Interviewer(s): I003
Interviewee(s): P455

I003: Mother you told me your 54 years old, and you are Maasai by tribe and you were born and raised in this village and you have eight children and you involve yourself in farming and animal rearing.

P455: Yes.

I003: Before you got married to Mr L., which type of homestead did you live in were there more than one household where for example you would go to uncles, aunties or grandmother’s house to eat food or it was just an independent household?

P455: We were living in a big homestead because my father had five wives.

I003: Okay, so you were able to eat in more than one house?

P455: Yes, you can eat to your mother’s house then you go to your step mother to eat like that.

I003: What were the duties and responsibilities of women, girls and boys starting with girls?

P455: Girls were not allocated any work they were just there only that we were going to graze the cattle when (layon) boys are sick.

I003: What about cooking?

P455: My mother is the one cooking until we were big girls we were helping my mother to cook.

I003: What about washing clothes.

P455: We were washing our clothes and also washing dishes as we as guard and milking cows.

I003: What about boys what were their main duties and responsibilities?

P455: Their main work was to graze animals.

I003: What were your mother main duties and responsibilities?

P455: Her responsibilities were cooking, fetching water, washing dishes, fetching firewood, milking cows, all the house hold chores and they were many.

I003: What about your father?

P455: My father did not have so much to do especially when his male children were big he was guiding/training them on how to take good care of the cows, to treat his livestock whenever they are sick, in short he was responsible for his family.

I003: And what did you used to eat those days.

P455: Milk, blood and ugali but rarely.

I003: What about the food which is infrequently eaten?

P455: Kande (mixture of cracked/dehulled maize and beans), Makuku (boiled maize so you can boil maize and beans but if you do not have beans you just boil maize only.

I003: Was there any special food that was eaten by men and not women in your community?

P455: No. We eat the same food.

I003: So you eat together.

P455: No, you serve male children together with the father and female children eat with their mother.

I003: You told me you were eating ugali, so were you farmer?

P455: No, were not farmers we used to buy maize.

I003: So who used to go to the market to buy food?

P455: My father.

I003: And when you were young do you remember who used to make decision on food matters for example the food got finished she was discussing with the father and you children or you were not involved?

P455: My mother and my father used to discuss they were not involving us.

I003: In your community when you say a child has grown up to become an adult man or adult woman how do you know or what do you look at in order to acknowledge that he/she is now a grown-up man/ woman?

P455: A female child or a male child?

I003: Let us start with a male child?

P455: For a male I do not know.

I003: What about a female child?

P455: She will become big.

I003: You mean she becomes tall and fat or what is it that you are looking?

P455: She becomes fat.

I003: What about the one who is naturally thin?

P455: Even if she is thin but when she has grown up she will change.

I003: And what else are you looking for?

P455: She will start her menstruation period.

I003: Okay then after you have realised that she is now a grown up person then what else are you doing for her? Will she be dance for or?

P455: Yes, She will be danced for, that was our initiation ceremony.

I003: So from there?

P455: From there she can get married you know those days we were not going to school so it was after you were danced for you get married.

I003: So how old will she be when she is danced for?

P455: About15 -17 years.

I003: What about is she is going to school?

P455: She will be danced for?

I003: Even if she has not finished school?

P455: Eeeeh, she will be danced for.

I003: For how many days will the ceremony last?

P455: Two days.

I003: What is it that they are doing on that initiation ceremony?

P455: Nothing it is a ceremony like any other.

I003: There is nothing like may be grandmothers or aunties talking to her advising her on some issues?

P455: No, us Maasai we do not do that. For us is you slaughter a cow prepare a lot of food for people to eat.

I003: Are men danced for?

P455: Yes they are.

I003: What kind of a ceremony is that?

P455: It is called initiation ceremony.

I003: What are you doing so as to earn a living?

P455: We do not have any other work apart from livestock rearing.

I003: You said you also farm isn’t it?

P455: Yes but it is something small.

I003: Did you harvest last year?

P455: Yes,

I003: How many bags did you harvest?

