"WE ARE THE FIRE WHICH BURNS THE COUNTRY. THE CALF OF THE ELEPHANT IS EXPOSED ON THE PLAIN."

- from the Bantu                         

        The Bantu, one of three tribal groupings in Kenya, certainly speak the truth in their words. We as humans are the fire, and the calf of the elephant is exposed - and as threatening and hopeless as that sounds, all is not lost - not yet!

        My husband and I travel to Kenya many times a year, and through our travels, have come to love and respect all that Kenya embodies. Its beautiful and ever-changing land, its almost incomprehensible display of wildlife, and its colorful and varied culture, draw us back time and time again.

        During our visits we have formed close relationships with the local people - in particular - the Maasai. These people welcomed us into their world and have treated us like family, and during our stays with them we have come to realize that their way of life, which until recently had remained unchanged for thousands of years, is now being eroded by western pressures at an alarming pace. We have been taught their traditions and beliefs and embraced their culture, and because of this we have a responsibility to help try to preserve and protect it - although time is not on our side. We feel the same sense of responsibility for the wildlife of Kenya, as they have also allowed us into their world, and they too face the same advances. The western mans' need to force them from their habitat and to kill them for monetary gain has greatly reduced some species and gravely endangered others.  Once the animals and the ancient cultures disappear completely, man will come to realize - all to late - that he has gained nothing and lost everything!

        Kenya is a world all its own and one worth saving! All is not lost - and there is hope for the future, because although we as humans are the fire - we as educated, enlightened beings are the water that may extinguish the fire, and the calf of the elephant will be free to roam the plain.

Sincerely,
Tina M.Wright /Brian V.Stuck
Owner /Owner