Here’s another blog from Lauren Ross, our Ewaso Lions volunteer
A photograph doesn’t do this place justice! This is one of many things I’ve learned about the Samburu area. I’ve tried to photograph as many aspects as possible in order to attempt to convey to my family and friends the awe inspired within by the beauty that surrounds me. Yet even with perfect lighting, good angles and auto-focus it never looks as stunning or majestic in the viewfinder. After each photograph I look up from my camera and marvel at everything I see, wishing there was a better way to capture these images forever. It’s such a pity for those who can’t experience this for themselves…and yet all the more reason for all of you reading this blog to get out here for a visit to understand what I’m describing!
Some of the most fun and intriguing subjects I like to photograph are the Samburu Warriors themselves. But this is not your average “pay as you go” experience I’ve been told most tourists partake in. These warriors have become my friends, my protectors, my teachers and my students, depending on the time of day. I wake up and hop in the car for a game drive with them, eat all my meals with them, teach them things ranging from basic English to how to use a GPS, and go for walks in the bush with my only protection being their knowledge of the area and it’s wildlife, their sharp eyes and a small weapon they carry. Most importantly, I constantly learn from them; knowledge about how to work hard, how to be tough, how to have respect. I’m learning how to live in the moment, how to be quiet and sit perfectly still when there’s no external stimulation to entertain me, how to be genuinely kind and considerate by offering anything and everything to my fellow man/woman in need, and how to remain upbeat and positive in the midst of hardship and struggle, like now, when a second drought has begun after just recovering from the first. We have so much to learn from each other, it’s a shame my time with Ewaso Lions is coming to an end.
I think one of the key lessons I’ve learned from this lifestyle is to appreciate what I have and not be wasteful of things we, as Americans, often take for granted. I’m referring mainly to water usage. This building-block of life is probably more valuable than gold in this area, because in an arid, savannah environment, having water flowing in the river can often mean life or death. And yet back home I am often guilty of taking long showers, letting the water run as I wash the dishes or dumping “excess” dirty water down the drain. It’s amazing how different I now feel about this life-giving substance our bodies rely on. The animals and people here walk miles to fetch water on a daily basis, and from now on I feel I can’t bare to waste this precious resource that flows freely from my tap halfway across the globe. This is one of the messages I plan to take home with me.
All in all, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn such new and diverse life skills and feel that even though it can be hard to face the facts sometimes, it puts things in perspective and I come out the other side a stronger, wiser person who’s seen what really matters in life. Come visit and you’ll see what I mean.
Lauren, third from left in the middle row, together with Taylor (Ewaso Lions volunteer), Shivani and friend, Chip Owen (on the far right) and all the warriors from the Warrior Watch Programme (Photo credit: Tim Jackson)