Interviewer(s): I004
Interviewee(s): P472

I004: How are you Mother?

P472: Fine.

I004: How is your household?

P472: Fine.

I004: Are the children Okay?

P472: Yes, they are all fine.

I004: I would like to know how old are you?

P472: Twenty one years.

I004: Twenty one?

P472: Yes.

I004: What was happening or what was the major event happened in your community by the time you were born, did your parents told you if there's something happened?

P472: They did not tell me.

I004: They did not tell you?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Okay, and where have you been brought up since you were born?

P472: Kilosa

I004: Kilosa

P472: Mmmm.

I004: In which Village?

P472: Kidui.

I004: Kidui?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: What about Region?

P472: Morogoro.

I004: Thank you. I would like to know about your family structure? When I talk of a family structure I mean were you living with the father, mother and your siblings? Or father, mother, children and other relatives? Or father, mother, Children, grandmother and grandfather in your household?

P472: We were living father, mother and children and other relatives.

I004: And were you living in one house or in the same homestead?

P472: We were in the homestead.

I004: In the homestead?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Okay mother I would like know the kind of activities you are involved in so as to earn a living?

P472: It is rearing cows.

I004: What were the duties and responsibilities of men in your community when you were young?

P472: They were animal keepers they did not have any other duty to perform; they were depending on animal rearing.

I004: Animal rearing?

P472: Eeeee.

I004: Which other activities were they involved in apart from animal rearing?

P472: I do not know any other work apart from animal rearing.

I004: Which other activity were the men performing in the family?

P472: Men were mostly keeping animals and did not have any other work, may be the other duty which they were performing was selling cows.

I004: What about on the side of women what were they doing?

P472: Women were only milking cows and selling the milk.

I004: What about fetching water, sweeping the ground?

P472: We were fetching water and cutting firewood.

I004: What about on the side of the female children you included at that time, what were your responsibilities?

P472: It was only washing the utensils, cutting firewood and sweeping.

I004: What about the male children what were their responsibilities?

P472: They were going to look after the cows only that.

I004: I would like to know those days, who in your family was privileged to go to school?

P472: There were many.

I004: How many children were you?

P472: I do not know how many because my father had seven wives.

I004: You mean seven wives?

P472: Eeeee.

I004: How many children were educated in your family and in which class did they reached?

P472: Most of them have gone up to class seven.

I004: Standard seven?

P472: Mmm.

I004: And if you can remember, how many are they?

P472: They are like twenty.

I004: Okay, I would also want to know about your eating habit those days you were young what type of food were you eating frequently in your family?

P472: We were eating ugali, rice, meat, bananas and also milk.

I004: Which types of foods were you mostly eating?

P472: It is milk.

I004: It is milk?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: What about the least eaten food?

P472: Bananas.

I004: Bananas?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: okay, and which types of foods were special for special people? Example may be it is special for only the women or it is special for only the children? Food which is prepared for only for them?

P472: It is milk for children.

I004: Milk?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Which milk, fresh milk or sour milk?

P472: Fresh milk.

I004: So you mean children were the only ones who were given milk such that other people were not having it or how was it?

P472: It was not a problem but us we believe our children’s growth depend on milk.

I004: At what age do they start taking milk?

P472: Six months.

I004: By the time you were growing was the child of that age taking milk?

P472: Eeee.

I004: Not when they were below the age of six months?

P472: No.

I004: I would like us to look briefly on how you were getting food at home; I mean were you growing your food or were you buying or were you getting it from the forest?

P472: We were buying.

I004: You were buying?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: What about growing them and what about food from the forest, did you ever go to the forest looking for food like wild vegetable or what were you doing?

P472: We were not going to the forest.

I004: What about wild fruits?

P472: Mmmm...We were only buying.

I004: Was there any wild fruit that the people who were herding cattle’s were harvesting and bringing them home for you to eat?

P472: No.

I004: Even one?

P472: Not even one.

I004: And the wild vegetables?

P472: We were buying green vegetables.

I004: What about wild amaranth were you not harvesting to come and cook at home?

P472: We do not know wild amaranth.

I004: What about Matanga (wild pumpkin leaves)?

P472: They come to hawk it at homes and we buy.

I004: I mean those days when you were living with your parents?

P472: Yes, we were buying them.

I004: Okay, I would also like us to discuss who was the decision maker in your family when you were young?

P472: My father.

