Kenya’s People…High Vibes
It’s been over a week since returning from Kenya and I’m still unwrapping the gifts of that journey—moments that stirred my soul and reminded me of the human spirit’s unbreakable fire.
My time with the people I got to know there really put life in perspective around themes of abundance, community, freedom.
In the Maasai Mara, my time with the Maasai, I saw how they’re not just surviving—they’re custodians of the earth, their future woven with the animals they protect, from lions to gazelles. Their reverence for nature isn’t duty; it’s a deep knowing we’re all interconnected, a truth I’ve chased for years.
Then on our hiking safari with the Samburu, their cousins, I really felt the deep commitment to preserving their culture and traditions. Their community thrives on selflessness—conflicts resolved together, everyone’s well-being lifting the whole. And rituals and rites of passage are integral to their sense of purpose and meaning…something clearly missing from our modern culture. And of course I’d have major reservations of getting circumcised at 18 while not flinching, so I don’t want to romanticize it all. This is a culture that stores their wealth not in a bank but in their growing herds of livestock and yet there is no sense of scarcity, fear or anxiety, they have everything they need, their contentment and joy was palpable.
Then, we took a guided tour of Kibera, Nairobi’s vast slum, by four beautiful souls who call Kibera home. As we entered their community located just across the railroad tracks from a private golf course, I braced for despair as we walked through endless trash, open trenches of waste water, tin roofs and makeshift houses. Our guides were the leaders of the Kibera Center for Arts, a community center that teaches music, dance and art to hundreds of local children. As we toured the village, I was surprised at the positive energy and sense of community amongst the residents. Kids laughing and playing, fist bumps and smiles all around. And at the KICA building we got to see first hand all the amazing creative projects and good work their are doing. Their pride and hope outshone the chaos. They are choosing possibility over victimhood. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another community with such authentic aliveness.They are choosing to live fully inspite of their external conditions.
These beautiful souls—Maasai, Samburu, residents of Kibera—taught me joy isn’t in stuff or security. It’s in belonging, purpose, choosing to embrace life and let go of being a victim of external circumstances. They live what we’ve forgotten: we’re not here to exploit but to nurture, to connect. Their spirit lingers, urging me to shed what doesn’t resonate and embrace what’s real. I’m still digesting—aren’t we all searching for that spark?
#SacredWild #HumanSpirit #ConnectedWorld