Something went wrong, please try again later. In an ideal world, true love should transcend one's colour, culture, language, social and economic backgrounds and become the magic wand that makes these divisive limits powerless. Rebekah then fell pregnant with her son Kito last August, however it seems that the pressure of the pregnancy turned the relationship sour and Rebekah returned to the UK to have their son who was born last week. This persuaded British colonial policymakers in 1951 to evacuate all Maasai from the Serengeti . "A few weeks late, I had a positive test. A married Masai woman can only have sex with men from the same age group. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The central unit of Maasai society is the age-set. She enjoyed the experience so much that she extended her three-month trip to a year and started speaking Swahili in the process. Rebekah's love affair with Kenya - and two of its citizens - began in October 2012 when she was on a filming course and volunteered as a steward at the Norwich theatre. Another . And despite Rempesa having a wife and five kids in the village, the two began a relationship with the butchers current wife Joyce even translating so the pair could converse. He can also get married to as many women as he likes, as the Maasai practice polygamy. 'He'd do anything to just get me chocolate. When he passed with flying colours, the couple applied for their spousal visa but were denied when the test certificate failed to come through on time. She decided to go and visit him in Kenya the following year, staying for nine weeks in a tin hut in a village with no running water or electricity around an hour from the capital, Nairobi. She said that there had been animosity towards her from some of the people in the village who blamed Rebekah for getting together with Rempesa for Joyce's death. We pay for your stories! There were three such uprisings-in 1918, 1922 and 1935. As part of her cultural tourism project, Ms Fuchs teaches guests about the Maasai culture and gets them to participate in the traditional dancing if they desire. A Final Act reconciliation seems way off, though and there is no chance of Lawrence paying maintenance any time soon as he isnt set to finish school until Kito is five. Some of the well-hidden secrets of this warrior tribe found in East Africa has attracted hoards of white women tourists who go to Africa with only one mission in mind, and that is to find a real Masai warrior for a companion. Dikola is called Maasai in this book, even though he really is a Samburu. Their culture is very unique and their customs are sometimes controversial. P.O Box. It was there that Rebekah and Rempesa, the village butcher, started a relationship. . I was stunned. As part of the experience, travellers can help look after the cattle with the tribe, eat local dishes and absorb themselves in Massai life. And we did. Their kraal, consisting of a large circular thornbush fence around a ring of mud-dung houses, holds four to eight families and their herds. We found ourselves in his bedroom having sex. 'They didn't have an issue with the age difference and told me that if I was happy then I should go for it.'. The couple realised that if they wanted to stay together, they would need to adapt to each others lifestyles. Much like Zenobia, she launched a revolt against the Roman Empire, and defeated Roman armies in Arabia, Palestine, and the fringes of Egypt. 'I was a happy, single woman and I didn't seem right to me to date someone 30 years younger,' she said. RM EARCTB - Maasai warrior wearing traditional dress, near Enkutoto, Masai Mara, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. At around age 30, junior morans become senior warriors and re-integrate with the rest of the tribe. I married a Maasai and moved to his boma (2020) A white western woman meets a member of the Maasai tribe and they fall in love . Rebekah O'Brien moved to Kenya and married a Maasai warrior, but she has just had a baby with his son after they fell for each other. The food is quite greasy and Im still getting used to things like pie and chips and I miss my six siblings in Kenya a lot. We moved in there in January 2012.. Kenyan Maasai warrior wedded British woman who moved and had baby with his son - The Standard Entertainment Standard Group Plc HQ Office, The Standard Group Center,Mombasa Road. Id had a dream the night before that a postman with a beard knocked on the door and handed me the envelope. Wed had this whirlwind romance and lovely wedding, then suddenly it was like none of it ever happened like Juma never existed. Richard Kwame Krah is an online publisher. The pair are now planning a second wedding to celebrate their victory and seal their love forever. Rebekah grew close to the couples children, but when Joyce died from an accidental overdose in January 2014, the village turned against her. Rachel Spencer For Mailonline, Inside the all-FEMALE fight club: The secret Berlin group where women go topless to take part in no-holds-barred bouts that leave them bruised and bleeding, Every time we get an answer right we get a biscuit: The Chase star Anne Hegerty reveals her genius response to body-shaming trolls on Twitter, Woman's eyes CUT OPEN with scissors after untrained beautician glued them together while applying eyelash extensions. The friends kept in touch, and Saitoty called Deborah every day to check in and talked about wanting to marry her. 