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At Home in the Savanna
My name is Dopal. I’m eleven years old and I live in 1)Tanzania, in the heart of the African 2)savanna. I’m a Masai. Masais are 3)nomads who travel all over with their animals, looking for 4)pasture. Our most wonderful and valuable possession is our herd.
I’ve never been to school. My father teaches me everything I have to know. He explains to me how to lead our herd. My own animals are in the middle of the herd. Every Masai gets a cow, a lamb, and a goat the day he’s born. Our most beautiful goat belongs to my father. Her name is Olliye. I love her, even though she’s not always easy to handle.
Olliye is going to have a baby very soon. My father knows Olliye is my favorite, but he always reminds me that we must love all our animals as if they were our children. My father knows all about nature. He shows me some cheetah tracks. Our herds have lots of predators like 5)hyenas, lions, and 6)leopards. A Masai has to be ready to risk his life for his herd. A shepherd must always listen for different sounds and watch to make sure the animals walking behind don’t get lost.
All Masais have their own animals, even the girls. They become their 7)dowry when they get married. The animals are also used in trade for food in the market. My people have always been shepherds. We’re not farmers. For us, the earth is 8)sacred, and we mustn’t hurt it by planting things.
Like all boys, I dream of becoming a 9)warrior. A warrior has to be strong and intelligent. He’s the one who defends the herd against wild beasts. He sometimes travels long distances to bring back lost animals, and he also watches over our safety. Masais go through three stages: childhood, warrior, and elder. I’ll be a warrior from thirteen to twenty-five years old, before I become an elder like my father. Then I can get married and have children.
