FGD_MELA_YOUTHFEMALE_2Oct 2017
Interviewer(s): F004
Interviewee(s): P

F004: I am Hassan M. together with Julius Ntweya in Mela village. I am conducting Focus Group Discussion with Maasai Youth females. Ok, now tell me which foods do you eat currently in your homes?

P: Stiff porridge

Rice

Bananas, beans,

Meat

Cracked and cooked foods.

Potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, green grams

Pigeon peas, Cabbage

Soda, Okra, tomatoes, eggplant

Carrots, onions, chicken,

Pineapples, wheat bun, chapati, ‘vitumbua’ (rice bun), bread slices

F004: How do you obtain these foods?

P: We grow and produce some foods and others we buy them from the market, for instance we grow maize and produce milk from our cows.

F004: Which food items do you obtain from the market?

P: Vegetables, beans, potatoes, rice

Pigeon peas,

Carrots, cabbage, african eggplant, chinese cabbage

Okra, onions,

Tomatoes, sweet potatoes leaves, pumpkin leaves,

All bites such as wheat bun, chapati, bread slices, cakes, etc.

F004: Who always prepares cakes?

P: I It is a maasai woman.

F004: Do you obtain vegetables from the market or you grow them in your plots?

P: We just buy them from the markets or vendors.

F004: Why don't you grow and produce vegetables in your plots?

P: It is because of inadequate water for the vegetable garden, we do not have enough knowledge on how to prepare and maintain vegetable gardens.

Sometimes we are afraid of our some of our livestock to invade gardens and consume vegetables.

F004: Where do vegetables sellers / vendors obtain them?

P: The obtain vegetables from Kororo road.

F004: What are the prices for the vegetables and maize?

P: Vegetables are sold at 500/= and maize is sold at 10000/= per bucket.

Some of us here do grow maize, while some do buy from other neighboring villages.

F004: Which foods did you use to eat when you were still young compared to this time when you are grown up?

P: We used to eat and drink milk, meat, cracked and cooked maize.

We used to eat soup and relish, for instance we used to have at least four to five families, they organize themselves and offer at least a single cow, they slaughter all offered cows and prepare enough soup which is mixed with some herbs, everybody participates in this main dish, after at least one month they come back to their homes

F004: What was the reaction from women when they saw cow meat?

P: There was no any reaction.

When they came back to their homes, they used to drink fermented milk from each household which participated in the ceremony.

After drinking fermented milk, then they start dancing traditional dance.

F004: Do you still practice this tradition?

P: No, nowadays we have abandoned this tradition because many people have been educated at different schools and some have become Christians and behave according to the church preaching.

Many people have been exposed to new living styles from other people, thus they have stopped practicing some of their traditions.

F004: What are the changes in preparing food dishes or cooking food?

P: Yes there some changes in preparing food dishes, for instance in the past many people used to boil food but nowadays they fry and roast.

In the past people did not use industrial cooking oil and onions instead they used ghee.

In the past people used to share the same water hole with livestock, they used to drink contaminated water but nowadays they drink safe and clean water. #ch8-8#

In the past people used bowls to drink water but nowadays they use cups and glasses.

F004: What are the factors which have brought about these changes in normal life?

P: Education and religion more especially Christianity, many people have gone to school and become educated, still others have become Christians and been baptized, so they live according to the bible and church preaching which are against unnecessary customs and norms. For instance they stopped drinking cow blood and using "vibuyu" (traditional calabash) to drink milk.

Most men have changed their mind set; they are now taking children to school both males and females, and unlike it was in the past years.

Women have also known the importance of attending clinics for maternal and child care.

F004: In which season did people drink cow blood in the past years?

P: They used to drink cow blood in June, when it is cold (winter season).

Some people used to drink cow blood if he/she falls sick.

F004: Why did they choose June to drink cow blood?

P: They chose June because it is a cold season.

They also chose June before cows are shifted to other places in search of water and pasture.

They used to drink cow blood in winter season because in summer season all cows are shifted to other areas because of aridity.

F004: When did they shift cows?

P: Cows were shifted to other areas around July and August.

F004: What are changes in male and female responsibilities?

P: There are great changes in male and female responsibilities, for instance women used to graze livestock, they used to fetch water from far water wells but nowadays water points are found just nearby our homes.

Women were being beaten by men, but some men have changed their behaviors and have stopped beating their wives.

