I have been meaning to write this post since our safari two weeks ago, but time (and Internet opportunity) has escaped me and I’m just now getting a chance to write it. Despite the delay, it is still worth the read I hope!

Without further ado, meet Mohammad. (See that guy on the left? That’s him!)

I met Mohammad bright and early at about 6:30am the day we left for our safari. He was our guide for our 3-day adventure to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. He was bright and energetic compared to our tired faces that were still adjusting to the early morning of a new day. Over the span of our journey, he taught us so much about the parks, the animals, and the Maasai villages we passed so frequently. He seemed to have an answer for every question we gave him. My favorite stories of his, though, were the ones he told us about himself.

Mohammad has been working as a safari guide in Tanzania for 15 years. For so long he has sacrificed his time and energy to drive groups of tourists through the parks that he loves so much. He grew up in Arusha and he lives in a village not far from the town center. We had a chance to stop there on our way back, and it was like many of the villages I’ve seen here. Dusty, cramped, and crowded with run-down buildings and makeshift home arrangements. He lives with his three young kids, and much of his extended family is only a few houses away. His wife died a few years ago in a car accident & he has been a single dad ever since. (Rumor has it he has a long-distance girlfriend, but we’re not sure how true that part is. More on that subject later). He managed to get the safari job at a time when he was desperate for work to support his family and stumbled into the opportunity. He’s now so experienced that he helps to train other new guides in the company.

Here’s my favorite part of the story. Mohammad used to be a part of the Maasai, a commonly seen tribe here in northern Tanzania. Their populations extend into southern Kenya, but they don’t recognize governmental borders – to them it is all their territory. They are the only people who are allowed to live in Ngorongoro Crater. They’re also pretty low on the totem pole in Tanzanian society and are often looked down upon by other tribes. Despite their lack of popularity, their villages are numerous. Many of the tribes still practice polygamy and men will be seen with multiple wives. One of the villages we passed was home to a 72-year-old Maasai man with 40 wives, 99 kids, and 120 grandsons last time they counted. For that reason, HIV is very common in their communities. That’s the extent of my knowledge on the Maasai for now, but I hope to have lots more to tell you after I spend a week in the village!

Mohammad made the decision to leave the tribe once he was old enough because he didn’t agree with the practice of having multiple wives. Now, he and his brother have started to try to do something about the continual growth of HIV infection among the Maasai that is largely a result of their practice of polygamy. They recently started a program to educate the Maasai about HIV and hopefully begin to prevent it. So far they’ve reached 40 men, 15 women, and 35 young boys. They hope to have the opportunity to educate many more and prevent HIV from being so widespread.

This was my favorite part of Mohammad’s story because it is my favorite way to see change happen in a community. As a foreigner (or “mzungu” as they call us), I can only do so much to reach the people here. I can serve them for years and years and even live with them for the rest of my life, but my different background and roots – made pretty obvious by my skin color – will be enough to keep a constant barrier between us. Even if that barrier shrinks and shrinks throughout the years, it will always be there. But in Mohammad’s case, he has an incredible opportunity to make a difference with the Maasai. He was one of them and he knows what their culture is like. He knows what they value and he knows the best way to reach them and convince them to adopt a better lifestyle. He is using his past and the community God has given him to make a difference and give the Maasai a chance at better health and fuller lives. From what I have seen, working from the inside out is much more effective than bringing in foreigners to try to make a difference.

On top of that, he is simply a wonderful man. For our entire safari he was friendly, charismatic, kept us laughing and took such good care of us – even as we battled a flat tire, overheated radiator and several other car problems. His favorite line to use was “better than nothing, right?” It became more and more ironic as we saw 4 of the “Big Five” animals and were continually amazed by our safari experience. Mohammad isn’t just a great safari guide, he is a man with a mission and I hope that God continues to use him to impact his people.

Fun fact: Mohammad also asked one of the older girls out on a date when she met him to get her binoculars the day after we got back. Based on her account of the visit, it was pretty adorable – but unfortunately for Mohammad, she wasn’t interested.

And as a gift for getting through another long post, here are a few of my favorite safari pictures from the weekend. I can’t even describe what it was like to drive through some of the most beautiful landscapes and see some of God’s most amazing beasts up close. I was literally IN the Lion King and my 5-year-old heart was in heaven.

See what I mean by “Lion King Moment”?!

– Allie