Interviewer(s): I004
Interviewee(s): P477, P478

I004: How are you Father?

P477: I am fine and you.

I004: I am good and how are you Mother?

P477: I am also fine.

I004: You told me earlier that you are 69 years old, so I would like to know what was happening during the time you were born

P477: I was born when we were colonized by the Europeans.

I004: Ohh, okay and which village were you born from?

P477: Msasa.

I004: Which district?

P477: Handeni.

I004: And it is in which ward?

P477: I did know by then I was young

I004: Mother I would like to know the structure of your family like were you living with your father, mother and you children in one household or it was father, mother, children and other relatives in one household or how was it?

P477: I was our parents me and my other siblings and also our grandmothers

I004: How many grandmothers were you living with?

P477: Only one.

I004: From which side?

P477: From my father’s side.

I004: Okay, so it was father, mother, grandmother and you children living in one household like this?

P477: Yes.

I004: And what were the main activities your parents were involved in?

P477: It was farming.

I004: Were there goats, chicken?

P477: We had chicken only.

I004: What were the roles and responsibilities of men by that time?

P477: It was farming for all of them, meaning my father, mother and my grandmother.

I004: Apart from farming what was his other duties and responsibilities?

P477: He was working as a casual labourer.

I004: And what about his responsibilities at home?

P477: It was just farming and when he gets home he will eat and rest.

I004: And what about the responsibilities of women, I mean your mother and your grandmother at home?

P477: When they come back from the farm they were doing household chores like sweeping the ground, washing dishes, cooking and fetching fire wood.

I004: And what about girl child responsibilities at home?

P477: We were just there doing nothing because we were young so my mother used to cook for us.

I004: Did you and your siblings go to school?

P477: Yes my siblings got the opportunity to get education.

I004: Mother how many were you?

P477: We are four.

I004: So three of them were educated?

P477: Yes.

I004: Up to which level?

P477: Both of them reached class seven.

I004: Mother I would like to know how you were feeding when you were young?

P477: We were eating very well, we used to drink milk.

I004: So what kind of food were you eating?

P477: We were eating rice, ugali, milk.

I004: And the food you were eating most?

P477: Ugali.

I004: Ugali and what?

P477: Hombo, beans,

I004: And what about your milk intake?

P477: We used to drink at least a cup.

I004: Is it every day?

P477: Ohh yes it is every day.

I004: And what about the food you were eating rarely?

P477: It is just ugali and porridge.

I004: Father, I would like to know when you were young living with your parents what kind of food you were eating most?

P478: It was just maize meal and wild vegetables.

I004: Which type of wild vegetables are those?

P478: Hare lettuce, Sodom apples, mabwando, night shade and we used oyster nuts, pumpkin seeds and also cucumber seeds and Kungujuu as oil. Our mother’s used to soak maize and grind using a stone.

I004: And what about the food you were eating rarely?

P478: May be pork because we do not eat at all, otherwise we eat everything.

I004: I mean the food you did not eat most of the time?

P478: May be rice we ate rarely, because we used to eat ugali three times a day every day.

I004: And what about the special food prepared for a group of people like children or women?

P478: Babies were taking porridge, and for women them they were eating ugali crust and also ugali which stick on the wood spoon hahahaaaaa.

I004: What about sick people?

P478: Porridge and soft ugali.

I004: What about pregnant women what kind of food were they eating?

P477: Soft rice and bananas.

I004: And where did you source your food?

P478: We used to farm and when the food got finished we were buying from the shops.

I004: Which type of food were you growing?

P478: Maize and sorghum.

I004: And the food you were buying from the shops?

P478: Maize, rice, maize flour.

I004: What about food you got from the wild?

P477: Hare lettuce, kungujuu, nightshades, kungwija, and Sodom apples.

I004: Mother, where were you sourcing food when you were young living with your parents?

P477: My father used to buy food from the shops,

I004: And which type of food were you buying from the shops?

P477: Maize flour, rice and beans.

I004: Father I would like to know who was making food decision in your family?

P478: It was my father.

I004: And who was making decision on the type of food to be prepared at home?

P478: My father was responsible to provide food for our family and my mother used to tell my father when the food got finished so that he can buy so every decision was from my father.

I004: You told me earlier that your parents were farmers so I would like to know what amount of food were you selling and consuming?

P478: Is it nowadays or in the past?

I004: In the past.

P478: Our fathers used to farm only half an acre and whatever they have harvested they sell half and keep half for consumption.

I004: And how were they using the money received from sale of food and who had the final decision on to spend the money.