I004: And who was responsible to go and buy food for the family?

P472: My Father.

I004: And who was giving money for food at home?

P472: It is still my father.

I004: Who was making the final decision on what to be eaten at home?

P472: My father.

I004: What about the mother? What was the mother doing?

P472: Her work was to inform my father in case we a running out of stock example if the maize flour is over she will inform my father and my father will go and buy food.

I004: I am grateful mother for your answers. I would like you to explain to me by the time you were growing in your family at Kilosa, when a girl was reaching the age of being said that she is a mature girl what kind of activities that were taking place to show that this was a mature girl?

P472: What do you mean the activities that taking place?

I004: I mean how will a community get to know that this is now a mature girl?

P472: They were only seeing that she has grown.

I004: What were they seeing? What was indicating that this girl is mature?

P472: You will see her breast grow larger.

I004: Breasts?

P472: Eeee...she starts her Menstruation periods.

I004: What about danced for?

P472: They are danced for?

I004: At which age is she danced for or what makes the girl to be danced for?

P472: if she reaches the age of eighteen years she is danced for.

I004: So what is the indication that shows that this is a mature girl so let us dance for her?

P472: Eeee

I004: What kind of changes is that?

P472: After the girl shown that she has grown.

I004: What about the male child?

P472: They are just the same, when they reach the age of eighteen and they have grown then they are danced for.

I004: Okay, what about you when you grew up what happened that made you say that you are now mature may be were there any changes in your body?

P472: It is usually body changes like starting my menstruation period so then I knew I have grown big.

I004: What about giving birth to your first child was that an indication that you are now mature or this was not a concern you just saw that you have grown the breast and knew that you are mature?

P472: Eeee....I was danced for then after a short while and got married.

I004: Okay, we have completed our first part we are getting to the second part now that you are mature I would like to know when you moved to Kambala?

P472: In 2012.

I004: What made you to come to Kambala?

P472: They married me, they came and engaged me in Kilosa and brought me here.

I004: You have told me that you come here in 2012?

P472: Ohh yes in 2012.....

I004: After getting married?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Whom do you live with, in your household?

P472: In my household?

I004: Mmmm.

P472: I live with my children and their father.

I004: You, your children and their father? What about relatives you live with?

P472: In my household?

I004: Mmmm

P472: My relatives.

I004: Whose relatives?

P472: My relatives

I004: Who are they?

P472: They are my workers we have employed them.

I004: The workers? How old are the workers you have employed?

P472: They are big, like twenty five years.

I004: And how many are they?

P472: They are many, like eight I think.

I004: Eight?

P472: Eeee.

I004: I would like to know your most economic activity you depend on so that you can earn a living?

P472: Animal rearing.

I004: And the second one?

P472: The second one is farming.

I004: You do farming?

P472: Eeee.

I004: Is there any changes in the way you live now that you are rearing animals and you are also doing farming as compared with the past when you were involved only in animal rearing?

P472: The only difference is farming in the past we were not farming.

I004: What makes to be farming nowadays?

P472: It is because I change the town to another place and because I got married here so I had to change and do farming also.

I004: I would like us to talk about the activities that people involved themselves in like what do the women do in the house hold?

P472: Our work is to fetch firewood and wash utensils and milking the cows.

I004: Only that?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: What about the men, what are their duties and responsibilities?

P472: Cattle grazing, taking out the cattle’s for grazing and to treat them when they are sick.

I004: What about boys in your household, what do they do?

P472: They are the ones who take out cows for grazing and also to treat cows whenever they are sick.

I004: What about girls, what are their duties?

P472: Their duty is to wash the utensils and sweep the house only that.

I004: If you compare the division of duties now and the time you were living with your parent is there any difference in division of duties at various ages?

P472: No.

I004: When we came to Kambala on February this year we noticed that there were some changes in the food people eat, nowadays people of Kambala are eating fish, eggs, chicken others also eat chips enriched with eggs and also the cooking method has also changed people no longer boiling food like in the past, so mama I would like to know what are the changes you have seen or experienced in the period you have been in Kambala?

P472: Changes are we are now eating eggs and chicken.

I004: What are reasons for these changes?

P472: Our children are educated so they teach us.

I004: Your children are teaching you?

P472: Eeee.

I004: What do they teach you?

P472: They teach us so that we can also get educated.

I004: Apart from children going to school, what else has changed your eating habit?

