Meet Masai Guide David Njapit

Aardvark Safaris is happy to welcome Masai guide David Njapit to San Diego in November 2010. David is from Kenya where he grew up in the very small village of Loosokon in the Masai Mara. He is one of eight children and the first in his family to go to high school. David is 28 years old and is a truly wonderful safari guide and exceptional young man. 

We know him well as our company sponsored his guide training at the Koiyaki Guiding School, a community development project in Kenya, helping him to use traditional Masai skills in a new way. This will be David’s first trip out of Kenya and he’s excited to see our way of life and share his. He’s great with both adults and children (he has guided many of our clients), speaks good English yet at the same time is a real Masai warrior, complete with the red cloak and spear – a sight not often seen in San Diego! 

The Masai are a semi-nomadic pastoral people who live in the Masai Mara in Kenya and Tanzania. They Masai herd goats and sheep as well as the more prized cattle. They are known for their intricate beaded jewelery, their bright red clothes, their music and dance, and the skill of their warriors. Traditional Masai lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitute their primary source of food. It is said that a man rich in both cattle and children is lucky indeed. Male elders settle all disputes and though many Masai have become Christian, shamans are still consulted to ensure adequate rainfall and on other matters both public and private.

The Masai Mara is home to one of the world’s richest ecosystems and we look forward to sharing a slide show featuring lion, giraffe, zebra, hippo, elephant, rhino, wildebeest and other indigenous species.  Whereas our kids are raised with one or two siblings and a dog or cat, David grew up around hippo, lion, cheetah, giraffe, and zebra in a family of thirty. While Americans travelling to Africa are afraid of wild animals and even the food, David might be amazed and frightened by the things we take for granted like freeways, escalators and shopping malls.

With Aardvark Safaris, David will be offering presentations to a few schools and groups throughout California.  We’ll begin with an introduction to Kenya and the Masai Mara with a slide show followed by a question and answer session with David. He will speak about his family, his village, his education, his cultural traditions, his work as a guide, the wildlife of the Masai Mara, his respect for nature and passion for conservation, all geared to the appropriate age group. David’s goal is to be an ambassador for his people and wildlife.

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