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

F004: I am Hassan Mdoe Mbazi. I am in Kibaya village conducting Focus Group Discussion with Youth females from Maasai and zigua tribes. It is 25th September, 2017. We have some critical changes in diet within our society, some people do eat natural and traditional foods such as pumpkins, but other people do eat some new and modern foods such as chicken meat, chips, etc, now what factors have caused to changes in diet within our society?

P: Changes in diet have been caused by social and tribal interaction, for instance the coming of Arusha people to our village has contributed to the increase of some food items at the market such as bananas, cabbage, pineapples, while in the past years, there was no bananas at our market.

Factors for changes in diet are shortage of grazing land, decreased number of livestock and increased crop farms; all these have led to adaptation of new food items.

Factors for changes in diet include shortage of grazing land, decreased number of livestock and increased crop farms; all these have led to adaptation of new food items.

F004: Which foods did you use to eat in the past period?

P: In the past years, the Maasai used to eat milk, more especially fermented milk, but nowadays we just eat stiff porridge, vegetables such as amaranth leaves, pumpkin leaves sweet potatoes leaves, cow peas leaves, cassava leaves, as well as other relish such as beans.

F004: How have changes in diet become different to women, men and children?

P: We all eat the same food together.

F004: How was it in the past?

P: Nowadays everything has changed completely, in the past we all ate milk, but nowadays we eat stiff porridge.

In the past children also ate milk but nowadays children eat bulrush millet porridge.

F004: How do you prepare and cook bulrush millet porridge

P: We mix flour, water and milk, and then we stir up and boil.

F004: Why there is change in food preparation methods, for instance in the past period, you used to boil food but nowadays you prepare food by frying, roasting, boiling, etc?

P: Education is one of the reasons why people have changed methods in preparation of foods, for instance in the past most people had primary school education but nowadays people do attend school to secondary school and college levels, so when people of different ethnic background meet together, they share different experiences, customs, traditions and techniques, so most people learn new things from their fellows.

Another reason is social interaction which enables most people to share different experiences whereby some people do adapt new things in their lives.

F004: How was diet system among the Zigua people?

P: The Zigua people used to prepare and eat porridge in the morning, stiff porridge for lunch and dinner, this would last for a month, but nowadays you may prepare stiff porridge for lunch, rice for dinner or cracked and cooked maize for lunch and bananas for dinner.

We used to drink tea during breakfast, stiff porridge for lunch and dinner.

F004: How has education changed you?

P: Education has brought big changes, for instance in the past girls were not taken to school but nowadays they are taken to schools, they get educated and get employed in different places, this is a change.

F004: How has this helped girl?

P: Taking girls to school has helped them to be confident, independent, free and to sustain their families

F004: Is education very important to girls and women?

P: Yes, it is very important because if you have education, you will help your family and develop your society, because if you have education there are some development issues which will be achieved, moreover you will educate and help your brothers and sisters.

F004: How has provision of education to girls contributed to changes in diet?

P: Education has contributed to changes in diet, for instance in the past mother used to give food left over to their children without warming it, but nowadays it is a different case, children do eat warmed food stuffs.

F004: What is the importance of education to Maasai people?

P: Education has helped them to change their daily lives, for instance they used to keep lots of livestock, but nowadays due to limited grazing land, most Maasai have reduced their livestock.

Education also has helped people to change mind wise, for instance nowadays many Maasai people do take their children to schools.

In the past most Maasai men used to take their livestock to 'lonjo' but nowadays most of them have changed their minds and they have started going to school and performing other activities.

Education helps the Maasai to read letters.

Education has helped the Maasai to resolve and overcome the occurring conflicts and challenges in livestock keeping.

F004: What is your perception towards the educated Maasai people?

P: We always witness good living styles and development to the educated Maasai people.

There is no any bad thing for the educated Maasai people.

The educated Maasai people do abandon some Maasai traditions and customs, they do not follow them accordingly, and this is a disadvantage of taking Maasai children to school.

F004: IG What is the importance of knowledge and understanding acquired from schools by the Maasai people?

P: Most of things have changed due to acquired knowledge and understanding from schools by our fellow Maasai.