'The whole community supports each other and everyone is so happy and friendly. Not enough good questions were asked though. They were friendly but in a rush to get going.. As I was intrigued and impressed by them and particularly him, I tried to engage them in conversation with my Swahili. View our online Press Pack. In Maasai culture their devotion to spirituality greatly affects the opportunities that Maasai women will have access to. The comments below have been moderated in advance. 'On that first trip I saw him a number of times, sometimes with his wife, and she would even translate for me so we could chat,' she said. They didn't interview him, which was a bummer, because I . Saitoty was there the next morning to wave Deborah off. [Masai Native Women]: Stop! ', Now the pair live together in their own mud house in Tanzania in a boma - a family compound - and had a Maasai wedding in June 2018. 'My daughter suddenly came in and told me Saitoty had come to our hotel,' she said. You cook, clean and look after the home and your husband and family and I dont see anything wrong in that at all. Oscar Cainer tells all, How to dress like a grown up: Trust me, loose fit can be flattering, says Shane Watson, Anti-agers no one but you needs to know about,Inge Van Lotringen tells all. Maasai (not Masai or Massai) is the correct spelling of this noble tribe: it means people speaking maa. The pastoral Maasai are fully nomadic, wandering in bands throughout the year and subsisting almost entirely on the meat, blood, and milk of their herds. A white woman who fell in love with her Maasai warrior narrates her love story and how she moved to Tanzania to meet the families and beautiful Maasai people. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Their union, though filled with rough patches like any other marriage has stood the test of time and brought pure bliss to their lives. We were so happy when we had our little boy together and all I want to do is keep them happy and secure.". Rebekahs sister Gemma, 31, acted as her birthing partner. Settling In East Africa In the mid 19th century, the Maasai occupied almost the whole of the Great Rift Valley, and this is the time it reached its largest size. Once a woman is circumcised she can only have sexual relations with . Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. They now have a son and Ms Fuchs has set up projects to help people in her community. Rebekah then came back to the UK in March 2013 and vowed to learn Swahili so she could return to Kenya, signing up for a course on Facebook. Rebekah O'Brien, 26, fell for village butcher Rempesa Ole. I stumbled over the greeting I'd learnt phonetically and was relieved when the chief said, "Welcome to our. Once the boys are between the ages of twelve . What is cuckooing and why do people want it to be criminalised? In the final months of her pregnancy, she andRempesa broke up and Rebekah faced tragedy alone. They somehow saw it as my fault, she says. But with a new outlook, they married. Put the branding irons in the fire. Deborah, a retired police officer, said: 'I never expected to find a husband and marry someone so much younger than me but he is the kindest and most caring man. 'In Kenya, its like being a British wife in the 1940s. A writer with progressive mindset; one who takes pride in masterminding content that promotes positive news, projecting individual and group achievements to motivate and set good social examples. I live with the Maasai tribe in the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania. The Maasai warriors traditionally have braided hair, which is dyed with red ochre. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. 'It's not like a wedding in the UK where you spend a fortune on a big dress and have a list of expensive presents youd like at John Lewis,' she said. He met her and married her and brought her back to his home. "Were going to get blessed and renew our vows at the Mosque. Stop her! 