I will leave my spear here, it will protect you said the warrior as he thrust his spear into the ground a few feet away from the land-rover, and smiling he hurried off after the other warriors who were, by then, disappearing over the edge of the clearing. I looked around. I was alone in a large clearing a few one hundred feet up the mountain that lies behind our house. The ridge, so impressive and distant from below was clear and close in its every detail. All I could see were hills and more rolling hills, revealing even more.

The valley lay below hidden by the trees. I marvelled at the beauty of the scene, at the scented blossoms on the grey thorn trees. At the same time a sense of self preservation dictated fixing the rear-view mirror on the undergrowth behind me, to watch for animal movements. I so wanted to capture that scene and my feelings of wonder, gratitude and praise, to be able to share it with you. To let you know what you are now part of, as we begin our new venture in Maasai-land.

On the feast of Pentecost 1984, Sister Genevieve van Waesberghe and Sister Noeleen Mooney arrived in Loolera and a team from the African Medical Research workshop in Dareda. Time was borrowed from other activities by the team but since living under canvas was the only option for us the erection of the pre-fab house was a priority. Four weeks later, in place of densely populated thorn bushes the house was erected. An outer kitchen was built using locally burned bricks (the mud from ant hills is the most suitable). Multipurpose rooms and an outside latrine were added to comply with what was considered necessary. Before Sister Noeleen went off to her own mission, the second of the permanent team arrived - Sr. Lelia Cleary. As coincidence would have it Genevieve, Noeleen and Lelia, less than a year previously had passed a well-established hospital over to local Tanzanian Sisters.

The Medical Missionaries of Mary had been invited to south Maasai-land a number of years previously with a view to establishing a mission among the Maasai to work together with them in the provision of basic health care programmes. The area selected had been visited by MMMs who travelled through trackless wastes from some 320km away. The same distance that the people in this district would have to walk to the nearest hospital. Those 320 kms of sometimes impassable tracks is also the shortest route to our Post Office! This deprivation is slight when I think that the people pay anything from 120-200 sterling to travel to a bedded dispensary 50km away in the mountains, even then there is no doctor.

We know that its a great honour for us to have been invited to live in Maasai country. Endorsed by the welcome we received and the constant attentiveness of the Maasai warriors. Within a 15 km radius there are over 50 bomas with approximately 60 family members in each. The boma is a circular compound where the Maasai live a few houses and an outer circle of thorn bush to protect themselves and their cattle. There are innumerable little sandy tracks and paths criss-crossing all over and it is very easy to get lost. The vegetation is thorn tree, they really all look alike. Getting lost is not advisable as lions, buffalo and elephants are among the many animals who inhabit the locality.

Half a mile from our boma there is a great open watering place for the thousands of cattle, sheep and goats. There is a domestic water point here too, the water flows down the mountainside from a spring. The open place is the centre for everyones life. There the people meet, the elders gather for their meetings. The warriors gather with their cattle and Goats. The women and children fetch water for the home for cooking etc.

What are we doing here and what was I doing up the mountain? I went up the mountain because a cow had broken a leg in a ravine and had to be slaughtered. We were asked for the cland-rover to bring the meat down for sale. The scene was about a mile from where I was left with the spear protecting me from the lions. When the warriors returned with the meat, they brought me a third of the cows heart, beautifully cooked. That was considered a very big honour, and delicious too!

At the moment we are beginning with everything. It entails hope and prayers for wisdom to tread gently with great sensitivity in an area where there are incredible needs and boundless possibilities. We are blessed in having a local man, with third level education. He brings our team number to four. We hope that he and others who re already terribly keen to join us may be the basis of a health service here that will continue after we have moved on. We are struggling with the intricacies of the extremely difficult Maasai language.

There are so many exciting things the first ante-natal clinic to be held in the local school. Mothers of six having their first ante-natal check; our first twins born, the first call to a boma to help a mother who retained a placenta the grateful father gave Sister Lelia a goat as gift. There are sad things too. The other day a young boy came, blind in one eye and damage already beginning in the second. We have started a health orientated survey and we have begun by visiting each boma to acquaint ourselves with peoples felt needs and their expectations and their health picture So far the biggest problem expressed in the bomas seems to be medicine for the cattle, sheep and goats. The last weekly dip for the latter was done nearly eight months ago. The reason for this - no medicine and no transport. Who can pay 400 for transport to the nearest town?

In the evening as the sun sets behind the mountains and as the cattle pass by with their bells tinkling around their necks we review the days events. We are very grateful to all of you who have made our coming here possible. To date we have not met one child below five who has completed their vaccinations - only about five or six children in the whole area have been registered at a Clinic. We hope this will change over the coming months.