The importance of taking Maasai kids to schools is that when they have graduated from their schools, they just build modern houses for their fathers and mothers, they also increase resources to their families, and they also persuade the whole surrounding community to take their children to schools. For that case, the Maasai who have a lot of livestock, they will have to sell some of them and take their children to schools after realizing the importance of taking children to school.

F004: Do you experience the difference in diet between the educated and uneducated Maasai people?

P: Yes, there is a difference, the educated people tend to change their diet after leaving schools and colleges, and they eat good food stuffs such as chips which are in most cases not eaten by normal people. They also prefer to attend their meals in town centers which are in the neighborhood.

F004: Which type of foods do they eat which are not cooked at their homes?

P: In the past period the Maasai Morans were not allowed to eat meat which was seen by women at their homes, but when they go to school and come back to homes, they do eat meat at their homes regardless of that meat being seen by women, they claim that there is no any bad thing or disadvantage which happens when they eat meat which has been seen by women.

F004: Where do they get chips to eat?

P: Most of them do find them and eat them from the town centers

F004: Why men did not like to eat meat?

P: They were not allowed to eat meat which was seen by women, for instance if a cow dies in the presence of women, they will not eat that cow.

F004: What happens when they eat meat which women have seen?

P: This is a tradition.

F004: What is your opinion about this situation?

P: We are very happy that there are changes and improvements.

F004: For the case of Zigua people, how is the situation of education and diet changes in your society?

P: In the past years, the Zigua people did not take their children to school but nowadays when Zigua children are taken to school, most families do benefit from taking children to schools, for instance when children do leave and graduate from their studies, they help their parents, they build modern houses for them, they help their young sisters and brothers to take them to schools.

There is change in diet, for instance you will have to give pocket money to your kids so as to buy tea and cassava for breakfast, then stiff porridge for lunch, etc.

F004: Ok how are changes in women responsibilities after getting education?

P: We have good progress, and everybody is satisfied, every person has his/her own farming process. Both women and men do get engaged in crop farming.

Due to changes nowadays, we have decided to look for other sources of income, for instance we have learned how to till the land and practice crop farming unlike it was in the past when we dealt with livestock keeping only.

F004: How has crop farming helped availability of diet nowadays?

P: Crop farming has helped us much because it enables us to change some living styles and diet in general.

F004: Which crops do you grow?

P: We grow maize, green grams,

Beans

Pigeon peas.

F004: How is change in life system? The Maasai practiced transhumance system in the past, how is the current situation?

P: For the current time, the Maasai do not shift their settlements as it was in the past. Most Maasai have permanent settlements.

Nowadays there is no longer transhumance among the Maasai society, instead they have permanent settlements, only livestock do shift depending on weather changes, for instance during summer season, livestock are shifted to the far place where there is enough pasture and water, but women and children do remain at homes.

F004: How is diet system for the women and children who remain at homes when cows have been shifted to far places?

P: We just eat the normal food including all kinds of vegetables, meat.

F004: How do you see this situation when cows have been shifted to other places?

P: The situation becomes very calm because there is no longer fighting for grazing lands and pasture.

F004: Who is more affected by the shifting of cows to far places?

P: The most affected group is women because they lack milk to feed their children.

F004: What are changes in diet caused by price fluctuations?

P: Nowadays there is price increase almost for every item.

In the past years, most food items cost low prices but nowadays there is tremendous increase in price for most food items.

F004: How is food availability nowadays?

P: Every person has increased prices so as to get much benefit.

F004: Which foods when eaten by someone, people consider him/her to be poor?

P: When someone eats foods, which are not fried such as meat which is not fried.

When you eat porridge, stiff porridge

When someone eats stiff porridge left overs 'usiga' or 'togwa'

'Togwa' is a left over from stiff porridge which is left after dinner and mixed with water and stirred up and eaten in the next morning.

F004: Which relish, or vegetables are eaten by poor people?

P: tomato sauce.

'Kungu juu' among the zigua people

'Safele uwala'

'kungu juu' is cooked with tomato, onions, salt, etc.

'safele uwala' is cooked by boiling it with water.

' wild jute leaves' this is cut into small pieces, dried and pounded, so when you decide to cook it you stir it in water and boil it, it looks like porridge.

Vegetables such as amaranth leaves, hares lettuce etc.

F004: What effects do you experience in your diet when the above food items are missing?

