Interviewer(s): I003
Interviewee(s): P464

I003: You told me you are 20 years old, and you came to this village five years ago and you have attended school up to class seven and you have two children and your main economic activity is livestock rearing isn’t that true?

P464: Yes.

I003: I would like you to tell me when you were living in Sadala Village were you living in a homestead were there many houses or it was one independent household?

P464: It was different houses not a homestead.

I003: Your father had how many wives?

P464: Three.

I003: And were you able to eat at your uncle’s or aunties or you were just eating home?

P464: I was eating home.

I003: How many of you were born in the family?

P464: My mother’s children?

I003: Yes your mother’s children.

P464: We were six.

I003: So out of six children how many are girls and boys?

P464: We were five girls and one boy.

I003: What were the duties and responsibilities of girls and boy in your household starting with girls?

P464: Washing dishes, clean the house, cooking, washing clothes and milking cow.

I003: What about male child what was his main responsibilities?

P464: Their main work was to graze the livestock, and also to treat them whenever they are sick.

I003: What about building house?

P464: It was men duty.

I003: What about sweeping ground?

P464: It was female children duty.

I003: What about your father’s responsibilities?

P464: I do not know, may be walking around the village then come back home and if he wants to sell the cows he will go to the market.

I003: And what about duties and responsibilities of your mother?

P464: She was doing household chores.

I003: Like which ones?

P464: Like cooking and all other duties that female children were doing so they were helping each other.

I003: And who was cooking?

P464: All of them.

I003: Who was going to buys food for the family?

P464: It is my father.

I003: Which type of food?

P464: Tomatoes, onions, maize, beans.

I003: It is not you mother’s responsibility to go to the market and buy food for the family?

P464: No, it was my father’s responsibility.

I003: Okay you told me you also farm isn’t?

P464: Yes.

I003: I would like to know which type of food that you were eating most when you were living in your father’s house.

P464: It was ugali and milk.

I003: What else?

P464: Nothing, and if we do not have ugali we will drink milk.

I003: And which type of food you ate rarely?

P464: Rice.

I003: And which type of food male or female children like most?

P464: Both of them like ugali and fermented milk.

I003: And where did you source your food, were you growing them or buying?

P464: We were buying food during dry season and when is rainy season we used to go to the valley searching for food.

I003: You told me that you used to eat ugali so were you buying or growing maize?

P464: We used to buy.

I003: So what were you growing?

P464: Maize only.

I003: But your harvests were not so much that is why you were buying?

P464: Yes,

I003: Were there foods that you were buying at the market or auction and if yes what kind of food is that?

P464: Nothing.

I003: Do you have auctions here?

P464: Yes.

I003: What kind of food were you buying at the auction?

P464: Nothing we were walking around.

I003: When you were young who used to make decision on the kind of food to be bought?

P464: My father and mother.

I003: So children were not involved?

P464: Yes.

I003: You told me you have a brother?

P464: Yes.

I003: Is he a first born?

P464: No, last born.

I003: You brother was not involved?

P464: No.

I003: Why?

P464: Because he was still young.

I003: How old is he now?

P464: 10 years.

I003: Which class is he in?

P464: Class four.

I003: How many attended school in your family?

P464: Two.

I003: You and who?

P464: My younger brother.

I003: Are your sisters married?

P464: Yes.

I003: And where are they?

P464: Some are in Kilosa,

I003: In your community, how do you know if a boy/girl has grown to adulthood let us start with a girl?

P464: You will notice he/she has matured even the way she talks.

I003: Like how?

P464: Mhhh.

I003: Tell me I am doing a research so do not worry you just tell me what you know.

P464: Mhhh.

I003: Tell me about male child, how do you know that he has grown to adulthood?

P464: I do not know.

I003: But in your community, boys and girls are danced for isn’t?

P464: Yes,

I003: Why are they danced for?

P464: They are danced for as part of initiation ceremony.

I003: So what qualifies a girl to be danced for?

P464: It is when she has grown up.

I003: Like how? Or is there something you see and confirm that she is now a mature person?

P464: Mhh.

