Making connections

When she woke up parched in the middle of the night, Liz Reilly instinctively reached for the water bottle she had packed. The one, partially-filled bottle she had grabbed in the rush of packing for the village. The water that was to last her the next four days. “I would have to ask for a … Continue reading Making connections

Becoming a Senior Elder (Part II)

In Tanzania in general and especially in Alailelai, where daily life is spread out on foot across miles, every car ride counts. Forget seat belts, capacity limits or anything even close to personal space—every body that can fit is squeezed in, plus a few extras for good measure. So it was that we made our … Continue reading Becoming a Senior Elder (Part II)

Becoming a Senior Elder (Part 1)

We hopped out of the Land Rover and followed our guides, running as fast as we could wrapped in shukas across uneven fields sprinkled with stinging nettle. “Come Judy, come Kim, come Jim—have your camera ready!” Mbekure urged us on. We were late to the start of the evening’s event—the first night of the Oring’eheri, … Continue reading Becoming a Senior Elder (Part 1)