After a night at a guesthouse (amazingly founded by a group from Iceland), we headed out for market day at Sigor. We encountered a rather forlorn-looking woman. When Geoffrey greeted her, she barely responded and didn’t muster a smile. Because it was so inconsistent with how most Kenyans greet each another, I asked him if he thought something was wrong with her. Somewhat matter-of-factly, he replied, “You know, these people live desperate lives.” In fact, he repeated that exact phrase on a few other occasions. My own recollection is that I saw little display of joy while we were there.
With Geoffrey’s limited Pokot, he informed her that I wanted to take her picture. Very reluctantly, she agreed. I handed her a 20-bob coin (about 25 cents) – both as a token of gratitude and as a gift. She simply stared at it lying awkwardly on her palm. Geoffrey tried to explain to her what it was worth. As we continued on our way, he confirmed my suspicion that she likely has rarely handled money in her lifetime. Many nomadic communities in northern Kenya strictly function with a bartering system.
