Visiting the Hadza!

This week we went to visit the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania through Dorobo. I had a really great time and enjoy getting to know some of the people living there. We were able to do all sorts of amazing things with them. They taught us how to make arrows, how to shoot, and also took us hunting. We also taught each other dances and songs at night and were able to have a long conversation with them as a group. 

These people were so inspiring and interesting to meet. They believe in only taking what they need from the land at that moment in time and do not fret about the future. (So this means in the morning, they only gather food for the meal they are going to eat right then and there, and later they will gather food again when they are hungry.) They are very happy, proud people and get enough food and water to satisfy themselves despite living in a region that only gets about 400 milliliters of water per year. Incredible. 

Dorobo (and other NGOs) are working with the Hadza at the moment because there is a major land crunch in Tanzania. Much of their land has been encroached on by other ethnic groups (because there are simply too many people) and as a hunter-gatherer community, their land is absolutely necessary for their survival. So they are currently working to establish a Hadza Conservation Area to ensure that their land does not get any smaller. I was really impressed with how culturally respectful Dorobo's tourism program was and how they really work to satisfy the desires of the community. I would highly recommend this opportunity to anyone, if anyone's headed to Tanzania :)

 making arrowheads using a cold nail and a hammer! 

teaching us how to shoot! I managed to shoot an arrow pretty far and just missed the target. yahoo!

 a typical acacia landscape

almost done with our hike across the Yaeda Valley! Unfortunately, we had yet to climb up the side of the valley (on the right) and it was starting to get really hot!

 putting pegs in the side of the baobab so we could climb it! 

 Looking over the Yaeda Valley

sunset after climbing the baobab

 some old Bushmen/Hadza cave paintings in a baboon's home

me climbing the humongous  baobab! I was so nervous! 

Look mom! I made it! 

Mt. Longonot

 The landscape approaching Mt. Longonot (the volcano is on the right)

 on top of THE VOLCANOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo!

see the path (on the right) going around the rim? you could walk all the way around... 

but we didn't because of the fire (see the cloud on the far side of the rim)

it was certainly a dusty hike!

A nice picture of us on the rim of Mt. Longonot.

the city life and some excursions

Hello friends!

This week was the first week of classes in Nairobi and I was able to choose two electives. I decided on a Biodiversity course on the Conservation practices in East Africa and a gender course. I was planning on taking a History course but ended up finding the gender course to be interesting and low key so that’s that!

This weekend, we cast off our student persona and became full-blown tourists! We climbed Mt. Longonot (a volcano) in the Rift Valley! Either I’m in terrible shape (which is a total possibility; I eat so much here!) or else it was the elevation because I was EXHAUSTED going up the volcano and usually I’m okay with that sort of thing. But anyhow, I made it! And along the way, we saw a handful of zebras in the distance and one giraffe standing all by himself on the rim of a smaller, nearby crater.

This morning a group of us went to the Giraffe center in Karen (where we’re staying). So we spent the morning feeding and mooning after giraffes. THEY’RE SO COOL.

This week has been a bit stressful and it will only get worse because all of our assignments are due soon because (dunn dunn dunn DUUUUUUNNNNNNN!) we’re leaving for TANZANIA in a week! Tra lala!

At the moment, I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do for my 4-week IDS (independent study) at the end of the semester. I was thinking of doing Organic Farming stuff or something with A Rocha but am still undecided.  


That's all for now! Kwaheri!