I003: Like in our culture when we say a girl has grown to adulthood we mean she has started getting her menstruation period.

P464: Even here is the same.

I003: Why are girls danced for?

P464: They are danced for when they have matured and after that if she has a fiancée she will get married.

I003: But is it the age they are looking for?

P464: No.

I003: Can you danced off a girl who is in class three?

P464: No is until she grown to adulthood.

I003: Can you get married without been danced for?

P464: No, it is a shame, because the ceremony is an indication that you are qualified to get married.

I003: And how long does the ceremony last?

P464: May be two days.

I003: When were you initiated?

P464: You know I did MEMKWA system so I joined class one then I did class four exams so after that I was initiated.

I003: So for the children who are doing the normal system of class one to seven, when are they initiated?

P464: They are danced for when they are in class five.

I003: When the schools are closed.

P464: Yes.

I003: So after that she will be married?

P464: No, it is not possible; she will get married when she finishes school.

I003: What about a male child?

P464: Him he will stay for some time because them they do not get pregnant unlike female child.

I003: But after initiation ceremony he will be allowed to marry?

P464: Ohh yes.

I003: You told me you came to Mela in 2012 isn’t?

P464: Yes.

I003: Why did you come to Mela?

P464: Because I got married.

I003: What are you doing to earn a living?

P464: We do farming and livestock rearing.

I003: What are you growing?

P464: Maize only.

I003: Did you plant this year?

P464: Yes.

I003: How many acres?

P464: Two.

I003: Did you harvest?

P464: Yes.

I003: How many bags of maize did you get?

P464: Eight.

I003: Did you sell?

P464: No, I put in storage.

I003: You told me you rear livestock?

P464: Yes.

I003: How many cows do you have?

P464: Like forty.

I003: How was life in Sadala village as compared with Mela village?

P464: It is the same.

I003: If you were to compare the number of livestock between Sadala and here?

P464: It is the same.

I003: What are the duties of women in livestock rearing apart from milking cows?

P464: Milking cows, counting cows as they return from grazing, separating calf’s from their mothers.

I003: Is there any difference in term of roles and responsibilities of the people here in Mela as compared with Sadala Village?

P464: It is the same.

I003: Duties and responsibilities of the male child nowadays is the same as in the past?

P464: It is the same, except in the past when I was living with my parents we used to graze animals because our brother was younger than us but nowadays I have boys who can take cows for grazing.

I003: Can girls capable of shifting cows from one place to another like from here to Kilosa?

P464: No, we cannot.

I003: I was told boys can do that?

P464: Yes they can do but girls cannot.

I003: So how did you shift them?

P464: Our neighbour used to assist us, so we mix our cows and his cows.

I003: Did you used to pay him?

P464: No, we used to provide them food.

I003: You told me that now you have boys who graze your cows?

P464: Eeeeh

I003: So you are somehow relieved?

P464: Yes.

I003: Are there foods that were eaten in the past but you do not eat nowadays and the food that you are eating nowadays and you were not eating in the past and also there are methods of cooking food you used in the past but you are not using nowadays?

P464: Mhhh.

I003: Which type of food is that?

P464: Mhhh.

I003: Okay tell me which type of foods you eat nowadays that you were not eating in the past?

P464: May be vegetables.

I003: And what about the methods of cooking the food are there any changes?

P464: No, we cook the same way we used to cook in the past, if you are cooking ugali you will make the same way you used to make.

I003: So there are no changes?

P464: Yes.

I003: How do you cook meat?

P464: You fry meat then you put onions and tomatoes.

I003: Is it nowadays or even before you used to cook like that?

P464: It is the same.

I003: Are there new foods that were not there in the past but you eat nowadays?

P464: Mhhh.

I003: Nowadays Maasai eat chicken, and also chips enriched with eggs?

P464: Yes.

I003: But you did not used to eat that food in the past isn’t?

P464: Yes.

I003: What about pilau did your mother used to prepare for you when you were young?

P464: No, Pilau was prepared when there was a ceremony

I003: But nowadays you cook pilau?

P464: Yes I do.

I003: Which type of food is prepared at the ceremony?

