A Giriama girl smiling at a small companion of games of the tribe Masai, is the most beautiful image of racial integration in Kenya, at the dawn of the campaign for the upcoming national elections.
We Baolala in the far hinterland of Malindi. One of the last villages before the long straight dirt road leading to the entrance of the Tsavo National Park. Here the Italian NGO Karibuni, which in nearby Langobaya is rooted and known for its fantastic agricultural projects (we have already talked about the farm in the article that you can read by clicking here) is helping small Maasai community that has settled, working in Maasai Market for tourists in a real village with the classic "manyatta," the Masai Mara huts.
But here we are in the ground Giriama tribe that has always seen the people of the North and the Rift Valley as invaders.
The Giriama are of peaceful nature and those attending Malindi and surroundings knows this, but do not usually mix with other tribes.
They have their own dialect, their traditions, their culture.
Let alone with the Masai, in which there are huge differences: the Giriama to requirements dictated by poverty are almost exclusively vegetarian (polenta and spinach or kale their food for daily sustenance, the meat if it is okay to Sundays and feasts, weddings and including funerals).
The Masai are almost exclusively carnivorous, animal also drink the blood, mixed with milk.
As often happens, thanks to Karibuni, will own children to understand how we can live together and know each other while taking as an added value its diversity.
Last Friday was inaugurated the first school of Karibuni NGO within the Masai village Baolala.
It 'a small school painted with the Masai colors and Giriama colors that will start from the first kindergarten classes, attended by some thirty children of Kindergarten 1 and 2.
"The coordinator of our projects Langobaya and Malanga - said the President of Karibuni, Gianfranco Ranieri - is a Masai and we like to think that he and his staff can bring benefits to the local community, which in Langobaya already it is finding".
Integration is easier if you start with education and culture.