My Spear will Protect You

I will leave my spear here, it will protect you said the warrior as he thrust his spear into the ground a few feet away from the land-rover, and smiling he hurried off after the other warriors who were, by then, disappearing over the edge of the clearing. I looked around. I was alone in a large clearing a few one hundred feet up the mountain that lies behind our house. The ridge, so impressive and distant from below was clear and close in its every detail. All I could see were hills and more rolling hills, revealing even more.

The valley lay below hidden by the trees. I marvelled at the beauty of the scene, at the scented blossoms on the grey thorn trees. At the same time a sense of self preservation dictated fixing the rear-view mirror on the undergrowth behind me, to watch for animal movements. I so wanted to capture that scene and my feelings of wonder, gratitude and praise, to be able to share it with you. To let you know what you are now part of, as we begin our new venture in Maasai-land.

On the feast of Pentecost 1984, Sister Genevieve van Waesberghe and Sister Noeleen Mooney arrived in Loolera and a team from the African Medical Research workshop in Dareda. Time was borrowed from other activities by the team but since living under canvas was the only option for us the erection of the pre-fab house was a priority. Four weeks later, in place of densely populated thorn bushes the house was erected. An outer kitchen was built using locally burned bricks (the mud from ant hills is the most suitable). Multipurpose rooms and an outside latrine were added to comply with what was considered necessary. Before Sister Noeleen went off to her own mission, the second of the permanent team arrived - Sr. Lelia Cleary. As coincidence would have it Genevieve, Noeleen and Lelia, less than a year previously had passed a well-established hospital over to local Tanzanian Sisters.

The Medical Missionaries of Mary had been invited to south Maasai-land a number of years previously with a view to establishing a mission among the Maasai to work together with them in the provision of basic health care programmes. The area selected had been visited by MMMs who travelled through trackless wastes from some 320km away. The same distance that the people in this district would have to walk to the nearest hospital. Those 320 kms of sometimes impassable tracks is also the shortest route to our Post Office! This deprivation is slight when I think that the people pay anything from 120-200 sterling to travel to a bedded dispensary 50km away in the mountains, even then there is no doctor.

We know that its a great honour for us to have been invited to live in Maasai country. Endorsed by the welcome we received and the constant attentiveness of the Maasai warriors. Within a 15 km radius there are over 50 bomas with approximately 60 family members in each. The boma is a circular compound where the Maasai live a few houses and an outer circle of thorn bush to protect themselves and their cattle. There are innumerable little sandy tracks and paths criss-crossing all over and it is very easy to get lost. The vegetation is thorn tree, they really all look alike. Getting lost is not advisable as lions, buffalo and elephants are among the many animals who inhabit the locality.

Half a mile from our boma there is a great open watering place for the thousands of cattle, sheep and goats. There is a domestic water point here too, the water flows down the mountainside from a spring. The open place is the centre for everyones life. There the people meet, the elders gather for their meetings. The warriors gather with their cattle and Goats. The women and children fetch water for the home for cooking etc.

What are we doing here and what was I doing up the mountain? I went up the mountain because a cow had broken a leg in a ravine and had to be slaughtered. We were asked for the cland-rover to bring the meat down for sale. The scene was about a mile from where I was left with the spear protecting me from the lions. When the warriors returned with the meat, they brought me a third of the cows heart, beautifully cooked. That was considered a very big honour, and delicious too!

At the moment we are beginning with everything. It entails hope and prayers for wisdom to tread gently with great sensitivity in an area where there are incredible needs and boundless possibilities. We are blessed in having a local man, with third level education. He brings our team number to four. We hope that he and others who re already terribly keen to join us may be the basis of a health service here that will continue after we have moved on. We are struggling with the intricacies of the extremely difficult Maasai language.

There are so many exciting things the first ante-natal clinic to be held in the local school. Mothers of six having their first ante-natal check; our first twins born, the first call to a boma to help a mother who retained a placenta the grateful father gave Sister Lelia a goat as gift. There are sad things too. The other day a young boy came, blind in one eye and damage already beginning in the second. We have started a health orientated survey and we have begun by visiting each boma to acquaint ourselves with peoples felt needs and their expectations and their health picture So far the biggest problem expressed in the bomas seems to be medicine for the cattle, sheep and goats. The last weekly dip for the latter was done nearly eight months ago. The reason for this - no medicine and no transport. Who can pay 400 for transport to the nearest town?

In the evening as the sun sets behind the mountains and as the cattle pass by with their bells tinkling around their necks we review the days events. We are very grateful to all of you who have made our coming here possible. To date we have not met one child below five who has completed their vaccinations - only about five or six children in the whole area have been registered at a Clinic. We hope this will change over the coming months.