Women still prepare food for the whole family and wash all utensils; men have not yet showed up any assistance in this responsibility.

F004: Which foods are preferred by men?

P: We always eat stiff porridge in our daily lives; we eat rice few times a week.

F004: Why are cows shifted to far places and not in the nearby places?

P: Cows are taken to far places because in the nearby places there is no enough water and pasture to feed these cows during summer season.

In most cases they decide to take cows to far places because such places have enough water during summer season.

F004: Where do you get water?

P: We get water from water wells "they are commonly known as midundiko"

F004: What is the role played by these water wells in your diet system?

P: They have helped us to stop fetching water from dams and bore holes

These wells have also enabled most households to prepare three meals per day unlike it was in the past years when most households used to [prepare single meal per day.

F004: What has enabled you to have three meals per day?

P: Availability of water in the nearby places and crop production because some of us do grow crops.

F004: What is the price for different food items?

P: The prices for different food items are tremendously becoming higher, for instance last year we bought a bucket of maize at 20000/=

F004: Which foods when a person eats people think he is poor or of low status?

P: Cracked and cooked food.

I think there is no such situation among the maasai people because all people do eat the same food.

Most maasai do eat unhulled maize flour, milk and beans regardless of social and economic status.

F004: Ok tell me which foods are not much preferred by some foods?

P: We do not have such tendency in our tribe, only jute leaves are considered to be of low status.

Another relish is called "kididio" it is a mixture of maize flour, water and little salt.

F004: Which foods when eaten by a person, people consider him or be rich or of high status?

P: Pilaf, meat,

Bananas, rice

Chips, meat soup

Chips with eggs, sweet potatoes, fried meat, chicken meat, etc.

Cold drinks such as soda such as Pepsi, milinda, seven up, mopotelo, malta, sprite, coca cola, juices and bottled water such as afya, udzungwa, kilimanjaro, uhai, etc.

F004: We have mentioned provision of education, religion/church preaching, clinic attendance, availability of water, taking children to school, etc. Among these, what is the first priority which has brought changes in our diet system?

P: For the case of diet, crop production has helped us to obtain enough food for instance maize because we grow maize.

The second factor is understanding among the parents

Crop production

Provision of education

Christianity / church teachings.

Availability of water is the third factor

The fourth factor is availability of clinics

What will be the first between fathers taking children to school and availability of clinics?

The first one is fathers taking their children to school.

F004: Thank you. Ok tell me why you have placed crop production as first factor, provision of education as second and the third factor as Christianity/church teachings.

P: Crop production is the first factor for our changes because it helps us to obtain food for the households, these include maize, vegetables and enable us to budget our money in buying food.

Provision of education is the second factor because it helps us to know what is going in our country; it helps people to be exposed to many issues which happen in different places.

F004: You have mentioned about quality education and husbands. May you elaborate more?

P: Quality education has enabled us to abandon some bad customs for instance in the past years we were forced to get married but nowadays it is not necessary to get married.

The church teachings have changed our diet system because the church has enabled people to abandon some bad customs which included drinking cow blood, having traditional festivals in the forests, etc

The availability of water has also changed our diet system because many people do drink safe and clean water unlike it was in the past when people shared the same well of water with livestock.

Provision of education has also enabled most parents to take their children to school regardless of the child gender.

Provision of education has changed our diet system because it has helped us to understand the importance of balanced diet and clean environment; we have stopped eating fresh meat, cow blood,

Provision of education has helped women and girls to improve cooking styles, understand the importance of food nutrients to our bodies, improving our food quality and safety when preparing food.\

The availability of clinics for maternal and child care has changed our lives, for example we have come to know that a baby should be breastfed for six months without eating any other kind of food.

We have also come to know the monthly weight of the baby

Availability of clinic also helps us to understand the growing of the baby and its health in general.

F004: What is the importance of drinking milk when you compare the time when you were still young and now when you are mature?

P: When we were still young we used to drink milk as relish during our meals, but nowadays i is a different case.

Milk was also used to produce ghee.

Milk has much importance in our body growth because it contains proteins. It improves our intelligent quotient.

F004: Tell me more about the importance of milk by comparing the two periods when you were young and now when you are grown up?

P: When we were still young we used to drink much milk because it was free to obtain but nowadays milk has been a commodity, it is sold therefore many people do not drink much milk. Moreover milk has become inadequate because cows are being shift to other far places, so we get milk just within a single season.

