FGD_KIBAYA_ELDERWOMEN_MAASAI_27Sep 2017
Interviewer(s): F002
Interviewee(s): P

F002: Good afternoon women

P: We are fine thanks

F002: I am here with Mbaba Malaki, we are from Sokoine University of agriculture which is located in Morogoro, and we are also working with international organisation IRI which deals with milk. I hope you heard about Maziwa Zaidi (More Milk) who came here in the sometimes ago. This is our second time coming to this place the aim is to study more the food changes in this community. In previous we have some issues you explained which were not clearer to us, so we are here to discuss again. We record this conversation; the discussion is not mandatory you can decide to stop any time but we want you all to talk because we want to learn. (Consent process going on, Maasai language speaking........Aziz)

Are we all consenting now to participate?

P: Yes-all

F002: When we come here in February we heard that there were foods you used to eat in the past but not consumed now, also there were some food which were not eaten in the past but are consumed now example some Masaai are eating fish now days, also some are eating chicken but in the past they were not eating. Also cooking is not the same as in the past Where in the previous we used to boil and also grill and then mix with local herbs and then eat, how we cook now

P: Now days when we cook meat we mix with tomatoes, Irish potatoes, onions and cooking oil

F002: We have seen this is not as how people used to prepare food in the past, so what caused these changes?

P: speaking in Maasai

F002: Do you understand what he said, mhh do you eat vegetable, cowpea, beans. Why you are not eating only milk and meat? Why you changed?

P: Is because when you visit your sister somewhere you could see how she cooks

F002: Where

P: Is our neighbour Masai

F002: Where did they learn cooking

P: From other people

F002: What else?

P: I n the past there were no development the Maasai were depending on the sour milk but now there are so many developments

F002: What kind of that development? Another one who could explain?

P: T ranslator-She said that they used to eat meat and animal fat, but after coming of religion they started to be told that what they were not eating is not right and they should change. They were told that the kind of food that they were eating were not good in health wise, religion changed them.

F002: What else?

P: We used to eat grilled meat, boiled meat, sour milk and fresh milk but now development made us to change some are farming now, others eating chicken, sardine. The interaction made us to change, for the case of milk we take them as sauce with stiff porridge

F002: Another thing? There is a lot of food now days. Mbaba can you help us to ask to our grandmother here that what kind of food they were told is not good in the religion?

P: The told us not to eat blood because it is not good to eat something which is still live

F002: mhh

P: Also, if we want to slaughter we find the Muslims who help us in that process. We are not allowed to eat the dead animals, we are now Anglican.

F002: Grandmother told us you are now farming, you have chicken. This also contributes what else?

P: W eat Loshoro with stiff porridge

F002: Why are you eating stiff porridge with LOSHORO?

P: We can’t stop that

F002: You eat stiff porridge, sardine, and fish

P: Some eat

F002: Did the children who are now going to school contributed to this change?

P: They cook nice food, when you ask them how you cook that food, the would tell you that is the change

F002: What about availability of firewood and charcoal, did this contribute in anyway?

P: Most of the changes come due to interaction with other people, when people go to other places

F002: mhhh

P: Speaking In Maasai language......

F002: What you were talking in Masai

P: I learn to make stiff porridge from Zigua I know now that if you will increase the floor from the porridge it will turn to stiff porridge

F002: You told me so many things about religion, development. But I would like to know if the price of food contributed to that change?

P: Yes

F002: Why are you not slaughtering cow frequently as in the past?

P: The aridity, cattle are not as many as in the past

F002: What else, do we do the work that we used to do before?

P: We cultivate farms, but it deferent in the past we used the plough but currently we are using tractors, this helped to complete farming early

F002: how this contribute to food

P: This made food to be available more than in the past

F002: What is other work you were not doing but you are now doing?

P: We were not going to the market before our work were only on keeping the cattle, milking and boil the milk. But now we go to the market find what to cook, the development is coming gradually, we don’t use the hand for grinding the maize, we use machine

F002: mhh

P: In the past the men were the one going to sell the cow and then buy product needed at home but now we go to the market to pay food, the husband gives the money

F002: Are the foods bought by the husband the same to what you are buying now?

P: Not the same, we buy good food, vegetable. They used to buy only one like potatoes, but they forget others like salt, onion

F002: So women are now going to the market did this contributed to change in any way?

P: She is saying that the food that is bought by women is much better compared to men

F002: You have mentioned about 8 reasons, and now want to know which contributed much and which one is the least?

P: Talking in Maasai

F002: We have religion, interaction, development that you have chicken and farming, we have school issue, aridity and summer periods, and also the change of roles that women are now going to the market. What contributed most?

P: Talking in Maasai

F002: What is the first one

P: The religion is the first

F002: mhh

P: The scarcity of rainfall, we sell like chicken and go to buy meat and other food in the shops, in the past we were eating milk and meat only there were no aridity the cows were fat and healthier

F002: What is the first between rain scarcity and religion?