P472: I do not know another reason.

I004: You do not know another reason?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: What about interaction with other tribes don’t you think that is another reason which has made people to change their eating habit?

P472: It is possible.

I004: Why are you saying it is possible?

P472: Because we have many tribes here.

I004: Eeeh... if the tribes are many what have they brought?

P472: They have brought up changes because you find one tribe relates to another tribe so you will find they have common things with one another

I004: So here in Kambala, Maasai relates to which tribe?

P472: Many tribes.

I004: Like which tribe?

P472: Like Pare.

I004: What have Maasai learnt from the Pare?

P472: They have taught us so many things.

I004: Like what?

P472: We learnt from them how to eat chicken and we taught them how to eat meat (beef) we have learnt a lot from them.

I004: Do you think availability of food is the reason which makes people eat what they eat example nowadays you are a farmer and you are cultivating maize does this drives you to eat ugali just because maize is available?

P472: May be it is the reason.

I004: Mother you told me things which have contributed to the changes in your eating habit are interaction with other communities, children going to school and also availability of food, I would like to know how these changes affected you and your family?

P472: They have not affected in any way.

I004: What have you gained from these changes?

P472: The only thing we have gained is that we are no longer eating boiled meat, we fry and eat everything.

I004: What do you gain when you eat fried food?

P472: We feel nice.

I004: Okay what about the boy, what do they gain from eating the fried food?

P472: I do not know what they gain because I only see them eating and their bodies are growing big and become healthy.

I004: Fried food makes them healthy?

P472: Eeee they make them healthy.

I004: What about in the past don’t you think the food they used to eat made them healthy?

P472: They were healthy but not up to the standard required.

I004: I would like us to briefly discuss about milk. Do you think milk is good to you?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Why are you saying that milk is important to you?

P472: Because it is our important food.

I004: Why do you think milk is important to your body?

P472: I do not know.

I004: You do not know?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Do you think milk is important to your family?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Why is it important to your family?

P472: Because it is the food we mostly depend on.

I004: What about selling the milk so as to earn a living? Do you trade in that business?

P472: Ohh yes.

I004: Why is importance to you?

P472: We sell milk in order to get money.

I004: And how do you use the money you got after selling milk?

P472: Buying sugar, clothes and soap.

I004: And do you use the milk when cooking other foods?

P472: Eeee in vegetable.

I004: In vegetables?

P472: Eeee.

I004: Which types of foods do you prepare using milk?

P472: Meat, amaranth, sweet potatoes leaves and cabbages.

I004: Why do you put milk in meat, amaranth, and sweet potatoes leaves?

P472: We use milk like the way you people use coconut milk or cream.

I004: What do you gain after mixing milk in those vegetables?

P472: It taste very nice, that is why we are using it.

I004: When we came here on February this year we were told that there is a shortage of milk and the price of milk went up. What was making the milk not available?

P472: There were no pastures for the cows to feed on that is what affected the cows until some of them died.

I004: Cows have died?

P472: Mmmm.

I004: Why have they died?

P472: Because of drought.

I004: I am grateful for your answers; what about conflicts do you think is another reason which contributes to the shortage of milk in Kambala?

P472: Who are the people with disagreement?

I004: Mmmm.

P472: Nowadays cows are not grazed at Gongora like in the past.

I004: Why are they not grazed there in these days?

P472: because nowadays there are so many farms around there.

I004: Okay, what about changes in the way of living meaning the way you take care of your cows? Do you think it has contributed to the reduction of milk production?

P472: No, we take care of them like in the past.

I004: You take care of them like in the past? Do you still keep many cows as in the past?

P472: Yes.

I004: Okay, I would also want know who goes to buy food in the market in your household?

P472: It is the father.

I004: And which types of food does he go to buy in the market?

P472: He buys rice, bananas and vegetables.

I004: Who decides the amount of money which should be used to buy food at home?

P472: My husband.

I004: Who else collaborate with him?

P472: His wife.

I004: What about buying of fruits, who goes to buy fruits?

P472: It is him.

I004: What about vegetables?

P472: He is the one who goes to buy.

I004: Beans?

P472: He goes to buy.

I004: Oil?

P472: My husband.

I004: If you compare the kind of food you were buying in the market those days and nowadays is there any difference?

P472: No.

I004: There is no any difference?

P472: There isn't any difference.

I004: Which types of food were available in the market here in Kambala in the past and they are no longer there?