P455: Two bags.

I003: It is only maize you are planted?

P455: Eeeeh.

I003: You told me you have big children?

P455: Yes.

I003: What are their duties and responsibilities of your male and female children?

P455: First born responsibility is take cattle for grazing and the second born is in school so he does not work.

I003: Okay, Is there anyone in your family who attended school?

P455: Yes, Four of my siblings attended school but up to class seven and some of them did not finish class seven.

I003: And all of your children are going to school?

P455: The big ones attended school up to class seven but they did not continue to secondary school because they did not pass their national examination.

I003: And the rest?

P455: This two are going to school and the rest are small they have not yet started school.

I003: Do you have a big girl child?

P455: Yes, she is married, but at the moment she is here?

I003: Why is she here?

P455: Because she is not in good terms with her husband.

I003: Is she the one I saw when I was here last?

P455: Yes, she is the one.

I003: Is there any food that was eaten in the past but you are not eaten nowadays and the food that you are eating nowadays and you were not eating in the past and also there are methods of cooking food you used in the past but you are not using nowadays, is it true that there are changes so far?

P455: Yes. In the past we used to eat vegetables from the wild like wild jute mallow, not like now we prepare a stew made of potatoes and onions,

I003: Also nowadays you are able to buy vegetables.

P455: Yes nowadays we buy maize flour, beans and you fry them nicely.

I003: Which type of food did you prepare in a certain way but nowadays you have changed the method of preparation?

P455: Like vegetables.

I003: Mmmh, tell me.

P455: In the past we used to pick them from the wild wash them then we boil and then we add milk,

I003: And nowadays how do you prepare them?

P455: You fry them with onions and tomatoes.

I003: So you have changed the method of cooking?

P455: Yes,

I003: So what do you think of all these changes like nowadays there is chips enriched with eggs first of all have you ever eaten Chips?

P455: Yes.

I003: And chicken?

P455: Yes.

I003: What about fish?

P455: No I do not like fish.

I003: What do you think is the cause of all these changes because in the past you used to eat meat, milk and ugali but nowadays you are eating different kind of food so what do you think is the cause of these change is it that there is no milk like in the past or what is it?

P455: Milk is there it is just that nowadays there are varieties of food.

I003: So it is because the food is available that is why you are eating them?

P455: OH yes.

I003: Or is it that nowadays people have money or?

P455: Hahahahaaa may be men have money and they do not tell us because as women we do not have.

I003: Apart for Maasai which other tribe is here?

P455: There are Gogo.

I003: Okay, it is not that you imitate Gogo food preparation.

P455: I do not think so because Gogo eat almost like us.

I003: So it is not because of interaction with other tribes?

P455: No, May be because we are somehow educated.

I003: What else?

P455: Nothing more.

I003: So nowadays you are eating rice, eggs, pilau?

P455: Yes we are eating everything even my husband eat everything.

I003: So do you think these changes are good or bad?

P455: They are good because they eat what they like

I003: Don’t you think Maasai are changing to something else?

P455: No they won’t change.

I003: Do you think they will be able to graze their animals like in the past?

P455: No it is not true.

I003: Mother, is milk important to you?

P455: Yes, milk is very important.

I003: Why is it important?

P455: Sometimes we use milk as relish to eat with Ugali because we do not have vegetables.

I003: When was milk important to you between when you were young and now?

P455: All the time milk is very important.

I003: So it’s importance is only when you eat with ugali?

P455: Yes, maybe I do not know any other importance.

I003: What about health?

P455: Yes, even health and that is why when it is dry season our children are losing weight because they do not get enough milk.

I003: What is the reason as to why milk in not available and the price has increased?

P455: It is because there is no pasture for our cows to feed on.

I003: Why is it that there is no pasture?

P455: It is because of drought.

I003: What else?

P455: Too much cow diseases.

I003: Mhhh what else?

P455: Nothing more.

I003: Do you have land conflict here?

P455: Yes.

I003: Don’t you think it contributed to the shortage of milk production.