P464: Pilau, white rice, vegetable, meat, beans.

I003: What about kande?

P464: We eat buy not when there is a ceremony.

I003: Why people cook nice food when there is a ceremony?

P464: So that people will be happy.

I003: so if you cook kande in your ceremony people will not come?

P464: They will come but they will not be happy, people like pilau, beef, and soda if you give them that they will be very happy.

I003: So what makes you eat chicken, chips enriched with eggs and vegetables?

P464: In the past women did not like to eat chicken and chips and eggs.

I003: So why do you eat?

P464: I like them.

I003: Were you eating those foods in the past when you were at your parent’s house?

P464: No.

I003: When did you start eating chips enriched with eggs?

P464: Long time ago before I started MEMKWA.

I003: So what made you eat those foods?

P464: Because they were there then I decided to eat.

I003: Okay you eat the food because it is available?

P464: Yes.

I003: Do you eat chicken?

P464: Yes.

I003: What about sardines and fish?

P464: No, we do not eat those ones.

I003: Why other people eat fish and you do not eat fish?

P464: Masaai’s do not eat fish, it smells bad.

I003: What about pork?

P464: No, I do not eat.

I003: Why?

P464: Because pork is very hard.

I003: Did you try to eat before?

P464: No. but I heard people saying it is hard.

I003: Pork is very nice especially when fried.

P464: Okay.

I003: What about wild meat like antelope, rabbit or even birds?

P464: No we do not eat those. We only eat lamb, beef and chicken.

I003: Do you think education has contributed to the changes of the food you eat?

P464: No. People eat because they like the food.

I003: Do you think drought has contributed to the changes of the food you eat nowadays; I can see you eat rice ugali vegetables and even jute mallow unlike before you were eating meat and milk?

P464: It is not true.

I003: What about interaction with other tribes don’t you think it has contributed to the changes of the food you eat?

P464: No.

I003: What about availability of food in the markets like you can buy vegetable?

P464: Yes, and even during rainy season when you go to the valley you will get vegetables like jute mallow.

I003: What happened in the past you did not eat jute mallow but you eat them now?

P464: Yes nowadays jute mallow is available in our markets in fact they dry them and sell to us when dry.

I003: Are there foods that are associated with poverty? When people see you eating they say that you are poor?

P464: Yes, like when you are eating ugali with kididio (maize porridge) as relish.

I003: What else?

P464: May be he/she is eating ugali with a very little vegetable or sometimes they do not eat the whole day.

I003: You told me things that contributed to eat what you eat are the availability of food, taste and preference like you do not eat fish because it smells bad, and inferior food such us kididio, don’t you think these foods have effects in your body?

P464: No they do not have any effect.

I003: So you are okay with food or you want to drink milk and meat as you used to do it in the past?

P464: No there is no problem with the current food.

I003: I was told if you do not drink milk you will not be able to breastfeed is it true?

P464: No it is not true even if you drink tea without milk you will be able to breastfeed.

I003: When was milk important to you is it when you were young or now that you are a grown up?

P464: Now.

I003: Why?

P464: Because I can give my children milk, I use fermented milk to eat with ugali, and when I cook vegetables I add milk and it taste nice.

I003: When you cook meat do you add milk?

P464: Yes and it taste nice.

I003: What about tea?

P464: Yes, I prepare tea with milk.

I003: I was told Maasai add milk into water is it true?

P464: Yes it is true; it is called ‘ngarebusi’ you add a little milk to water and drink.

I003: Do you think milk is important to pastoralist community?

P464: Yes.

I003: Why?

P464: Because you can use to make tea or as relish.

I003: So can you say milk in not important to you?

P464: Milk is very important to us it is just that nowadays milk production has gone down that is why we have shifted our cows to another area because of pasture.

I003: Okay. So what do you think has contributed to the low production of milk and increase in the price of milk?

P464: Because of dry season.

I003: What else?

P464: There are no pastures for the cows to feed on.

I003: Are there land disputes in your area?

P464: No.

I003: Mhh, what else.

P464: Nothing more.

I003: Have you started to reduce the number of cows?

P464: No.

I003: And why is it that nowadays the price of milk has increased?