P472: There isn't.

I004: I would like to know the types of food you prepare for your family?

P472: I prepare many types of food.

I004: Which are they? Can you mention the types of foods you prepare for your family?

P472: I prepare rice for my family, I prepare milk and vegetables.

I004: Which type of vegetable?

P472: Like cabbage or meat.

I004: And what else do you prepare for your family?

P472: Ugali.

I004: Mother, I would like to know what makes you cook the food you cook for your family or what are the reasons that propel you to prepare rice, ugali, milk and vegetables for your family?

P472: I cook so that my children can eat.

I004: What drives you to cook what you cook? Is it the easiness of cooking that food or the firewood is not available and this makes you cook food that gets ready in a short time? or the food is available and that is why you cook? or what is the reason?

P472: Let us say it is because the food is available.

I004: What do you mean if you say the food is available?

P472: We have food in the house.

I004: Okay, what else makes you cook whatever you cook?

P472: Reason?

I004: Yes other reasons of cooking whatever you cook? What about the simplicity of the food do you think this is a reason of cooking whatever you cook?

P472: yes, if I have firewood in the house definitely it will make my cooking easier.

I004: Mother I would like to know how you overcoming the shortage of food and I would like you to think of when you were young did you encounter the problem of food shortage?

P472: I found the problem of hunger here.

I004: What about here in Kambala? Which year there was a hunger?

P472: Last year.

I004: For how many months did it last?

P472: Only in November.

I004: What was the cause of food shortage?

P472: Cows were affected.

I004: What affected them?

P472: It was dry there were no rain cows really died.

I004: How did you overcome the problem of food shortage?

P472: We had enough stock of maize and this helped us.

I004: What else did you do to overcome this disaster of hunger?

P472: We were milking cows and using the milk.

I004: Were you selling cattle to get money?

P472: Yes we sold some of them.

I004: Who was the main victim of hunger in your household? And who was facing the main challenge?

P472: No one.

I004: No one? Whom have you said had the challenge?

P472: My husband.

I004: Why are you saying that the husband was facing the main challenge?

P472: It is because he could see his family suffering and his main responsibilities is to provide food for the family.

I004: What about you portions, did you have to reduce or add your portions if you were to compare with nowadays?

P472: We were eating ugali

I004: Were you eating to your satisfaction?

P472: We were satisfied.

I004: Okay, I am grateful for your answers. We have come to the end of our conversation but there is an issue I would like us to discuss, in most of the families in this village, where do they get the information on the type of food they should eat, the issues of nutrition and also good health?

P472: We just hear the people talking.

I004: Who are these people?

P472: like the way we are talking right here.

I004: We are talking about the issues concerning health, food, and nutrition how do you get this news?

P472: We hear them from radios.

I004: From radios?

P472: mmm

I004: eeeh...what about on your side? Where did you get the information about good health, eating good foods the issues of feeding?

P472: We were taught in school

I004: Aaah, in which school were you taught?

P472: We were learning in public school.

I004: Is it a primary or a secondary school?

P472: Both.

I004: Up to which class have you attended to?

P472: Form two.

I004: Do you think health education is important to you and the community at large?

P472: Yes it is important.

I004: What is the importance of this education?

P472: I think we have changed and we are eating foods which we were not used to, in the past a child was given a cow's milk immediately after birth but in these days we give them the milk after six months of breastfeeding.

I004: What do you think this news about health; nutrition and types of food are of importance to you?

P472: Because it has taught us many things.

I004: Like what has it taught you?

P472: It has taught us very many things, let us say we are educated.

I004: What were you doing in the past that you are not doing now that you are educated?

P472: I have changed the way we used to operate.

I004: Like what may be?

P472: I changed very many things.

I004: like?

P472: My children are now educated.

I004: What else have you changed?

P472: They are now eating well; they are eating foods which we were not eating before.

I004: Which are these foods which you were not eating in the past?

P472: We were not eating fish, chips enriched with eggs and chicken but we are eating them nowadays.

I004: How do you think this education should be introduced to people?

P472: I think through meeting and also broadcast it so that the people can know because they can now hear from the radios and follow up.

I004: Okay, whom do you think can address people in the meeting so that the people can listen to him/her and follow it?

P472: Even you.

I004: Okay, I am grateful mother for your good answers; we have come to the end of our conversation. Thank you

P472: You are welcome.