F004: Which months do you have enough milk?

P: We always have milk from June to July, but from August to December we experience severe shortage of milk.

F004: Why there is less availability of milk?

P: The main reason is shortage of water and pasture, so pastoralists decide to shift their cows to far places where they can get enough water and pasture to feed their livestock, this practice affects the availability of milk in our place.

Another reason is climate and weather changes, for instance during rainy season we get enough milk because there is enough water and pasture for the livestock, but during summer season we experience low production of milk because of shortage of water and pasture.

Another reason is coldness which also affects the production of milk from our cows.

Another reason for the low production of milk is increasing deaths of cows more especially during summer season when there is shortage of water and pasture. Sometime cows are sold and thus lower milk production.

Another reason is conflicts between crop farmers and livestock keepers, more especially when livestock invade crop farmers and consume crops or when they invade water wells which are used to irrigate vegetable gardens.

Milk is more important because it builds our bodies.

Milk is important because it creates opportunity for business by selling it and earning some money.

Nowadays cow blood has less importance

F004: Tell me about the use of milk and cow blood among youths if you Compare when you were still young and now when you are grown up.

P: Many youths liked milk in the past years, milk was considered and used as a complete meal for lunch and dinner, but nowadays milk is not a complete meal, it is just a part of the meal.

Youths nowadays try to educate their parents about the importance of milk as protein nutrient for our body but it is not a complete meal.

F004: Do most youths consider milk as food flavor and not real food? What is their attitude towards milk?

P: Some youths consider milk as complete food because you can take fermented milk in the morning and cover lunch while you wait for dinner in the evening

Most youths claim that milk is not a complete diet because when you take milk only you do not get satisfied until when you eat other food items.

Some youths do not like to eat only milk, they want to take it with other food stuffs, this is more especially for the students specifically girls, but most male youths do not bother.

F004: What are the impacts to maasai tribe diet system due to interaction with other ethnic groups?

P: In Mela apart from maasai tribe, there is Gogo tribe.

The difference or comparison on diet system between the maasai and Gogo tribes is that the Gogo people do eat chicken meat, sardines, 'nguluka' (tilapia fish preserved by salting) while the maasai do not eat these food stuffs.

F004: Have your children not tried to eat other foods from other tribes?

P: They have tried to eat chapati, stiff porridge, wheat bun, chips and eggs, chicken meat, fish, sardines, etc.

We have also learned to sell wheat buns and other food stuffs.

We have also learned to wear normal clothes such as shirts, trousers, shaving hair in modern saloon, coloring women nails, hair weaving, etc.

F004: You have mentioned some factors which have affected the availability of milk, including selling milk, shifting livestock, shortage of water and pasture, availability of aridity, climate change, deaths of cows and conflicts. What is the first and last major factor among these?

P: The first factor is aridity (dry season).

The second factor is deaths of cows.

The third factor is shortage of pasture

The fourth factor i8s climate change

The fifth factor is conflicts.

F004: How do you choose food to prepare for a particular day? Which factors do you consider in deciding which type of food to cook?

P: I always discuss with my grown up daughters which food to prepare, if it rice or stiff porridge or meat.

Sometimes I consult and discuss with my husband on which food to prepare.

My mother always decides which type of food to prepare. She may decide to cook pilaf or stiff porridge.

F004: How do you choose the type of food to prepare for meals? Which factors do you consider in deciding which type of food to cook?

P: I always consider the number of family members available in that particular day.

I sometimes consider the food which is most liked or preferred by most family members such as rice, meat, eggs, chips, pilau etc.

F004: You mentioned the following factors children interest, father's decision, mother's decision, common decision, favorite food, number of family members and availability of visitors. What is the first and last major factor among these?

P: The first factor is favorite food which is preferred by the majority.

The second factor is children interests.

The third factor is father's decision

The other factor is common decision.

The other factor is mother's decision.

The number of family members is another factor

The last one is availability of visitors.

F004: Thanks. Why do people get tired of a certain type of food?

P: People always get tired of a certain type of food if you eat it several times consecutively.

F004: How do children persuade the mother to prepare certain type of food?

P: If children do not like a certain type of food they will tell you and you will have to cook a different type of food of their favorite.

F004: How does a father make decision or persuade the mother prepare food of his favorite?

P: Even a father can refuse to eat cracked and cooked maize and suggest to eat stiff porridge.

