Female: -- how did you get into guiding?
Male: Some are long story, I made through a lot of such struggles, but the thing is, I was just, while I was in the school my plan was just to become a doctor, and I was really having a— from a—
It was date 1998, just visiting to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, it was like a field trip. From that day I used to change my idea, say now I have to go and dealing with these wild life things, so maybe if I can find this job of carrying the tools didn’t bring with very much today, -- or too looks those are interesting historical sites or whatever. And I used to get complaints just like my father was not interested for me to do that job and saying that, you have to go for another profession because that thing is can much pay you. And I told my father that I don’t care even if I’m going to money or whatever, but I hope so, I am going to make money also in that business. And it was like a, okay, because you decided that but you have to know that I’m not willing you to go and do that job.
I used to fight for my own. And then in 1999, I was to join in a certain college in --, -- it’s a mountaineer tour guiding. I was to stay there for almost 9 months. After that now, I was looking for the employments to the different companies, going randomly looking here and here. And by that time, I used to get driving license which was almost about 2 years. And then wherever I am going to other companies, they interviewed me and say that “you are good”, but the thing is, “you don’t have enough experience in driving”. So it was somewhat like disappointing me and then now, they make me to remember those fathers words, and then I say how can I go back to my father and say that I’m sorry but also, the time was already gone because from when I was finishing my secondary education, it was already 3 years. And then, if I want to go back again to school, it will taking me another long process. I didn’t give up, I say okay, I’ll try, so I’m starting to get my friends and then asking them, they get a vehicle and then driving to make my license to become more older.
And then in 2000, I’m just starting to get a job at a Sarangeti Balloon Safaris in Sarangeti. And then I used to work with those guys almost for 9 months. As it was good for me, by that time I was not looking for the money more, I was just getting experience, because to stay in a Sarangeti, that was a very big life for me because I can get enough – and everything. So I guess I kept that on my mind and say that, okay if I didn’t get in, I think here but now the Sarangeti are there to help me when I’m going back to town.
And once I get to the town, I get ah--, starting with those small companies and then, the big things was asking me, “do you know Sarangeti?” I say, oh yes, it is my home. And then it’s so easy for me to get the job then and doing --.
But in 2003, I realized my—that I need to get more education because I want to get at the mountaineer. I found that was not enough for me, I need some more education. And I meet with a certain guy, I will never forget this guy on my life, this was Mr. Izoba. He was a very good on college and he was trying to put me or trust me a lot about going back to school and then learning more. It was also like telling that what do you want – is do nothing, and then you need to get more, and then you don’t have to stop learning while you call you as a – guide. If you’re a guide, you need to get educated everyday, so once you get the chance, you have to go back to school. And then I’m trying to think about his words and then it all makes sense to me and then I realized that I have to go back to school again, and I have to learn more about guiding and everything. So he took me at his college and if he was just doing the business, it was fine, but he asked me that, “you’d come to my college? Free. And then stay there, learn a lot. Once you’re ready now to do the job, just go.” Then I go there, and I used to paint more than 1 and a half year. Then at the dark, I would think myself, while I’m going with the tourist, now as I look at it, I’m so different. And then I get a very good recommendation to the tourist and everything, and then now, I’m going to where I’m more thinking.
And then I’m starting to work with – as a freelance, slowly—but then the thing is also my recommendation, I saw it going so good at the companies. And then one day it happens that there was a chance there and they tell me that “will you be able to join with us? We have one chance here” I say yes, and then I go there, it’s so I was so lucky to get there. And then it was one of the company which I was dreaming to work with them. So by just asking me that, I say this is a golden chance and then I get to the – and then I started working with those --. And it’s a really good company, and also I am doing my job very well but I’m still learning. Everyday, I have to get new things, if I get the chance, I learn from those tourists I’m traveling with, I learn my self just looking on the internet and everything, different stories—
But you can see, the way we were talking with the Maasais on the Maasai –, in some of—Maasai don’t say they don’t know what even I’m talking, but they realize that this is true, this guy is talking. But when you get to know this, so they were thinking, oh they seem better--, you are also a Maasai, but I said no, I am not a Maasai.
So that is how I got to guiding.
Female: What makes a good guide?
Male: You have to follow the rules, and then you don’t get tired of learning. So everyday you have to learn, and don’t say to yourself that you are good.
If you are good, somebody will come and tell you that, you are now a good guy. But if we just bring your – saying that you are a good guide, you are lost. So your confidence, instead of going up will be going down, because you pride yourself while you didn’t do well.
So you have to learn a lot of things and make sure that—because guidings, you doesn’t go to University or don’t need a degree to be a good guide.
If somebody just coming from the village and then coming just to learning the all what—the things to be proficient and or a good guide, and then comes at sea to be a good guide.
Female: What do you enjoy about guiding? What’s fun about guiding?
Male: The first thing is just a—you are working on an unspoiled environment, so it’s real naturally and then it’s really while working with those people. I like to call the animals are the people who are still living on a typical, natural life, not like those we are doing in the human beings.
And always I use the like trying to compare the normal life we are living in and then try to look to the animals, everything we are doing the same. But if we just say this is the animals and then you are human beings is really a big mistake, but what the animals doing and what we are doing is the same, the thing is, now we are somewhat out of the nature, so the human beings is somehow getting lost. And then sometimes can the nature also do something which is a – humanity—not even the animals cannot do that things. Like you might wonder if can—if somebody is stealing his fellow—or whatever, and then say that these people is doing an animal things, killing is—fellow killing is sin, but the animals know what killing is, the animals are very --, they are doing everything they know what they are doing and their life is so good. So, human now put the complaints to the animals, which is not true. If we look to the animals, they are perfect and we are getting lost slowly.
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