Today we were cleaning El Encanto, the priest’s guest house. The 3 ladies who help in the house are Antonella, Pinina and Mery. Because of their context, they are not accustomed to cleaning “Colombian style”… that is very well! Antonella got mad at me because I told her she had to be more thorough. But well, Father Memo supported me and we did a great job !!
After lunch we went to Baragoi to pick up Father German, the superior general of the Missionaries of Yarumal. On the way we saw Dromedaries, a kind of camel but with a single hump (photo). This small village is poor, like everything around here, but there are some stores where we bough potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, bananas for fried plantains, and some brushes to clean the house, I wanted vegetables but on the farm (I’ll tell you about this project) there grow chard (which they call spinach) and some green leaves that I forget the name. I miss all my vegetables 🙁
Returning to the town of Baragoi. In this town, two rival tribes live: the Samburu and the Turkana. Each lives on opposite sides of town. Father Memo told me that there are sometimes clashes in the middle of the town, and from time to time a member of the tribe is killed. What happens is that it is a tradition to “steal” cattle from the other tribe… it gives the tribe prestige, but for some time now the warriors have exchanged their spears for weapons. This is a problem because now this tradition means there are more dead. Unfortunately I could not take photos (Father Memo said that it is better not to avoid problems).
Today, Father Memo was in a meeting with the warriors. The purpose is to reduce the deaths from “stealing” cattle. Women cannot attend this type of meeting. He did a very interesting exercise with them: He asked them how they imagined themselves 15 years? And some of the answers were: Having 10 dromedaries (remember that cattle gives prestige). Another said having two wives and more than 7 children, but some replied that studying and living in the capital or larger cities, others said than doing business, selling goats or cows. This is a very big change of this generation and is taking place little by little from a generation ago.
I am happy!! Father German brought some fruit from Tum, another nearby mission. They say (I have not gone yet) that it is a very fertile land. He brought lemons, soursop (I love soursop) and guavas !! What a treat! Father Memo says that we are being very blessed because the mission has an abundance of fruits, how lucky am I!