A Visit to the Maasai Mara: Lessons on Simplicity and Survival

Wednesday, 10/28/26 at 05:03
Sammy Omosh
Kenya

On the 24th and 25th of October 2026, we travelled to the most visited park in our country, the Maasai Mara National Reserve. There were about ten of us, and we travelled in two cars. Upon arrival at around 1 p.m., we waited at one of the eight main gates for our tour guides to usher us into the park. We then climbed into two tour vehicles to take us through the vast reserve.

It was hot, and the weather was conducive to such an outing in the wild. Of course, we saw all kinds of animals, including the Big Five. International visitors were flocking to the park by the hour, carrying sophisticated cameras to capture glimpses of the wildlife. By the time we finished our tour, the sun was setting over the Mara plains. We then headed straight out of the park to our tented accommodation facility. Each tent had a drawing of an animal, and the entire compound was well-lit.

The Maasai morans patrol the vast compound at night to ensure the safety of visitors. I remember waking up at 3 a.m. to pray when I heard the sound of an animal walking near my window. I looked through the window and saw an animal resembling a large fox trailing something. It vanished while my eyes were fixed on it.

One person told us that, on the night before the trip, he had dreamt of a lion appearing in our gated camp near the restaurant. Considering what I had seen that early morning, I knew we could not take anything for granted. We had also seen elephant dung near the fence surrounding the premises.

The next morning, a goat was being slaughtered by the native Maasai, as the arrangement had been made in advance. I told them what I had seen early that morning. I was speaking to them in Swahili. The three men laughed it off, and one replied to me in English. He said it was a honey badger looking for bees and honey.

That night, we heard the cry of a hyena even before going to sleep. They told me that before 7 p.m. that Sunday, the hyena would come to eat the hide, the head, and whatever else remained.

Later, I was joined by our trip coordinator. He asked them to try to find some herbal medicine for those who would be interested in sampling it. Meanwhile, the children started gathering near the swimming pool area. The owner of the facility has made it a community policy to feed all the children every Sunday.

By this time, some of the children had started bringing sticks for the fire. We wanted to use traditional cooking methods to fry and roast the meat. The men finished slaughtering the goat and removing its skin in less than fifteen minutes! Originally, we were supposed to carry out the task ourselves, but only two of us were present in the vicinity, sitting under a tree. The children, of course, had their meal at the hotel.

They started the fire, and the frying began. We observed how they practised their culinary arts. They did not use onions, tomatoes, cooking oil, spices, or anything of that sort. When I asked them why, one replied that this was how they had cooked for centuries.

They survive on milk, blood, meat, and wild honey. One even told me that he makes porridge, mixes it with blood, and gives it to his child. They know how to draw blood from a cow using an arrow. According to him, this keeps a person satisfied until the following morning without complaining of hunger!

I was asked, “Have you ever seen a Maasai sick or hospitalised?”

“You know the answer,” I replied.

These people are simple in their way of life. They wear their shukas, their traditional attire, carry their rungus in their hands, and always have a traditional knife tucked into their waists. They also have spears and arrows for hunting. Many do not have smartphones and, therefore, are not conversant with modern methods of communication. They do not have televisions, refrigerators, microwaves, cooking gas, and other modern conveniences.

They live a life that, in many ways, resembles that of the eighteenth century, yet they are happy and, in some cases, live longer than we do. If they came to know the Saviour, they would be complete in Him.

Now, this is the heart of the matter.

We started walking with the coordinator to call the others when he suddenly stood still and said, “Sam, we need a total reset of this entire generation worldwide. This modern life is a time bomb and a crisis waiting to happen.”

I could see the serious concern on his face, as though he believed it could happen at any moment.

I replied, “Yes, I concur. Only Jesus can bring about this reset because we are already living in the end times.”

And with that, we ended this serious conversation.

NB: I have seen clips in which lions flee when they encounter the Maasai. They know how to survive with the bare minimum. I believe they will thrive during the time of scarcity that will prevail.

They live without electricity or solar power in their manyattas, which are traditional dwellings made from materials such as reeds, sticks, and dung. I entered one of these shelters during a visit to Tanzania. It was very hot outside, yet it was cool inside. You could easily have thought there was an air conditioner inside!

Between us and the Maasai, you know who will be less shaken by the drastic changes that will come upon the Earth. I equate them with the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and the Native Americans.

This account is intended to sharpen our thinking about what we should do when circumstances demand it. I have never seen someone die simply because they lacked certain comforts in life.

We are a generation accustomed to modern luxuries. What depresses you—that thing you desperately want—does not necessarily affect these Plain Nilotes living in Kenya and Tanzania. They are content with their lifestyles and do not yearn for more in the way our generation does.

I learned something from this trip that is worth noting. This message may seem irrelevant now, but when the time comes that we find ourselves in survival mode, you will remember that I said it plainly here.