A Masai Wedding
Majanta is our builder. He is especially skilled with stone and cement, although he can do very many technical things. Majanta has been married to his beautiful wife (Masai-traditional style) for many years and they have 3 children. Recently they decided that they wanted to get married in Church as Christians. In this picture you see them kneeling at church with some of their children and another couple. Look at the background; it's brickwork – very suitable for Majanta.
Several of our workers (from many different tribes of Tanzania) came with us to the wedding. Most of these people were amazed at how "rural" the setting was. It was very hot and very dusty. From left to right you see Sophia (office), Mwanja (yard work), Ezekiel (outdoor foreman & tailor – he made many of the clothes for this wedding), Eli Bariki (Majanta's right-hand man), Ndelilio (office, ISOM, World MAP, Hundredfold Ministries), Hosea (painter), Saidi (carpenter & soccer star), Florah (cook, she came with us to the Mombasa coast recently, a first for her), Martina (crouched, house work and children's work). Others of our co-workers couldn't come.
The reception was at Majanta's house. They used two oxen and a cart to bring chairs and benches from the church to his home. Quite picturesque. This lady was the host for the outside reception at Majanta's house. I think she's really – picturesque, elegant. What do you think? I have this feeling that perhaps some of this will appear unexpected to those of you who have never been to Africa. They prepared tarps (borrowed from us and others) to shade from the sun and many people crowded in for conversation, choir music, a meal and the ceremony – which, of course, includes giving and some speeches and giving honor to whom honor is due, etc.... Just as an aside, did you know that the Masai are originally from North Africa and their traditional religious ceremonies strongly resemble Biblical Jewish customs?
I've only included this one picture of giving – these older Masai ladies coming up with small gifts. I thought you'd like the colorful setting and clothes. The green CCM wrap is advertising the ruling political party, "The Revolutionary Party". Notice the "dirt" floor and the varied footwear. Gift-giving and receiving is one of the relationship builders. Most of the "giving" is highly formalized and everyone knows what to give and what to expect. There were gifts of animals and lots and lots of cloth wraps. I especially liked the ceremonial wrapping of the cloth around bride and groom (actually husband and wife) to symbolize their unity.
To balance the ladies in the former picture, I thought we should have some older Masai men! We are amazed at the head gear that's popular in various parts of the Tanzanian community; remember it's a very hot day. The man on the left has a stick. Actually all of them will have their "stick". I have a big, long, black, hardwood stick which impresses people as we go for a walk. I'll show it sometime on this website. Be careful judging who a Masai is; you can’t tell much from outward appearances. All Masai spend time back in the village, with the cattle. You may see a Masai with his cows and his stick and his red cloth wrap and think, "He’s a peasant!", only to find he has his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Political Science!
Well, as if one whole roast-goat piece of art work wasn't enough, here's another one! One of our Westerners had announced days ahead that she would not eat a piece of that goat wedding cake! Majanta prepared some chicken pieces for Julia and made a big announcement about it as she came up for "her piece". You'd be surprised and pleased how "natural" all the proceedings are. In village settings events are natural and a lot of fun. There really isn't much pretence like in North America. You'd be amazed to see how tense and pretentious we are. The "professionals" have stolen our community pleasures. They've robbed us of being natural.
Have we ever told you? We really like it here! I even like the goat!
