Masai Mara Doctors!

So I have been asked to speak at several different functions since returning from Africa about my experience there. It is difficult to sum up in 30 or 40 minutes what it was like. Words seem to fail miserably when it comes to describing my feelings or what actually took place. To try and explain how we did surgery in a 3rd world country with no modern equipment in a hospital that was built before WWI doesn't even begin to do it justice however, we managed and managed quite well. As you can see the highlight of my experience was the children. I LOVED the children. They were always happy and respectful and so full of genuine curiosity. I wanted to bring them all home with me! After the long days of back breaking and emotionally draining work you could always count on the smiles of the children to bring your spirits back to a "high" again. It didn't take long, their smiles were contagious! The pictures below are of the children of the Masai Mara. They are a people that live on the African tundra, I call it a tundra because it isn't really a desert and it's not really mountains either. It lies just above the Serengeti in Kenya. They survive only on the milk of the cow, goat and the blood harvested from the jugular vein of the cow...I am not kidding. They eat nothing else. By adding the blood to the milk it enables them to go for days and days without food while they are tending to their herds away from the village. Their animals are their livelihood. They treat them with great care and respect. In their culture, your wealth and prominence is determined by the number of herds you have. Their houses are made of cow dung, no joke...Think about that the next time you think you need a new home! They wear the color red and purple so that they can be seen from a distance by their tribe members. It is such a simple life in so many ways but, I am not sure that I could survive knowing what I know of the world. The children are required to go to school and have been taught about a different way of life but choose to return to this one in most cases.

Just a note: In the picture with me and the young man...He is the prince! I am in his house. He is holding the long "gourd" type looking thing that has the mixture of milk and blood inside. He wanted to know if I would like to have a swallow or two...I declined. Also, I added a picture of the tribesman who were fascinated by the fact that we were doctors and nurses...they wanted our surgical masks, gloves and hats. I couldn't resist taking a picture of them. They really thought that they were something all dressed up like surgeons!