P464: People are selling milk but we are not buying milk because we have our cow and we milk them.

I003: Why are you saying drought has contributed to the shortage of milk?

P464: It is because there is no rain so cows have no pastures to feed on and that lead to low production of milk.

I003: Do you buy food for now?

P464: Yes, food like rice, vegetables and other food stuff.

I003: So most of the time you buy vegetables?

P464: Eeeeeh.

I003: Do you buy at the shop or there are people who hawk around?

P464: Yes, there are people who hawk around but if they are not there we go and buy at the shop.

I003: So who makes decision of buying food?

P464: Me and my husband.

I003: So where do you buy your food? Do you have a market here?

P464: No it is just a small shop.

I003: Are there food that were available in Sadala and are not available here.

P464: Sadala is not far from here so foods are the same.

I003: Ohhh it is not past the tarmac road?

P464: No, it is just here.

I003: Which kind of food do you cook most the time like you cook thrice a week?

P464: Ugali

I003: So you like ugali so much?

P464: Ohh yes.

I003: What if someone brought rice, will you eat rice like the way you eat Ugali?

P464: No, Ugali is the best, if you eat rice every day you will be weary of it.

I003: Now you have your own home you can cook rice today, ugali tomorrow or chicken so what influence you cook what you cook?

P464: Money.

I003: What else?

P464: If you have money you can buy varieties of food.

I003: Okay what about your children?

P464: Yes sometimes they say they do not want ugali they want rice and even if you give them for breakfast lunch and dinner they are okay with rice.

I003: What else? Don’t you think drought has contributed to choices of food you cook?

P464: No.

I003: So what about availability of food?

P464: Yes.

I003: So between money, children’s choices and availability of food which one do you think influence your decision most?

P464: Money.

I003: Thank you very much; Mother when you were at your parents’ house was there a time that you ever slept hungry?

P464: No.

I003: What about when you were grown up, was there a time that you experienced food shortage or hunger?

P464: No.

I003: What about your neighbours?

P464: Yes, I saw them experience food shortage.

I003: When was it?

P464: This year and also last year was very bad.

I003: What happened?

P464: It is because of drought.

I003: So why you did not experience hunger or you are rich?

P464: No, we are not rich; we used to have so many cows but last year’s drought destroy them.

I003: So tell us the secret of why you did not experience hunger?

P464: There is no secret, because sometimes we do not have and we borrow from our neighbour.

I003: So you were good neighbours you borrow from each other?

P464: Eeeeh.

I003: Did you have chicken?

P464: Yes.

I003: They say if you do not have food you sell goat or chicken and buy food did you do that?

P464: Yes we sold our livestock to buy food.

I003: Okay Mother, Where do you get information or education about healthy lifestyle, nutrition and good health?

P464: Education concerning what?

I003: Good health and nutrition where do you get that information from?

P464: Mmhh.

I003: Is there any place you been told about good health, nutrition may be you were told to eat vegetables and fruits?

P464: Mmhh.

I003: Do you go to the clinic?

P464: Yes

I003: Do they tell you about health and nutrition?

P464: Eeeeh.

I003: So why don’t you tell me?

P464: Mhh

I003: What about churches?

P464: No.

I003: What did they tell you to do or to eat?

P464: They told me to eat green vegetable and fruits such as mangoes and oranges.

I003: Did you follow what they told you to eat?

P464: Yes.

I003: If someone wants to come and teach you about nutrition and healthy lifestyle how can we reach all of you?

P464: You call them.

I003: How?

P464: You give them notice of one day before.

I003: If we go to schools will the pupils distribute the information?

P464: Yes.

I003: What about churches?

P464: Yes, we will get the information.

I003: Do you want us to teach you?

P464: Yes.

I003: Whom do you think deserve to get that education, is it the father or mother or children?

P464: Mother.

I003: Why mother?

P464: Mothers are the ones preparing food for the family.

I003: But father is the one buying so why not him?

P464: Even if

I003: But father cannot buy food without involving the mother?

P464: Yes, they have to discuss.

I003: Thank you very much; we have come to the end of our interview.