P: The first one is rain scarcity; the religion is number two

F002: What else? Number three?

P: The third one is religion because their children went to school and they have changed their knowledge they know how to read, they know how to roast sardine and the smell is good

F002: Number four?

P: mhhh

F002: What is least contributed to this change?

P: That women are now allowed to go to the market and we buy what we want the food and clothes

F002: What about food availability, farming and interaction?

P: Farming because you plant maize, beans and in the evening, you go to check your cattle

F002: Did the yield sold or for food

P: Some sold some retained for food

F002: What is the next between interaction and availability?

P: Is the interaction with others with sisters

F002: Translator-translating in Maasai language

P: 

F002: Okay now we have completed about food change lets now talk about milk, why is it important to you?

P: It is because we found this since we were born, also it is important because it makes the body to be strong and healthy, if children take the milk becomes healthier and fat those who are not taking milk becomes thin

F002: What else?

P: We get animal fat in the milk, they help us heal diseases like diarrheal, it is the food that build the body health and it contribute to have blood

F002: When you compare the past and in the current time what can you say about importance of the milk?

P: When we don’t have milk we suffer a lot, we don’t depends only on vegetables and meat

F002: Is still the importance the same compared to the past?

P: Yes, is the same

F002: Why are now milk are not available?

P: The cows are dying because of diseases and they don’t have food because of aridity

F002: Apart from aridity what else contributed to that?

P: Water scarcity because there are no well and dame

F002: What are these diseases

P: They call it East Coast fever it is not easily cured compared to the past time. Also there are diseases affecting the ribs, bile, and others caused by tsetse fly. These makes the cow sick and its urine become very yellow and sometimes you can see the blood

F002: Translator-asking in Maasai language

P: She is saying that they are selling the cow so those children who are going to school can get their needs like buying uniforms

F002: Do these boys/girls still engage in keeping animal after school, did this contribute to milk availability?

P: Most of the student after completing secondary school they don’t want to engage in keeping animal, so these contributed to reduce work power

F002: Why they don’t want that?

P: They are educated, and some want to go to town find some work and have the money

F002: What about the conflict did it contributed to milk scarcity?

P: It is because of the land shortage they don’t have milk as the grass is scarce

F002: another one?

P: The cow now days graze in the filed which is already harvested that is why they don’t have more milk

F002: what about the test is still the test is the same or?

P: In the past the milk was heavy, with animal fat but now days the milk are not heavy like before, they are still using milk

F002: What contributed to milk scarcity? There are so many reasons you mentioned including aridity, diseases, hungry, school issues to your children, selling cows, the conflicts, and shortage of land, also buying stalk for cow. What are the most contributors?

P: Land shortage first, the second is disease, the third one is aridity

F002: What else?

P: Water scarcity,

F002: Miss P.

P: fifth is the school to children and six is the conflict

F002: I that correct?

P: Yes

F002: Now we heard that, the masaai were eating blood, do you still eat blood?

P: Some still eat some stopped. Those who are eating are mixing them with tea, or sometimes boiled

F002: What is its advantage?

P: It helps to increase the water in the body to those women who gave birth

F002: Is still consumed frequently?

P: Not like before. If someone do not have enough blood can use the grapes, it is not used frequently. Also, because of diseases

F002: In ceremonies what are now days you are eating

P: We eat rice, banana and meat, and LOSHORO

F002: What you used to eat if a person dies in the past time?

P: We only used to eat meat

Nowdays we eat soda, clean water, meat, rice

F002: Why is this change now?

P: It is because there are so many people the milk and meat would not be enough

The boiled meat is not good like the grilled one when you mix with rice it sustains all people

Now days we used to slaughter cow in the ceremonies because milk is not enough, now people have changed they don’t depend much on milk

F002: What about others

Okay. I head among Zigua the head and the neck when the cow is slaughtered it goes to uncles in burial ceremony. What about the Masai

P: It depends with age group, for instance the elders are given the soft meat like leaver

F002: mhh

P: The one who slaughtered the cow is given the head, it is not allowed to others

F002: What about women

P: We are given the intestines and the tail, others are not allowed to use that like youth. If they will violet that their parents would be dying, and other catastrophes will be happening to those youth violated. This applies even to women not to eat men’s meat

F002: The last section: I would like to know how people of your age can learn on nutrition, where are they learning?

P: Is through the children who are going to school and also themselves

F002: mhh

P: We learn that, if you don’t have cow meat you can cook the chicken to replace

F002: I this education/information important to your community?

P: Translator-They also get this education from church

F002: What can we do this education to be important to you?

P: Is good for women because women knows that they are the one who cook

F002: Who would teach that education?

P: It is good, the seminars should be provided, also in school this education should be provided, this education is very important it help a lot

F002: Do you have any other question?

P: We need you to come and teach this education

F002: We would arrange after all these, but it could not be us might be other people.