Maasai village children share a lollipop given to them by University of Idaho team members. Oltetia Ole Munke, a young Maasai leader, guide, and translator for Idaho’s visitors in Kenya, told another sharing story—about water.

This is Ole’s story:

Water is the subject of many discussions among my people in the Rift Valley still today. Often discussions are like this one that I remember from my youth. When I was a lad my father put this question to me: “You walk into our house with a  cup of water. Your mother and I are both thirsty. To whom do you give the cup of water?” “To you, father,” I answer.

“No, I am ashamed of you. That is not the answer,” says my father, frowning. Later he asks me the same question: “To whom do you give the cup of water?” “To mother,” I answer, confident I got it right this time. “No, I am ashamed of you. That is not the answer,” says father. A third time he asks. “I don’t know,” I say.

“YOU drink it,” says my father sternly, “so you will have strength to go get another cup of water for your father and your mother.”

See our story. Special thanks to our college’s Brad Beckman, who  accompanied the university water teams, taking both video and still photography. See streaming video from their Africa trip.

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