Accommodation

Maasai huts usually have similar layouts and designs. There are usually two large beds, each sleeping two, with a small fireplace in the middle, which serves as the kitchen. There is also a small space provided for the keeping of livestock that may be at risk of predator attacks.

A Maasai Hut is made of sticks and dried mud. The Maasai people have lived like this for hundreds of years, and we welcome foreigners to truly experience Maasai living and culture.

Most Maasai families also now have a modern shed in their Manyatta, where volunteers will typically sleep.

Maasai people live by very simple means, and so accommodation is quite basic. It is important for volunteers to understand that accommodation is not as luxurious as hotels in Nairobi, but it does give volunteers the opportunity to see how Maasai people live.

Volunteers will typically help with the chores at their manyatta. Usually the host family will have a range of livestock (typically goats and cattle), which they often milk as a means of income. They may also have dogs and chickens.

Chores that volunteers often help with can include preparing meals, washing dishes and perhaps tending to the livestock. In many families the children will do these chores, but they always appreciate a volunteer's assistance.