Posted on 04/06/2008 7:49:30 PM PDT by blam
Britain suits Maasai marathon warriors to a tea
By Kevin O'Sullivan
Last Updated: 2:45am BST 07/04/2008
African tribesmen arriving to run in the London Marathon this weekend have instantly become addicted to the British "cuppa".
A Maasai tribe from the village of Elliai put their feet up whilst drinking mugs of sugar-packed tea
Six Maasai warriors, who have never before left their tiny Tanzanian village of Eluai, have settled in today with mugs of sugar-packed tea.
Their guest home in Cooling, Kent, is run by mother-of-three Clare Martin, 34, who said: "We soon found out what they did and didn't like - but it became immediately apparent that they are a bit addicted to tea.
"The amount of sugar they have is astonishing - they're on 10 spoonfuls a cup. I don't think they've had that much sugar in their diets before so they're just making the most of all the new tastes. And I'm having to stock up on Coco-Pops as well."
The six tribesmen - Isaya, Ngovu, Lengami, Ninna, Taico and Kesika - came up with the idea of running the marathon themselves after conservation charity Greenforce asked how they could raise money to get a clean water well installed in their village.
Chief Isaya: I don't think the marathon will be difficult for us, I sometimes run for two or three days with my cattle
Chief Isaya, 24, said: "I sometimes run for two or three days when I am with my cattle, and I have to protect them from dangerous animals - like lions.
"I do not think the marathon will be difficult for us - our shoes are made of car tyres and they are very comfortable."
Paul Martin from Greenforce said: "They wanted to raise the money for themselves - they are very proud and noble warriors. So far they have raised around £15,000 but a conservative estimate to provide the water source will be around £60,000.
"They weren't scared of coming here even though it is such a massive culture shock for them. This is pretty much like visiting Mars.
"The fact they are doing the marathon is extremely important to them - they have suffered famine and drought in the last few years. Two out of every three children in their village die before the age of five.
"When you see the conditions they live in compared to what we are used to it quickly hits home how harsh their environment is."
There go the good Masai teeth and health in general unless they leave the bad new habits where they found them.
Hope they raise all their money and have a safe trip home.
Ahem, there's a place to donate on the site of this article, lol.
They've only raised about 1500 pounds sterling so far. Long way to go.
Is the greenpeace guy the lure? I think I could run the marathon too, provided I could beat him when I caught him.
I hope they win!
Kenya's Maasai Commemorate 9/11 Victims
"On the fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, a Maasai community in a remote village in western Kenya paid homage to victims and their families. The elders, who in 2002 had dedicated 14 head of cattle to the victims' families, say they continue to think about those who lost their lives in the violence."
It would be interesting to see a video of them entering the Marathon. It would also be funny to see members of Greenforce trying to care for their cattle, while they’re away.
Thanks for the info. And that gift, as small as it may seem, represents the only one of all the nations on the earth, following that atrocity.
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