P: We have no any bad effects due to the missing of the above food items.

F004: How does this type of diet affect your tribes?

P: Among the Zigua people we have no any bad effect.

F004: You have mentioned factors for diet changes which include social and tribe interaction such as immigration of barbaigs and Arusha people, availability of varieties of food at the market, provision of education such as secondary and college education, shifting of cows, crop cultivation among the Maasai, etc. You have talked about foods which are considered to be for the poor people such as kungujuu, wild jute leaves, etc. Now what are the major and minor factors for the change in diet?

P: The major factor is crop cultivation.

The first factor is modern education

Education is the first factor.

F004: Let one of you lead you to sort out the rest of the factors, starting with the first and last factor. Let everybody provide her views

P: The first factor is education

The second factor is livestock keeping

The third factor should be crop cultivation.

The third factor is crop cultivation.

F004: Why education has led to great changes in diet?

P: Education has brought many changes in diet as well as general development in all life aspects.

F004: Which kind of development has been brought about by education?

P: Education has brought about good development, for instance in Misima ward, we used to have educated and employed people from other places and not from our own place. Education has also helped children to build modern houses for their parents and do away with traditional Maasai huts.

F004: How has livestock keeping led to these changes?

P: Livestock keeping has helped to change living styles in our community because we sell cows and take children to school.

Education has brought changes because when children go to school, they acquire good habit and have good behaviors and build modern houses for their parents.

Education has also brought changes more especially in changing people's minds towards development, nowadays many people do work and produce and earn some income so as to take children to school.

F004: Let us now discuss the use of milk. How was the importance of milk, at the time when your mothers were at your age?

P: We did not have our own; we depended on other people.

F004: Do we agree that milk is very important for health?

P: Yes, milk is very important for health but nowadays there is scarcity of milk because of aridity.

F004: How is the situation currently for other people?

P: Currently the situation is very bad because there is no milk.

F004: Which months do you get enough milk?

P: We always have enough milk during rainy season, in March, April to May because we always have enough pasture in the grazing fields.

F004: Does milk still have the real importance to our body health like it was in the past years?

P: In the past we used to drink milk as our staple food, we did not use any kind of relish or vegetable, we simply used milk for everything. Milk was used as cooking oil for our meals.

F004: What caused this situation to change?

P: The situation changed because the world is changing, and crop farms are changing, there are a lot of farms.

We Zigua people do not depend on milk for our meals, even if the child stops breast feeding, we cannot feed it with milk or we cannot prepare milk for stiff porridge as sauce.

The importance of milk is still the same, but we Zigua people do not much depend on milk to feed the baby, unless when a baby stops sucking or when a baby is delivered and the mother dies soon after delivery

A baby should be breastfed six months consecutively without giving it goat or cow milk, unless the mother dies before six months after delivery, even if a baby is fed with cow milk in normal circumstances the health condition of that baby will be poorer than a breastfed baby. If you feed a baby with cow milk, you should mix it with some water so as to rescue the baby from diarrhea.

F004: What is the importance of milk to our health in Zigua community?

P: The importance of milk is much realized in restaurants because most people prefer milk tea to black tea.

F004: Let us discuss the use of cow blood. When do you use cow blood?

P: We always drink cow blood if someone falls sick or when someone feels dizzy or when someone has anemia, this helps to stabilize his body.

F004: Do you use cow blood when it still fresh or?

P: We always use fresh cow blood, after tapping it from the cow we mix it with milk and drink it.

We always tap blood from the cow which is about to bear a calf. If a baby is seriously sick we use goat blood.

F004: How much do you give a baby?

P: We give a baby just a small amount of blood.

F004: Do you mix it with milk so as to give a baby or not?

P: You can either mix it with milk or some oil.

F004: How do you prepare the cow blood for the baby?

P: We just give the baby just small amounts of it

F004: How do the Zigua people use cow blood?

P: The Zigua people do not use cow blood.

We do not use cow blood.

F004: Do you think cow blood is very important?

P: Cow blood is very important for the Maasai because it helps our patients to increase blood in the body system.

F004: What is the importance of cow blood nowadays compared to the time when you were still young?

P: Nowadays there is change in using cow blood, people do go to hospital to increase blood in their body in case of anemia.

F004: Why there is little change in the use of cow blood?