P477: My father was a decision maker, he used to direct my mother on how the money will be spent like this amount of money is for food or clothes.

I004: And who was involved in the decision making process?

P477: My Mother because she is the one who knows the needs of the house.

I004: Mother what about you, who used to make decisions on the type of food to be bought?

P477: It was my mother, but she used to tell my father that we do not have this and that so my father will give her money to buy food.

I004: And who used to budget in your household?

P477: My father was a decision maker.

I004: What about you children were you involved in any way?

P477: No we were not involved.

I004: Father when you were growing up how did you know this child has grown up or what were the indication like or what did you see and came up with the conclusion that this is no longer a boy or girl he is a full grown man?

P478: We say a boy has grown into adulthood when he reaches puberty.

I004: So how did you know that you had reached puberty?

P478: You will know because you will see the body changes and there are some things you will be able to do.

I004: So what happened after realizing that you are a grown up person? Was there any celebration?

P478: Yes there were ceremony to symbolize that as well as when a boy is circumcised.

I004: At what age were boys circumcised?

P478: When they were seven years.

I004: So a boy of seven years you call them a grown up person?

P478: No it is not like that after circumcision he stays for another seven years until he is sexually matured and that is when he reaches puberty so from there he can also marry.

I004: Okay, and what about a female child? ##P478# #	When she reaches a certain age I think 15 years and her breast start to develop and also other things women knows.

Your wife told me she came to Kibaya village like 30 years ago what about you?

P478: I think it is the same time or even more.

I004: So who else are you living with in your household for now?

P478: My wife, my father, children and grandchildren.

I004: Are you living with your mother in law or uncles aunties?

P478: No the one you asked me earlier are the ones I am living with.

I004: Father I would like to know what activities your family is doing to earn a living?

P478: We are farmers.

I004: Is your family structure different to your parent’s family structure?

P478: In the past I used to depend on my parents but nowadays I am the one who is providing for the family.

I004: So how is it different? Because you told me earlier your parents used to farm and also rear animals and it is the same to you so my question is there difference in the way life was before and now?

P478: Yes there is difference because like this year our cows and goats died because of drought and I got sick so a lot of things happened.

I004: Why nowadays there are a lot of changes cows are dying why all this is happening now?

P478: In the past we used to have doctors around the village and they were providing us with medicine for both human beings and animals.

I004: How have these changes affecting you and your family?

P478: We are affected because you do not have money to buy medicine and sometimes back we used to sell our cows or goat and buy medicine but nowadays we cannot do that because we do not even have goat to sell so our family and myself are affected.

I004: What are the duties and responsibilities of men and women in your household starting with men?

P477: It is mainly farming.

I004: Which season is this?

P478: It is short rain season, so now people are planting maize and cowpeas.

I004: Apart from farming what else men in your household do?

P478: We are not doing anything else apart from farming

I004: And what about women what are their main duties?

P478: They cook for the family, fetching water, fetching firewood and washing dishes.

I004: In the past when you were living with your parents what were the duties and responsibilities of men?

P478: My father was a farmer.

I004: Apart from farming what else was he doing?

P478: He was buying and selling cattle’s.

I004: Father, you told me that your father was a farmer and a cattle vendor and your main activities is farming and you also rear livestock so why do you think there is a lifestyle changes?

P478: Nowadays life has become difficult our current government has made things difficult so if you try farming you cannot sell your produce because people do not have money so life has been very difficult for us because our livestock have died due to drought.

I004: So how has these changes affected you?

P478: Yes we have been affected because we do have money and you know money is everything.

I004: What are the responsibilities of male child in your household?

P478: Their responsibilities is to work and earn a living but it is difficult to do that nowadays because our government has made life very difficult for us so I have to assist my children.

I004: And how were your responsibilities when you were living with your parents?

P478: I used to depend on my father because I did not have children but now I have children so I have more responsibilities.

I004: I mean what were your duties as a male child at home, example Maasai male child were involved in grazing the livestock so what about you?

P478: Okay, we were farming and that is our main duty and if you have cattle’s then a male child is supposed to graze them.

I004: What were the duties of a female child?

P478: Cooking and fetching wild vegetables like hare lettuce, basically they were helping their mothers in whatever they were doing.

I004: And what about nowadays what the duties of a female child?

P478: Fetching water, fetching firewood, going to the milling machine to grind maize, cooking food for the family, and also farming.

I004: When we were here early this year we were told that people have changed their eating lifestyle the no longer eating the traditional food nowadays they are eating fish, chicken, chips, eggs especially Masaai’s I do not know if you Zigua have changed you eating lifestyle and also your method of cooking have also changed nowadays you fry food unlike before you were boiling food?

