Kimeli Naiyomah was studying medicine in New York, when 9/11 happened. A few months later, back home in Kenya, he told his tribespeople about this great tragedy. Stunned and saddened, the Masai decided to extend their help to the United States. On 1st June 2002, in the village of Enoosaen, tribe elders dressed in their traditional red robes presented William Brancick, deputy head of the American embassy in Kenya, with 14 cows, an animal they hold sacred.
I came across this story recently, and it hit me that a lot of people across the globe, myself included, will probably never be able to truly comprehend how beautiful and selfless this gift was, because we focus on the cows. But it's not about the cows. It's about wrapping your arm around someone who's hurting, and giving them a piece of you.
And in this respect, what the Masai gave was priceless. What the Masai gave to the Americans, and to the world, was hope. Hope, that for every group of people trying to cause harm, there will always be another group of people trying to help. With cows.
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PS: The cows were never actually transported to the United States. Instead, they remained in Enoosaen, and were used to set up an education trust fund for the Masai children.