'When I got to the house, Rempesa led me to his bedroom, and Joyce went and stayed with the children. Deborah, a retired police officer, said she never expected to find a husband and 'marry someone so much younger'. Ms Fuchs concluded: "I love Tanzania, I love the Maasai and I believe their beautiful ancient culture is worthy of preservation.". Rebekah told the Mirror: 'I want Lawrence to be in his life, but I fear he sees me more as his mother than his girlfriend. The happy Hassan family now that Juma has the right to live in the UK, Christina and Juna married quickly in 2010, in an attempt to keep Juna in the UK, Maasai warrior Juma dancing at the Blackpool Tower Circus. Rebekah moved to Kenya in December 2013 and lived with Rempesa. The Maasai suffocate their goats, which they believe is the most humane way to kill. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 'Saitoty had never had ice cream or fish before he met me.'. Masai was the incorrect spelling of the British settlers and has remained in current use. 680 Words3 Pages. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Head over heels for Kate! A new mother has revealed how after she moved to Kenya to marry a Maasai warrior she went on to have a baby with his teenage son - who remains in Africa, while she is back in Britain. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. In the days and weeks that followed, Ms Fuchs tried to strike up small talk whenever she saw Sokoine. Rachel Spencer For Mailonline 'When he first brought up marrying me I thought he was crazy. 6 Min Read MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Bethan, 56, lives in southern England on the same street as best friend Allie, 64. Published: 13:25 GMT, 5 October 2022 | Updated: 16:14 GMT, 5 October 2022. She was an innocent 16-year-old student from Cleethorpes while he was a Maasai warrior almost twice her age, living in a hut in Mombasa, Kenya. I guess I wanted it to work out with Rempesa.. He's the kindest and most caring man I have ever met. After a six-year fight, in September last year Juma was finally given the spousal visa the couple so desperately wanted and now has the right to live permanently in the UK. In fact, the Maasai were Kenya's dominant ethnic group until British colonial rule, which lasted from 1895 until 1963. "I love Britain but life isnt always easy here. She is his only wife and all that he wants so far she said. Rebekah, a gym receptionist from Kent, was so entranced with his culture and the connection that she felt that she uprooted her life to move 7,000 miles to be with him - even though hewas already married to his wife Joyce. My husband is a Maasai warrior and it was out of love for him that I decided to follow him to his traditional family home in the middle of the Tanzanian bush. Rebekah O'Brien Stephanie documents tribe life on Instagram, A warriors dance ceremony (Stephanie Fuchs), Members of the tribe in their traditional dress, The couple's son, second right, with his cousins, Women from the tribe with their health kitsfor people in the local area, The couples son looking out across the Masai Steppe while the tribe herd cattle, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. She and Rempesa are no longer together and instead she is romantically involved with his eldest son, a teenager still at school who is unable to help her support their week-old son Kito. But there is one important rule. Act One saw stagehand Rebekah falling for dancer Rempesa and moving from East Anglia to a village in Kenya, sharing him with his non-too-pleased wife Joyce. I couldnt believe it!" Deborah - who now uses her Maasai name Nashipai - and lives with Saitoty and his family in Ubena, Tanzania, couldn't be happier. She said: For the work they [the women] do in helping me look after our guests, I pay them a wage and so give them the means to become financially independent of their husbands. 'I suppose it didn't help that I was basically his stepmum before we got together. They are innate conservationists who live in harmony with nature. Something went wrong, please try again later. Miles, a UK citizen, and Hassan, a Kenyan Maasai warrior and dexterous dancer, met each other 11 years ago. And she said she hopes Lawrence will come to Britain to visit his son Kito, despite the fact he has no money for child support. Then she began chatting to Rempesa on Skype and he told her again that he loved her and missed her and it was then that she realised she wanted to be with him. A WOMAN who moved 9,000 miles away to marry a Maasai warrior 30 years younger than her has hit back at cruel trolls who say he's just with her for a green card. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Soon he was wooing his fathers ex and one day he swept her off to his bedroom, proving himself to be a much better lover than his dad according to Rebekah. Young boys are sent out to take care of calves and lambs and to mostly play. 