P: It is because the world is changing. The older things are being abandoned and people do adopt new things. The main factor for this change is education.

F004: How has change in diet affected our communities or tribes?

P: Changes in diet have affected our communities/tribes because many people have abandoned natural and traditional food stuffs, these changes have created an image which did not exist before.

F004: How have these changes affected the youths in Kibaya village?

P: These changes have affected the youths because most youths tend to have bad habits and behaviors.

Changes in diet have affected the youths because in the past years most youths used to eat foods at homes but nowadays they just eat foods at the food vendors.

F004: How do you choose food to eat?

P: I always choose depending on my personal interests, for instance I may need to eat stiff porridge today and tomorrow I decide to eat rice, etc.

F004: Which foods are most preferred by the youths?

P: They prefer chips, chicken, and

Meat.

Rice, pilau

Potatoes.

F004: How do you choose food to prepare/cook?

P: You can choose food to cook stiff porridge, amaranth leaves and sardines for lunch, rice and beans for dinner and cracked and cooked maize for the whole day.

Every person prepares food according to his choice

F004: What about for the case of men, is it for men of all age groups or not?

P: Men do eat the same food regardless of the age group.

F004: Which drinks are most taken by youths?

P: Youths also eat the same foods and drinks which are prepared by people.

F004: You mentioned that some foods which are preferred by youths include rice, pilau, chips, chicken, meat, etc. WHY DO YOU PREFER THESE FOODS?

P: We prefer such kind of food because of their delicious taste

We consider the food taste

F004: Who is responsible to prepare and cook the above-mentioned food stuffs? Which factors cause someone to prepare certain type of food among the above-mentioned ones? What is the first and last food item?

P: The first food item should be chips

The second food item should be meat

The third be should be potatoes

The fourth one should be milk.

F004: You have mentioned three factors for food preference including food taste, food preparation method and responsibilities as well as food preference/interest?

P: The first factor should be food taste

The first factor should be food taste

F004: How does food taste affect the choice of food among the youths?

P: The food taste enables a youth to choose a type of food because when food tastes delicious, then it will be preferred by most people.

The second factor is food preference

The last factor is food preparation responsibilities

F004: Where do youths get diet education from?

P: We get diet and health education from schools.

Sometimes we get diet and health education from our mothers/grandmothers and sisters in our homes.

At school, we learn how to prepare and cook delicious food.

At homes, we get to be educated and given instructions by our mothers and sisters, they instruct us how to prepare food or relish from the first step to the last step.

Even our brothers do teach us and instruct us how to prepare and cook food, although this is not done in most cases. They normally do it when our sisters and mothers are absent.

F004: How do you compare the position of school and homes in providing diet education

P: The position of school is less important than homes, because at schools we always happen to get chances to prepare food during different events such as standard seven national examination sessions or graduation, homes have a big chance because most of us spend much time at homes, so we get to learn many things from our elders about diet and good health.

F004: What is the importance of diet and good health education to women?

P: A woman has to know how to prepare and cook food because if you do not know how to cook food, then the family will not consider you as a real woman.

F004: What should be done so as to improve provision of diet education at schools? Do you mean that the youths who go to school and graduate, they do not know how to cook food?

P: They know how to cook.

The school children do know how to cook food because they get extra knowledge about diet and health.

F004: Can diet and health education help to improve food varieties at homes?

P: Yes, it can help to improve food preparation.

F004: How should diet and health education be provided to youths?

P: There should be seminars and regular provision of diet education to youths.

There should be a committee for cookery; this will help the Kibaya village girls to get enough education about diet and health issues.

F004: How should the committee work?

P: The committee for cookery should provide education to youths.

F004: Who should form the committee?

P: In villages and sub villages, the chairperson becomes responsible to form a committee because he/she knows the people very well. The number of sub villages and youths should be taken into consideration.

F004: How many members should form the committee?

P: It depends on the decision of the sub village chairperson.

F004: What should the committee teach about?

P: The committee should teach about cookery issues.

F004: How many times should the committee meet?

P: It will depend on their demands and needs.

F004: Thank you very much for your time. Do you have any other additional opinions? Thanks for your participation.

P: Thanks.

F004: We had a discussion with female youths from Maasai and Zigua tribes.