Whether Kenyan or foreign, visitors generally come to places like Samburu County to get experiences, leaving nothing behind. Besides the principle of mutual benefit that applies to any research activity conducted with the help of Samburu Lowland Research, on a personal level, we ask that you think about ways that you can share who you are with the people you are visiting.
We strongly recommend you bring a photo album with images of your community, your house or flat, family, pets, local landscapes, etc.
If you play a portable musical instrument, like a recorder or ukulele, bring that. If you are in a group and you know each other then perhaps one of you can bring a guitar.
If you sing, then please think about sharing songs, when appropriate, with people you meet.
Simple games, like football are bonding and help everyone be equals. So are card games. Exchanging games builds trust and camaraderie.
If you know magic tricks then bring that special deck of cards, the dice that do what you want them to do, that hat that flowers can be pulled out of, etc. If you don’t need props and can pull coins out from behind people’s ears, then do that! Bring joy!
The overall point comes back to the idea of shared benefit. Instead of your taking back all the memories, leave some memories behind for the local community to think back on with a smile.