Traditional Masai blacksmith

Beneath a makeshift shelter of weathered plastic sheets, a Maasai blacksmith diligently plies his craft. A small, hand-built kiln crackles with heat, its flames licking at a piece of steel, transforming it from a dull, lifeless metal into a glowing, malleable form. With practiced hands, the blacksmith hammers and shapes the incandescent metal, transforming it into a fearsome Maasai spear or other utilitarian tools for daily life. The smokey air hangs heavy with the scent of charcoal and hot metal, while he forms a knife blade for us, it takes around a little more than an hour and we walk away with a rudimentary knife with a simple handle.