If a father has come with a visitor, he may suggest to prepare rice and not stiff porridge.

F004: How does a family make common decision or persuade the mother to prepare food of their favorite?

P: If you are tired of rice, you can suggest to prepare stiff porridge or sweet potatoes or bananas.

Family common decision can also lead to the amount of food which is prepared.

F004: How does a mother make decision or persuade the mother prepare food of his favorite?

P: If she is tired of preparing stiff porridge and decide to prepare bananas.

She might be suffering from her body organs.

She may decide to prepare beans apart from fish or any other vegetables.

F004: How does a number of people in the family determine type of food to be prepared?

P: They can just decide

F004: How does delicious and favorite food determine its preparation within a family?

P: For instance if many family members do prefer pilaf, then a mother will have to prepare it for the interest of the majority.

For instance this happens during different celebrations such as birthdays, Easter and Christmas days, new year celebrations, etc.

F004: How does availability of the visitor determine the type of food to be prepared?

P: The presence of visitors will determine the preparation of food items such as meat, rice,

In the past years we used to prepare meat for the visitor, nowadays we prepare pilaf or cassava; rice etc.

We always slaughter goat or sheep for the visitor.

F004: Which kind of visitor is prepared goat or sheep meat?

P: it can be your in-laws, father, mother or your child who has gone to school.

You slaughter sheep or goat for your school kids so as to show them love and care and create happiness to them.

F004: How does the availability of schools affect the maasai society and its life styles?

P: When a school girl comes back home, she does not like to step on mud, she does not like to wake up early, she does not like fresh and un-boiled milk.

Some of them pretend to abandon some activities such milking and grazing cows.

Some of them tend to be arrogant and big headed.

Some of school kids tend to change their wearing and shaving styles. This is both girls and boys.

Some girls do colour their nails.

F004: How has the availability of schools contributed to family responsibilities?

P: There has been increasing of family responsibilities for instance looking for money to pay school fees,

F004: Does provision of education help the maasai society?

P: Going to school is very important and helpful to the society because an educated person will get employment, will earn money, will help him/her family members.

F004: How do you look at the child who has gone to school?

P: They look very smart and unique, they look different from others.

They know how to write and read compared to others; some still become village leaders such as WEO, VEO, and Village chairpersons.

Some of them help pastoralists by educating them to keep fewer livestock for super profits.

F004: Ok, when they come back home from schools, do they still live the real maasai life?

P: No, some do not like to walk on foot they want to buy cars, plots, farms or practice agribusiness.

F004: How do pastoralists families look at their children who have gone to school?

P: They look at them happily and enjoy taking their children to school.

Some parents become more attracted to take their children to school.

Some parents still gain more power to take their children to school.

F004: You as parents, where do you get education on diet and nutrition?

P: We get education about diet, nutrition and health from schools, clinic centers and other centers in town

We also get this education from health centers such as dispensaries and hospitals.

We also get education through different seminars which are offered by NGO's such as FERUM, IMA and Maziwa zaidi.

F004: What are the advantages of this education to pastoralists? \

P: This education is very important because it helps pastoralists to understand the contents of diets, nutrition and health issues.

F004: What kind of education did you get at the clinic?

P: We got education about diet for the kids, for instance a breastfeeding mother should eat vegetables and fruits so as to increase blood in the body as well enough milk for the sucking baby.

We also get education about nutrition and diet from schools and hospitals, for instance we are advised to prepare certain type of food for the sick person depending on the type of diseases.

F004: How did you get this education/ though which means did you get this education?

P: We were taught to change our diets by insisting on balanced diet so as to maintain our body health, they also taught us about ‘Vikoba’ (community credit organizations).

They also taught us about foods which build our bodies.

F004: What is the importance of diet and nutrition information to the family?

P: They help us to take into consideration what we are taught and directed to do.

F004: What is the contribution of schools, churches, radio, health centers in providing diet and nutrition education?

P: I t will sound good.

F004: How do they offer this education?

P: The church does not teach about diet and nutrition but rather respect and norms, to abandon bad customs such as drinking cow blood, eating fresh meat, etc.

F004: My question needs to know where diet and nutrition education should be provided.

P: It should be provided through schools.

I t should also be provided through the church.

F004: Who should provide this education, for instance in the church?

P: Educated youths can do this work.

F004: Thank you very much for your contribution. Do you have any other addition views on diet and nutrition education?

P: No additional views.