'I remember him saying "I love you" to me and at first I just saw it as friendly, but my feelings started to grow,' she said. The women who work with me get paid and at the same time we give back to our fellow women and girls by providing them with much needed sanitary pads.. The consequences of FGM and early marriage on girls are grave. In the past when someone died, the Maasai would roll the body in cow hide, smear it in fat and leave it for the scavengers, but the government decreed it unhygienic and encouraged them to bury their dead instead. Rebekah said the other villagers blamed her tor the incident but despite threats she and Rempesa kept their relationship alive. She said: 'My friends said I was mad to be running off with a Kenyan man, living in a tin hut with him and his first wife and five children. 'As Saitoty said to me when he was convincing me to marry him - age is just a number. 20:08 GMT 05 Jun 2016. Now the pair live together in their own mud house in Tanzania in a boma - a family compound - and had a Maasai wedding in June 2018, followed by a legal ceremony in July of this year. In what hopeless romantics would like to call 'love at first sight', Stephanie was utterly smitten by the man's height and beautiful eyes from the moment she laid her eyes on him. Young Nairobi mother narrates journey from garbage collector to owning garbage trucks. The Maasai and most of the other neighboring ethnic groups practice circumcision and have the custom of the age-set system. You go to cafes and see mums with their babies strapped across them, walking round, and they just get on with their lives. According to her narration which is captured in the video below, she is living permanently with her husband and family; she added that, the people are loving, Wakanda Africa News - Powered by Detor Technologies. Women are still married off at 16, for example, but are no longer circumcised. I would be his main wife and they were just friends.. The couple who reside in the deeper roots of Rift Valley Province knew from the word go they were meant for each. Despite it all, Rebekah says she wants to go back to Kenya and maybe even find love again there. We were so caught up in the moment. She hoped that with other traditional celebrations they would receive gifts from the villagers such as a chicken or a cow. She met Rempesa, then 37, when the group came to the theatre where she worked in Norwich in 2012. Kito is perfect, she says. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! 'As a Western woman in Kenya people were suspicious of me, but Rempesa was so kind, buying me food and drinks and always had time for me and made me feel welcome and special.'. 'But my children and family said I shouldn't care about the age gap as I'd been alone long enough and deserved to be happy. 'People ask if I adopted him or that I'm his grandma which can make Saitoty upset. I knew Rempesa and I were over for good but I missed his children. A BRIT theatre worker has revealed how she moved to Kenya to be with a Maasai warrior - only to have a baby by his teenage son. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Plane rip-off: Travellers warned over 'bargain' flight fares offered by online travel agents, as hefty fees for bags and seat choice can make it cheaper to pay the airline directly, says Which? and Values Achieved Through Rites of Passage: Family and Sexual Responsibility In "The Initiation of a Maasai Warrior" written by Tepilit Ole Saitoti, The Maasai's rite of passage is captured through Tepilit's own eyes. When the time came for Ms Fuchs to leave, she knew she was not ready. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. Rebekah's love affair with Kenya - and two of its citizens - began in October 2012 when she was on a filming course and volunteered as a steward at the Norwich theatre. She recalled: 'We drove back and she kept playing the Backstreet Boys in the car so we could sing along to make me feel at home. With the warriors of Masai tribe, mortality among men has always been high. Traditionally, Masai boys face circumcision during their teenage years, whereby the boys now become 'men', and enter a special camp called an EMANYATTA, where they train to be Masai warriors for the next 10 years. Only when Juma came on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the UK with his traditional African dance troupe did their paths cross. A BRIT theatre worker has revealed how she moved to Kenya to be with a Maasai warrior only to have a baby by his teenage son. Id love Kito to grow up in Kenya around his family. The same is true for my Masai women enterprise making reusable sanitary kits. Despite this, Saitoty followed her to her next destination in Tanzania and was upset when she had to leave to go back home, two weeks later. Joyces death hit the children really hard, especially Lawrence. As per local beliefs, the Maasai originally . 