventures Africa, Hivi Sasa, Hallahan News, New Global Citizen and even The Guardian for his greatest innovation alongside a close colleague, Ivy Etemesi for making a sanitary towel made of banana fiber, a move that will help the poor in the society. He is not from a royal family, nor are they rich. He comes from a marginalized region where land is communal, in fact they have no electricity in their home but he has made his community proud by hitting local and international headlines. He works harder, pushes himself more from set limits to achieves more.
The puzzle to you is, what are you doing with all what God has blessed you with? What are you doing with your life with all the resources at hand? Are you an inspiration to anyone? Does the community look up to you?