The oldest elder

Less than a kilometer from camp, lives an old man or as we say, an elder. His name is Sakimpa ole Nchoni, one of the oldest alive age-set at the moment. Sitting and chatting with this elder will break your ribs from laughing! When we were fencing his boma you couldn’t possibly think he was over 80 years old; he was helping us to drag branches around and fix the boma. You can see from his face that he has a great passion for livestock. He says he would spear the hyena if he finds it in his goat boma. He is still very strong.

No meeting is done around here without him being invited to attend, for he knows so much about our culture, unlike our younger generations. He knows all the Maasai proverbs, which still have a deep meaning in our life today. Before we left his boma he ordered one of his wives to prepare tea for us, and his authority was clear from his voice, but he did it in such a funny way that it made us all laugh. He really is a great character.