P478: We are eating the same ugali and wild vegetables as we used to eat in the past.

I004: Are the men eating lifestyle changed?

P478: Yes our eating lifestyle has changed nowadays we are using cooking oil which we do not know how it is made off, sugar, sodas they are affecting our stomach.

I004: How is this cooking oil affecting you?

P478: It is affecting our stomach; our stomach is used to our traditional cooking oil such as coconut oil

I004: What about women eating lifestyle do you think it has changed?

P478: Yes, Women are the ones preparing these foods we are eating and nowadays they must put oil in the vegetables, meat and beans, and the kind of cooking oil they are using is affecting our stomach.

I004: What do you think has changed the eating lifestyle?

P478: Because nowadays people have developed and they do not want to plant pumpkin, oyster nut and cucumber they want sophisticated things and that is why we are affected.

I004: When you say people have developed what do you mean?

P478: I mean people who used the local oil like oyster nuts have died.

I004: Do you think price of food has changed your eating lifestyle if you were to compare in the past and nowadays? For example are oyster nuts available in the market and what the price is?

P478: Oyster nuts are not available in the market nowadays and that is why we are now buying cooking oil.

I004: And what about interaction with other tribes?

P478: Yes in the past we used to eat ugali with wild vegetables but now we are eating rice, ugali with different king of meat, bananas.

I004: What are the reasons for these changes?

P478: Because people have developed.

I004: What about the perception that certain foods are associated with poverty

P478: When you eat ugali with meat you will be happy so chances of you getting diseases are minimal unlike people who eat ugali with wild vegetables.

I004: Okay you told me of five reasons that contributed to the change in the eating lifestyle one is availability of food, people have developed so they stop eating local food, another reason is people who used oyster nut have died and it is like they have died with their oyster nuts because it is no longer available in the markets, another reason is people nowadays are enlightened and lastly people associate certain food with poverty so which is the first reasons that made changes in the eating lifestyle?

P478: The first reason is the availability of food,

I004: What is the second reason?

P478: People have developed; they do not want to eat the local food they use the new technology.

I004: And what is the third reason?

P478: They are afraid to eat food that is associated with poverty,

I004: Father, what are the effects of these changes to you?

P478: My problem is with cooking oil when I eat I get sick so I avoid them completely.

I004: And what about other family members in your household?

P478: They are not affected by these new changes.

I004: And what about your fellow Zigua are they affected by these changes?

P478: You know nowadays we have these new cooking oils and most of the people are using them because we do not have options.

I004: Is it affecting them?

P478: I do not think it is affecting them because they are not complaining it is only me in my family who if affected.

I004: Father, I would like us to talk about milk, do you think milk is important to you and your family?

P478: Yes, milk is very important.

I004: Why is it important?

P478: Because it helps increase your blood level, when you are sick you need milk, infants need milk especial when a mother is not able to breastfeed,

I004: And what about your family is milk important?

P478: Ohh yes it is very important.

I004: Can you tell me how milk is important to your family?

P478: You can drink milk and also use fermented milk as relish you can give to a sick person.

I004: And what about using milk as source of income or you are not selling milk?

P478: No, we are not selling milk because we only have one cow so it is not enough for our consumption and selling.

I004: Is milk important in according to your traditions?

P478: Ohh yes.

I004: How?

P478: Because milk gives you energy and also it increases your blood levels.

I004: Is milk important in the preparation of food?

P478: Milk is important to your body when you boil and drink but not otherwise

I004: Father, do you think milk is very important or just important?

P478: Milk is very important to our body.

I004: When was milk important if you were to compare now and when you were young?

P478: Milk has always been important regardless when your age. In the past my father used to have 150 cows so milk was in plenty but nowadays we do not get enough milk because our cows have died so we have remained with only 2 cows.

I004: Why cattle are dying?

P478: Because there is no medicine like in the past and our doctors are also not reliable.

I004: Why cattle’s are not many nowadays?

P478: I told you cattle’s are dying because there is no medicine to treat our cows whenever they are sick.

I004: What is the other reason?

P478: Drought, and also people are farming nowadays so there are fewer places for grazing.

I004: What about land conflicts do you thing is the reason for shortage of milk?

P478: No, conflict is not affecting us.

I004: What about lifestyle changes, meaning people now are farming or doing business instead of rearing animals don’t you think it has contributed to the shortage of milk?

