By Annie St-Amant and Thomas Éric Vallières

Mila is the Maasai guard who ensures the safety of volunteers 14 hours a day, seven days a week.  He has come straight from the bush in the Savannah to work with ROTH in Arusha.

An authentic Maasai, Mila wears his shuka (Maasai blanket) and black tire sandals.  When Mila first joined the team of volunteers, we made a few erroneous dietary assumptions.  Over time we discovered that chicken and eggs were not a part of his daily diet.  In fact, mursik, made from fermented milk, cow`s urine and ashes for example, might have been more appropriate.  Luckily for Mila and for ROTH volunteers, the Maasai also eat rice, bread and cooked vegetables making dinner preparations a bit easier.

As we continue to get to know Mila, the volunteers have themselves been forced to question their own presumptions and perceptions.  For example, after having spent a week digging foundations, we soon learned that there is a strong taboo in Maasai culture against piercing the soil.  Our daily exchanges with Mila have enriched our cultural experience and have opened our eyes to a different way of life.  Thank you Mila for watching over us so vigilantly as we rest under African skies.

(Photo : Silvia Spampinato)