{"id":187649,"date":"2026-03-11T19:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T19:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/187649\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T19:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T19:52:08","slug":"windermere-prep-students-experience-a-whole-new-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/187649\/","title":{"rendered":"Windermere Prep students experience a whole new world"},"content":{"rendered":"

Windermere Preparatory School students stood back and watched as they saw Maasai men jump as high as they could using sticks they picked from the trees around the camp.<\/p>\n

The women, who donned circular beaded necklaces, bobbed their shoulders up and down to show they were attracted to the men based on how high they were jumping.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sophomore Ashley Laurent watched in awe, experiencing the Maasai culture for the first time. The memories of seeing them dance and another time singing and praying for the blessing of the rain that had come will stick with Laurent forever as she described the trip as a life-changing experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re entirely culture-based,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was just really beautiful to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dozens of Windermere Prep students traveled Tuesday, Feb. 17, through Saturday, Feb. 28, to the Nazreti village in northern Tanzania, Africa, for the annual Nord Anglia Education Global Expedition trip consisting of education, community service and exploration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But for the first time, a group of \u00a0students and advisers were able to live and work with the Maasai, a local tribe known for its red shuka cloth, beaded jewelry and traditional culture that cherishes community above self.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In years past, the students saw Maasai tribe members from afar. But this year, they lived and worked side-by-side with them, learning their culture and lifestyle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Windermere<\/p>\n

Windermere Preparatory School students learned about the Maasai culture firsthand.<\/p>\n

Courtesy photoDifferent way of life<\/p>\n

Living with the Maasai was an eye-opening experience for the students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Junior Lacey Farrell said she noticed immediately the Maasai didn\u2019t let much go to waste as they used every resource they had at their disposal. For example, they used cow manure, termite soil, dirt, water, sticks and rocks to create the bathroom the tribe would go on to use for the next 20 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With limited resources such as water, the students were quick to learn every drop is precious. Unlike in the United States, where they could shower as long as they wanted, showers in Tanzania were cut short as they had 15 liters per person for each shower, and the water was manually heated up and brought to the camp in buckets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Senior Natalia Fernandez realized the Maasai are more focused on community than individual relationships. For example, she saw how \u201clove is kind of transactional\u201d because a fact that stuck out to her while she was interviewing one of the workers was that if a man is trying to marry a woman and the woman ends up getting pregnant and the baby is a boy, the man will not marry the woman. If the baby is a girl, he will marry her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The students also learned the more cows a man owns, the more wives he can have and, as a result, more children.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Senior Stephen Horn is used to a strict schedule and routine. He knows what\u2019s happening next and is determined to keep going, but in Tanzania, that was not the case. He learned the Maasai don\u2019t work in the rain, so despite there being work to do, if it was raining, they had to be flexible and completely stop work for most of the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also was impressed to see how resourceful they were, learning every plant they used and their purposes as they went on a medicine walk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seniors Eduardo Arcila and Antonio Farah, who are football players and 2025 state champions, quickly realized the brute strength and determination of the Maasai. Unlike Arcila and Farah, who spend dedicated time in the gym working out to build strength, they saw the tribe members developing strength, especially in their legs and neck, in their every-day lives by carrying heavy objects on top of their heads and jumping high in their jumping dance. Farah said their tall and skinny stature is deceiving because of their strength.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could put 50 pounds on their head, and they would be walking like it was nothing,\u201d Arcila said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students also learned new skills through manual labor.<\/p>\n

Farah recalled working hand-in-hand with the Maasai to build a door on the first day of the trip. They learned how to use a machete and to cut multiple branches at once rather than cutting one by one. Arcila said he learned from a tribe member that cutting wood was not about strength but rather technique and precision. A few days later, when the students tried to make a door on their own, they weren\u2019t as successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe door ended up all twisted because of the rain,\u201d Farah said laughing. \u201cIt was a really fun experience just having to build one thing with the Maasai and then trying to build it by ourselves and see how bad we actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the language barrier, the students said they were able to communicate with tribe members using body language.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Senior<\/p>\n

Senior Maycee Walsh, left, and junior Lacey Farrell, right, loved making connections with the Maasai children.<\/p>\n

Courtesy photo<\/p>\n

\u201cEven through simple hand gestures and them showing us what to do, it was very easy to communicate and understand what they were trying to get at,\u201d senior Maycee Walsh said. \u201cThey\u2019re very good teachers, even with there being such a big language barrier. \u2026 They\u2019re very welcoming, inviting. They\u2019re very open to sharing their experiences, sharing their knowledge with you. I never personally felt judged by them. And even if you\u2019re doing something the wrong way, they don\u2019t shun you for it. They want to teach you a better way or an easier way. They\u2019re definitely probably some of the kindest people I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n

She recalled when she finished mixing cow manure, termite soil and water for the bathroom, a group of Maasai girls pulled her over to blue bins of water and washed her arms and hands, using sticks to dig underneath her fingernails to ensure they were spotless. She said it was a \u201creally cool experience\u201d to see how caring and appreciative the girls were of the students being present.<\/p>\n

Going home, the students said they were more appreciative and grateful for everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What is wealth?<\/p>\n

While living with the Maasai, students interviewed members of the tribe, asking questions such as what is wealth?<\/p>\n

The answers surprised students and staff and changed their perspectives on life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing in common with all of them is none of it had to do with what we would consider wealth, which is money, richness and materialistic things,\u201d Farrell said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about community, the connections and how you can help others. I feel like getting to see that and be a part of that is something so amazing, and we can incorporate that into all the people we come in contact with and share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Farrell recalled the joy on the children\u2019s faces as they put on the students\u2019 work hats and goggles and took photos, smiling widely at the camera. Then they began to sing with glee.<\/p>\n

She said it\u2019s the connection with the children and the other members of the tribe that will last forever.<\/p>\n

Bill Miller, a Windermere Prep art teacher and trip advisor, said Maasai members shared that wealth is about relationships and the lessons they could learn from each other and pass on for generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miller hopes the Tanzania trip and the lessons learned will help shape students\u2019 perspectives as they graduate from the school and go on in life. He said many students will become CEOs, government officials, professional athletes \u2014 people with a platform to make a difference \u2014 and he hopes that by understanding different cultures in a clearer way, they will know firsthand how to create philanthropic programs that will have sustainable benefits to a community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Arcila said the lesson he learned on the trip was the students were not there to help the Maasai or others in Tanzania but rather the opposite, they were helping the students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was something really true, because they helped me a lot to see the meaning of our life and what is important about life,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes we forget we need to be thankful with what we have in our day to day. I\u2019m really thankful for going on the trip and getting to know them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

More than 1,200 Windermere Preparatory School students have contributed in some way over the past three years to the dispensary in Tanzania that is nearly complete.<\/p>\n

Courtesy photo<\/p>\n

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