Walk in Love
I went with Claire and Micheal, directors for Neema House, to visit Masaai triplets. Claire's daughter, Nancy, is from a Masaai village about 20 km away from the triplets. When Claire was visiting Nancy's family about 2 months ago she heard about the triplets and was taken to them. When she arrived they were very tiny and the mother was not producing enough milk. Claire decided that she had to do something and with this the triplets became the first outreach family. Since I will be doing outreach for Neema I was invited to come along and meet the Masaai family and deliver the much needed formula and some clothe diapers.
On our way, about 2.5 hours, we came across a huge herd of giraffe. About 30 total. It was so exciting to see them roam freely outside of a national park.
This is the Masaai village the triplets live in. The houses are made of sticks and dung with thatched roofs. The homes are surrounded by a gate made of thorn bushes to keep any predators, like lions, out.
This is the house that the triplets live in with their mom, and 3 sisters. I believe I was told the men live in a separate hut. The triplets father had 2 wives but one recently passed away during childbirth. He has 10 children including the triplets.
This is inside the boma, house. It was so dark that when I took this picture I could not even see the people. I was just told the mama was sitting in that direction and asked if I could take a picture. It was small and hot. There is a constant fire going int he middle of the home. They also had a baby calf gated it he corner.
The "dada" (sister) dressing one of the triplets
The siblings were very affectionate and caring with the triplets. They were a very loving and lovely family.
Micheal holding 2 of the triplets and mama holding the other. Micheal has the two boys and the other is a girl.
The difference between the smallest triplet, Frankie, and the biggest is 2.1 kilos. Frankie only weighs 2.6 kilos and he is 3 months old. We are trying to get him to the hospital because he is also hydrocephalic. Claire is taking some pictures of his head that we took to a well known American pediatrician to get some medical advice and an estimate on surgical costs.
Lucia was only happy with her Mama!
As I mentioned early, the father had another wife that died during childbirth. This is the 4th child. He is about a month old and is also in need of formula. He is living with his loving grandmother on the boma next to the triplets.
Me and the family. I can not say enough good things about the Masaai family that I met today. They were all so friendly and kind to us and one another. If the man had never taken Claire to the triplets I very much doubt that they would all be alive today. The only option they would have had would have been to take the long journey to town and drop them off at an orphanage and once a Masaai child is at an orphanage for too long they can not go back to the village. Masaai life is very hard and a child that has been raised by western standards would never make it in the villages. Most Masaai families chose to leave their children in the orphanages because they know they can not return. It is simply to dangerous for them. This is why outreach is so important.
Mama Musa showing off the new diapers.
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