Blood, Sweat and Milk: Samburu Nightlife

Prom Night is a teenager's rite of passage, even in Kenya.  Safari guide Richard Coke participates in a Samburu ‘prom’.  Guess what’s different?

Blood, Sweat and Milk:  Samburu Nightlife

Young Samburu villagers  in northern Kenya at social event.
  

One of the highlights of my last trip was an evening I spent with the Samburu people in northern Kenya.
 
The Samburu are ethnic cousins of the Maasai in the south of the country.  We joined a big group of warriors at a social event beside a river bank.

The warriors spent hours getting ready, putting on colorful cloths and ornamental beading.  Then the warriors and girls began arriving from villages all over the area.  It was a chance for the Samburu youngsters to socialize and show off.  Although the clothes and adornments were specifically Samburu, the behavior would be recognizable anywhere.  It was a kind of Samburu prom.
 
During a pause in the festivities, the warriors gathered round and drank some goat’s blood.  Blood and milk are staples of the Samburu diet.
 
I actually had some myself – it’s much less disgusting than you might imagine.
 
After the drinks interval, I noticed one Samburu warrior pull out a mirror to check his reflection before he headed back to the dance.
 
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that male vanity is universal.
 
When I left, the festivities were still going strong, and the Samburu were all dancing away to the sound of handclaps and humming.

A PASSION FOR AFRICA:  About Richard Coke

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