'He was upset I wasn't coming and that I was leaving the next day. The pair fell desperately in love and married in a rush wedding against the will of their families in a bid to keep Juma in the UK. Agriculture was first introduced to the Maasai through relocated WaArusha and Meru women who were married to Maasai men; as a result generations after made a mixed type of lifestyle. So the age difference between a husband and wife is A new mother has revealed how after she moved to Kenya to marry a Maasai warrior she went on to have a baby with his teenage son - who remains in Africa, while she is back in Britain. The ritual of learning how to bead is one that is shared between mother and daughter, with the matriarch responsible for initiating her child in . Rebekah came back to the UK a few weeks later but kept in touch with Lawrence via phone before returning to Kenya in August. He was such a massive comfort.. After having a Maasai wedding in June 2018 - a traditional ceremony - the couple had a legal wedding in July 2022. And it was Joyce, 42, who welcomed Rebekah at the airport when she went to visit again in December. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The biennial Maasai Olympics, which was first launched in 2012 to give Maasai warriors an avenue to demonstrate their physical prowess through a sporting event rather than a traditional lion hunt, also aims to . One warrior can have up to 7-8 wives. In June 2018, they had a traditional Maasai wedding before making their union legal in July this. 'My eldest daughter, Tiffany, 32, and son, Sherrick, 27, met him on FaceTime and loved him. They occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometres. The Masai family is a very interesting phenomenon. Although he was married with five children - a boy and four girls aged between five and 17 - he told her their relationship was platonic and his wife Joyce herself told Rebekah that she was happy for them to marry. It will be extra special because our little boy will be beside us and our future ahead of us. Maasai men are born and raised to be warriors, while the women spend most of their time learning to cook, clean, prepare food, and other duties they are expected to perform. The married women do more work than their husbands and they respect them while not challenging them. Lawrence started begging her for money after she returned to the UK for the birth. Lawrence told me he wanted a family and I got swept along and agreed to start trying for a baby. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 'We didn't have any money with us but I asked if we could take a photo as I had never met a Maasai,' she said. I always feel healthier there and the community is very much focused on children and family.'. I wanted to stay in Tanzania. Cradling their son , Rebekah says: I want Lawrence to be in his life, but I fear he sees me more as his mother than his girlfriend. The Maasai peoples adapted extremely well to their new environment, as the UNESCO General History of Africa Vol. Stephanie Fuchs, 33, has set up a "cultural experience" where travellers can participate in real Maasai life by living in huts and rearing cattle. ', Deborah Babu, 60, from Sacramento, California,who moved 9,000 miles away to marry a Maasai tribesman 30 years younger than her has insisted she 'couldn't be happier' - despite strangers saying he's 'just with her for a green card'. "I told him we couldnt be together. Hed held her as she passed away. Young mum married a Maasai warrior - and then had his SON'S baby - Mirror Online, I'm marrying a Maasai Warrior | Hot Topics | Lorraine, Im pregnant by Maasai warrior I'm marrying. - Ntoiyai Koruta tied the knot with an Italian woman Gaia Dominici and they are parents to one child . But once she returned she herself falling for the warrior's 19-year-old son Lawrence who is still at school making up for a few missed years through truancy. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? But after Deborah left to go back to America at the end of her trip, the pair kept in touch with daily calls. The couple stayed in touch, with Deborah flying back to Tanzania in December and accepting a marriage proposal fromSaitoty. Masai And White Women: British Housewife Who Abandoned Her Family For A Penniless Masai Warrior By Faith McCoy | Submitted On February 12, 2007 To many the strange attraction that white European women feel for the primitive Masai tribe of Africa is an unexplained mystery. We talked about getting married and although he didnt say his marriage was over, and I knew he still lived with his wife, I felt assured they were nothing more than friends.'. Origins and Early History. Their lives centre around their cattle, which are their primary source of food and an important measure of wealth and success. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. But sadly, it wasnt the happy ending Rebekah craved. 'We talked for hours and found out we had so much in common like our sense of humour.'. They also make traditional jewellery to sell which again gives them an income. She said he was 27 and still not married and his family was pressing him to get married. She said the song was all about love and thats what we shared.