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VISITING MASAAI LAND AND THE MASAAI PEOPLE
What an absolutely spectacular day today! Niklas and I traveled with Amus who is a priest. He drove us deep into Masaai land, about 30km into the valley area. We picked up his wife, and a few other Masaai women with their children. I sat beside Amus’s wife who told me about her birth experiences. She has four children, and during her second birth, she was all alone when she went into labor. She called for the nearest person to come and help as she was in very intense pain. She ended up having a safe birth at home, but no one had tied the umbilical cord when they cut it, so she bled very much. She said she only survived by the grace of god. From speaking with many of the Masaai women and men today, it was clear that not all Masaai women have the same luck, as many die during child birth due to complications and not being able to get transportation to a hospital. They told me that just recently a mother passed away from childbirth along with the baby due to complications during birth and could not make it to a health clinic in time. Many women miscarry when taking a motorbike to the hospital, as the road conditions are too much for the pregnant mother. They told me that not long ago a mother who was seven months pregnant miscarried while on the back of a motorbike traveling to the nearest clinic.
Some of the women I met today have anywhere from 15 children to 4 children. As I sat around these women talking to them, I was overwhelmed with a sense of amazement of these women. In the sense that some have had 11 children, all born at home, all children survived, and so did the mother. These women are so incredibly strong. I told them about the maternity ward and health clinic we are in the process of building, as it is closer to them. I wanted to spread the word, in the hopes that these women will be able to reach our maternity ward and health clinic in time to give birth in a clean and safe environment, with educated midwifes, nurses and doctors.
After visiting the Masaai people today, I am filled with a new energy. These people are so beautiful, and very colorful in the way they dress and their personalities. It’s been a wonderful day meeting so many people, and truly seeing how they live and their culture.
Morgan Young
Lööf Foundation representative