P455: Mhhh I don’t think so.

I003: So between Drought and diseases which one do you think contribute more to the changes of milk production?

P455: Drought.

I003: Who normally goes to buy food?

P455: My husband.

I003: Why him and not you?

P455: I do not know.

I003: So why do you send him to buy food?

P455: No, I am not the one who send him to buy food, what happens is when he is going to the auction to sell cows and if I do not have food I will tell him that I do not have this and that food then after selling the cows he will bring food home.

I003: And who makes decision that you husband is the one going to buy food for family?

P455: We all decide.

I003: Including the children?

P455: No, It is me and my husband.

I003: Where do you get things like vegetables?

P455: Along the road.

I003: You mean that road which has tarmac?

P455: Yes and there are other people who walk around selling vegetables.

I003: So that is how you get your vegetables?

P455: Yes.

I003: When you were young were there people who walk around selling vegetables?

P455: No.

I003: Which type of food do you normally cook here at home?

P455: It is ugali.

I003: What makes you cook the type of food you cook?

P455: Appetite only, I may decide to cook Kande today, rice tomorrow.

I003: So it is whose appetite is it your alone or even children?

P455: Even my children they will tell me mum we want rice then I will cook for them.

I003: What about your husband?

P455: No, not him.

I003: Do you think drought contributed to the change of food?

P455: I do not know.

I003: What about Money don’t you think it has contributed?

P455: Yes, because if you do not have money you will prepare the food you have or food you can afford.

I003: You told me three main things first one is appetite then you cook what your children wants, and then (money) you cook what you can afford, so between the three reasons which one influence most your decision to cook what you cook?

P455: Money.

I003: When you were young living with your parents did you ever experience food shortage or hunger?

P455: Yes.

I003: What was the cause?

P455: We did not have money to buy food.

I003: So you slept hungry?

P455: Yes.

I003: So what did you do to overcome that situation?

P455: It happens even nowadays.

I003: Was there a time that you experienced severe hunger?

P455: Yes, last year was bad because of severe drought.

I003: Have you ever experience severe drought like the one of last year?

P455: Yes, sometimes back I do not remember when exactly but it was very dry

I003: It was after you got married?

P455: Yes I was breastfeeding my fourth born child.

I003: So it was long time ago?

P455: Yes, even last year was very bad.

I003: But when I came it was rainy season.

P455: Ohh yes, when you came it was raining.

I003: And how did you overcome the situation?

P455: We lived an easy life.

I003: Did you sell you cows so as to buy food?

P455: Yes we sold cows: a big cow we sold at Tshs 100,000. It was bad.

I003: Mhhh did you request your neighbour for food?

P455: Yes, we used to do that.

I003: And have you heard of someone die of hunger in this village?

P455: No. people did not die of hunger.

I003: What about the other time did people die of hunger?

P455: No, though it was a severe drought but people and cows did not die.

I003: Okay Mother, Where do you get information about healthy lifestyle, nutrition and good health?

P455: I think it was a seminar.

I003: What did they tell you?

P455: They told us to eat green vegetables, milk, fruits.

I003: That is what they told you?

P455: Yes.

I003: And after that did you eat what they told you?

P455: Yes but we do not get fruits frequently may be until you go along the road.

I003: You mean market is along the road?

P455: Eeeeh Kololo market.

I003: If someone wants to come and teach you about nutrition and healthy lifestyle do you want?

P455: Yes.

I003: So how can we reach all of you?

P455: Through the word of mouth, you tell a friend to tell a friend that on this particular day we will have a seminar on A, B, C.

I003: Do you think churches and schools will spread the information?

P455: Yes Church is a good media of information because people from different location will get information and they will tell their neighbour that on that day we will have a seminar or meeting so information will spread very fast.

I003: Who do you think deserve to get that knowledge is it the father or mother or children?

P455: May be mother and father.

I003: Thank you very much Mother we have come to the end of our interview may be if you have question you may ask.

P455: No I do not have.

I003: Okay, thank you.