Enniskillen Rotary Trip to Light of Maasai, Rombo

Enniskillen Rotary members in Rombo

From the 4th to the 16th of September 12 members, partners and friends travelled to Kenya. we visited Elaine Bannon's charity "Light of Maasai". The journey took approximately 28 hours and we arrived quite tired at the visitors' house. We were warmly welcomed, fed and shown our accommodation, which was simple, but comfortable. We were immediately put on a healthy bean, pulse or lentil diet mixed with pasta or rice. Also (nearly) everybody stuck to bedtime at 9pm.

During our stay we split up into different groups collectively painted two dormitories in local boarding schools, delivered a 3 day workshop in basic gynaecological skills for the nurses at the health centre, visited and supported the new eye-clinic in Rombo with a donation of money that will ensure its running for the next two years, as well as approximately 800 pairs of used glasses. We visited project Ciara, which is a borehole that now supplies about 10,000 people with fresh, clean water. We also donated used clothes, sanitary pads and lots of sweets, balloons, crayons, footballs and skipping ropes. Some of the clothes were given to a local HIV support group who were able to sell these at the local market.

 

On the lighter side we enjoyed a day at Amboseli Game Reserve, where we saw many elephants, antelopes, giraffes, zebras and buffalos. We enjoyed a swim in the pool and a meaty dinner at one of the hotels in the game park. On our return to the visitors house we were greeted by a group of local Maasai warriors who danced and sang for us and shared their evening meal (goat) with us. On our last day we visited a traditional Maasai homestead called a "manyatta". Joseph, our guide, explained some of the Maasai culture to us and showed us around the outside and inside of the mud and straw huts. We had a chance to buy some of the handmade jewellery.

Overall it was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience and many of us would jump at the chance to go back.