Standing in the forest clearing, in the center of a ring of red-haired, beaded warriors who were dancing and shouting, snapping away with my little pink camera, I just couldn't help thinking that 20 or 30 years ago, I would have been chased away from this scene...probably after I was beaten and worse. The world is indeed changing, even if it feels incremental most days. After all, I was there doing a story about a program that teaches young Maasai males about the importance of good sexual and reproductive health practices. In most African cultures, that's considered a woman's business, and her only role in the family is to do as she's told, in the fields, the kitchen and the bedroom.
The program is trying to teach the guys about HIV prevention, the dangers of female genital mutilation and early pregnancy, among other things. In the larger scheme of things, it's a drop in the bucket, I suppose, but it's a start.
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