We were honoured to welcome a group of 20 young Samburu people and their teachers to this year’s Maindee Festival on Saturday July 12^th 2003.

The group’s visit to South Wales has been organised by John and Margaret Walters from Port Talbot, who visited Kenya a few years ago and established a link with Samburu schools.

The group joined the parade at mid-day (the picture above was taken in Church Rd just before the parade set off) and then entertained us with songs and stories on site. In the heat of the afternoon the group set their spears into the grass and laid out beautiful beaded necklaces and bracelets for sale.

Some visitors to the festival said that they were a bit shy at first to approach the Samburu group – there seemed to be such a big difference of experience between locals and Samburus – it might all be a bit too hard to bridge this gap – and could they speak English? But the beaded goods gave festival visitors an excuse to get a bit nearer and to engage in some discussion about prices (a pretty universal activity after all!) – many members of the group spoke English (a big relieve to local shoppers) – so all this gave everyone a chance to discover what a smashing lot they were, and for some brisk trading to take place.

Later in the afternoon, Dick Berry, our festival storyteller, invited two warriors to come into his yurt during the afternoon to tell stories from the bush. Two beautiful guys, in wonderful colourful costumes, their hair glistening in a shaft of sunlight coming through a crack in the tent, sat with local children, one on each knee. They were teaching the audience to count with their fingers, Samburu style. Children from many nationalities and ethnic origins sat around in awe - except for one little boy who kept saying "Stop speaking in Welsh!".

Peter Rawcliffe, from the Festival Committee, spent the afternoon with the group and summed up everyones feelings: "It was an exhilarating experience being able to share time with the Samburu", he said.

Here is some more information about Samburu life and culture you may be interested in :

"I like to sleep outside and look up at the stars at night. I think of the stars as being the eyes of God," a camel herder muses.

"It must be very hard for God to take care of us. I know how hard it is to take care of my goats and camels. They are very stubborn," a Samburu shepherd explains.

"I hope your cattle are well" is a typical Samburu greeting.

"The worst thing in the world would be if a boy or girl would see a stray goat or cow and not bring it to the safety of the manyatta (community). That child would never be forgiven. Respect for animals, respect for your neighbour - this is very important in our life," explains a camel herder and father of three children.

The Samburu people are close cousins of the Maasai. They are pastoralists; their entire world revolves around their life with grazing animals. Their social structure, their religious beliefs, their greetings, their values passed down to the children, their folk stories, etc. all reflect a life of intimate connection with their herds of cows, especially, and more recently because of drought, camels and goats. These animals are the centre of their daily lives because through them they receive milk, blood, butter, meat, skins, hides, thongs, horns, ornaments, and also status in the community.

The nomad’s diet consists mainly of blood, milk and meat; a diet solely coming from their herds. They also enjoy honey, tea and maize porridge when they can purchase it. Late in the afternoon, the shepherds round up their herds and head back to the manyatta, the homestead, where they will be safe from the lions and hyenas. A thick thorn fence surrounds the community of stick huts. When it is dark, the fires glow and it is time to gather around to hear stories of the past.

Power and community decisions rest in the hands of the elders, because of their age. The married man (lpayan) is next in rank, being the responsible citizen of the clan. The warrior (moran) is responsible for the safety of the clan. Next comes the young shepherd (layeni) and last but not least the child (nkerai). Women have a lower value in the community, as they are not destined to remain in the clan. Girls marry at a young age and live with the husband’s clan.

The Samburu believe in Nkai, God, who is omniscient and omnipresent. God is God and is recognised as the one to be worshipped. The Samburu also believe in an evil power.

"We don’t need your money for wells, for fancy things. We need your understanding and friendship. If you want to help us, help us educate our children. Help us give them tools to help ourselves," says a community worker.