P478: It is true that nowadays people are more into farming other than livestock rearing even our presidents and doctors are farming.

I004: Father you told me the reasons that contribute to the unavailability of milk is medicine, then drought also nowadays people depend on farming more that livestock rearing so which is the major reason for this change?

P478: The major reason is unavailability of medicine for our livestock

I004: What is the second reason for unavailability of milk?

P478: Drought, like this year we were affected by drought.

I004: Father I would like us to talk about the purchase of food, who normally buy food in your family?

P478: Okay, we have milk so we only buy vegetables, beans, cowpeas, meat

I004: And who is making decision on food expenditure?

P478: It is my wife because she knows what we have and what we do not have.

I004: And who facilitates her?

P478: Me.

I004: When you were growing up who used to go and buy food in the market?

P478: It was my father.

I004: And nowadays who is going to buy food in the market?

P478: Me, but sometimes I send my son to the market.

I004: And who is doing food budget?

P478: Me.

I004: The distance from your place to the market and the distance from your parents place to the market which one is far?

P478: My parents to the market.

I004: Father, is there food that was available in the past but it is no longer available nowadays?

P478: Yes,

I004: Like which one?

P478: Oyster nuts, millet, pumpkin, and cucumber.

I004: Mother, which kind of food do you prepare most in your household?

P477: African eggplant, cowpeas, potatoes, beans, green grams.

I004: So you are eating with what?

P477: Ugali and also rice.

I004: What makes or influence you to cook the food you cook?

P477: I cook beans, cowpeas, potatoes, African eggplant in alternative days because they do not want to eat vegetables.

I004: So who does not want to eat vegetable?

P477: Your grandfather (The husband).

I004: Apart from the choices and preferences what else influence you to cook what you cook?

P477: It is only him who influences me to cook what I cook because if you do not cook what he wants then he will not eat.

I004: And what about the availability of food?

P477: Because he is saying his stomach is paining when he eats a certain food so we normally cook what he wants.

I004: What about availability of firewood?

P477: Yes, if I do not have enough firewood I cook rice because we source firewood very far from here.

I004: You told me the reasons why you cook the food you cook in choices and preferences of the members of your family and also availability of food and also firewood so which among the three is the major reason?

P477: Choices and preferences of my family members

I004: Mother, when you were young did you ever experience shortage of food in your family?

P477: No, we were eating, food was there in plenty.

I004: What about nowadays have you ever experience food shortage?

P477: Yes, we experienced food shortage.

I004: When was it?

P477: Recently.

I004: Which month?

P477: May.

I004: And what was the reason?

P477: Because people did not harvest maize because of drought.

I004: For how long did it last?

P477: Like two months.

I004: And how did your family overcame the situation?

P477: We bought food.

I004: Where did you get money to buy food?

P477: My children used to do casual work.

I004: What about selling of livestock so that you can get money to buy food?

P477: We sold them but they were few.

I004: How many times were you eating per day during the hunger period?

P477: We were eating twice per day, in the morning we used to drink porridge and eat ugali at around 12 noon.

I004: So you were eating twice per day?

P477: Yes.

I004: And how was your portions like, did you eat small portion or?

P477: We were eating small portions.

I004: And who was mostly affected by hunger?

P477: That boy was affected most because he was sick.

I004: Father, I would like to know where do you learn or get information about nutrition and health lifestyle.

P478: Here at home and also people from the Misima community office and also health officers normally come and teach us about health, sanitation and hygiene, and also nutrition.

I004: Do you think nutrition and health education is important to you?

P478: About food and nutrition we have the knowledge but health issues we learn from health officer.

I004: So how and where did you learn about food and nutrition?

P478: We learnt from our fore fathers.

I004: So you want to tell me you have not received food and nutrition education in your household and also the entire Misima Village?

P478: No we have not heard about that.

I004: Do you think this education will help you?

P478: Yes it will help us because we get food, and also we will be healthy.

I004: How do you want us to bring food, nutrition and health education to you?

P478: You know how best you can bring this education to us.

I004: And what is your suggestion?

P478: I think through our groups.

I004: What about through schools, maybe we teach your children so that they can teach you?

P478: It is okay but I do not have a child who is going to school so it will be difficult for me to get information.

I004: And what about churches and mosques?

P478: Yes, we will get information.

I004: What about health centres, do you think you will get information

P478: Mmmm, I do not think it will reach us.

I004: And what about through radios and televisions?

P478: We will hear them but will not eat.

I004: And who do you think is the right person to disseminate the information?

P478: May be sheikh.

I004: Thank you very much we have come to the end of our interview.