MAYOO was very fortunate to add another volunteer to its ranks last month with the arrival of Kyle Anderson. Kyle spent a month living with the Maasai in Ingarooj and aided the village in a number of different ways. Kyle is a 2015 graduate of Dickinson College and originally from Boston, Massachusetts. One week after graduation, Kyle set out for Ingarooj to start putting his education to good use. Earlier this week we were able to talk to Kyle about his experiences with MAYOO:
Joyce with Kyle, her new sponsor!
Thank you so much for letting us interview you Kyle!
What made you want to come to Kenya/Ingarooj?
“ I was looking to put myself completely out of my element, and found Jonathan’s organization on a website called workaway.info. I love traveling more than anything and wanted to go somewhere completely new and different, and have at least some positive impact on a community in the process of traveling.”
What projects did you work on while you were there, what did you spend your time doing?
“I spent the majority of my time in the schools. The Olosho-Oibor Primary school accepted me and my co-volunteer and we helped them out in all ways possible. This mostly translated into teaching English, Math, and Science, as well as doing grading since we were in Kenya right around testing season for these kids.”
What was the most interesting cultural difference you noticed while living with the Maasai?
“The most interesting cultural difference to me was the closeness of family. Whereas in America, it is not uncommon for children to leave their homes and go off for work, the majority of people in Africa still are very close to their families, emotionally and geographically.”
What was the most difficult thing about living in Ingarooj?
“Although the days weren’t as conventionally difficult as an American busy day, there was something innately exhausting about each day in Kenya. Just a half day of going to school involved an uphill hour long hike in a very hot sun. The days were spent collecting firewood, cooking, or entertaining children, all of which can exhaust you very quickly.”
What advice would you give to future volunteers about going to Ingarooj?
“As far as advice for future volunteers goes, I would say that it is very important to go with a completely open mind. No words or descriptions can describe to you the cultural differences you will see while in Ingarooj. People live and think differently, and you have to be accepting of that. It is a very severe transition from what non-Kenyans are used to, but once you start living like a Maasai, you will surely be happy.”
Hang out selfie with Jonathan
MAYOO thanks Kyle for his hard work and volunteering at MAYOO, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors!
Maasai Youth Outreach Organization 