Interviewer(s): I003
Interviewee(s): P470

I003: Mother how is this place?

P470: Fine, what about you?

I003: Very well, mother how old are you?

P470: Twenty six years old.

I003: Twenty six years old, What was happening or what was the major event happened in your community by the time you were born, did your parents told you if there's something happened?

P470: I was born when there was nothing apart from milk and cows. There was nothing else.

I003: What do you mean by saying that there was nothing else?

P470: Mmmh.

I003: If you say that there was nothing else?

P470: In these days the children are cunning, they know everything we did not know in the past.

I003: If you say that they know everything, what do they know in these days that you did not know in the past?

P470: In the past the children were not cunning but in these days they are cunning and they know everything.

I003: Everything! I would like to know the things they know.

P470: They are cunning because they have gone to school and if you give child money he knows a shilling and this is how cunning they are. If a child is sent he understands fast.

I003: How was it in the past? Was this situation there or not?

P470: It was not there. The children had not interacted with the Swahili people; they were only known by the Maasai.

I003: Okay mother, where were you born and raised?

P470: I was born in Kambala and grew up in Kambala

I003: Mother I would like to know your family structure when you were living with your parents?

P470: How it was structured?

I003: I mean were you living in the same house father, mother and children in your own house, or were you living father, mother and children in the same homestead, or were you living father, mother, children, grandfather, grandmother and cousins and things of that sort.

P470: We were living with mother and father.

I003: Mother and father?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Were you living in the homestead or you were living in your own house?

P470: Ahaa… children were in their own house, father and mother in their own house, children were not allowed in the house were the father was.

I003: So you were living in the homestead?

P470: Eee.

I003: Why were the people not getting into the house where the father was?

P470: Because he is the head of the family so his house was treated with a lot of respect.

I003: What could happen if they got in?

P470: The children only feared but there is nothing else.

I003: What can happen if one pretends that he does not fear and gets in?

P470: Mhhhh.

I003: for example if one is does not fear and gets in the house?

P470: Nothing he is the one who fears.

I003: Okay, how many wives did your father have?

P470: Ten.

I003: Ten wives?

P470: Eee.

I003: And were they in the same home or different homes?

P470: In the same home.

I003: And by that time, were you allowed to eat food from another wife?

P470: Eee.

I003: And who was cooking among all of them?

P470: Everyone was in her own house they cook and we will eat from any house and no one could say he will not eat in that house.

I003: Okay mother I would also want to know the type of work or activities people were doing so as to get money.

P470: Activities?

I003: Yes, activities or work which activities were you engaging in so that you could earn a living?

P470: We were only milking the cows and going to graze.

I003: Were you selling the cows?

P470: Aahh! It is not us women; men were the ones selling the cows.

I003: What about in your family?

P470: Eee. They were going to buy and sell cows.

I003: Okay, Which were the father's responsibilities by that time?

P470: They were only buying the cows and if a child wants to travel he cannot travel if the man does not know.

I003: What about the responsibilities of the mother by that time?

P470: Mmmm

I003: What were the mothers doing?

P470: Nothing, but if you wrong her she would beat you.

I003: Duties and responsibilities of women those days?

P470: Nothing, she was only selling milk.

I003: What about other activities? Probably cooking, making the house clean and other activities like that?

P470: She ensures the house is clean and does other activities.

I003: What about the responsibilities of the female children? By that time what were they doing?

P470: Nothing.

I003: What about the issue of looking for firewood, washing utensils,

P470: Eee, they were there for the children at home.

I003: Those are the only activities girls were doing by that time?

P470: eee.... they were collecting firewood, washing the utensils, guards, cooking and fetching water and grazing.

I003: And how was it on the side of the boys?

P470: They were grazing.

I003: Which other activities were they performing apart from grazing?

P470: Boys?

I003: Yes boys

P470: They were going to school.

I003: By the time you were young?

P470: Aahh they were doing nothing.

I003: Okay, mother I would like to know the types of food you were eating when you were young?

P470: Only milk and ugali.

I003: By that time, milk and ugali?

P470: Eee.

I003: What about other foods?

P470: And meat.

I003: What else?

P470: Nothing, We were still eating rice but not as much as compared to these days.

I003: What do you eat nowadays?

P470: Nowadays we are eating vegetables and when it is a market day we buy bananas and arrowroots and also pumpkin.

I003: Which types of food were least eaten those days?

P470: Those days we were eating ugali and rice, and very few times we were eating bananas.

I003: How many times were you eating rice?

P470: Every evening, that is all.

I003: Type of food which you hardly eat? It was only eaten when there was an activity.

P470: Bananas.

I003: And which foods were you getting from the forest meaning you were not buying or growing you used to get them from the forest?

P470: Forest?

I003: Mmmm, You pick them when you were going to collect firewood or when you have gone to graze cattle’s so you pick them from the forest and bring them home for cooking?

P470: It was ugali

I003: And what about vegetables? Where you eating wild vegetables from the forest by that time?

P470: We were only eating amaranth, they grow by themselves and we used to eat them.

I003: okay, mother I would also want to know when you were young, who was making decisions on the type of foods to be bought and also who was going to buy food in the market?

P470: Mother.

I003: Mother was making the decisions?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And who was going to buy food in the market?

P470: Mother.

I003: And by that time were you involving yourself in growing crops?

P470: No.

I003: And who was making decision on the sale of the cows so as to get some money to buy food for the family?

P470: The man.

I003: The man?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And who was concerned in making such decisions?

P470: The man.

I003: The one who was concerned apart from the man that they decide to go and buy something?

P470: My mother.

I003: Okay, and who was making the final decision?

P470: It is the father.

I003: okay, mother by the time you were young in your Maasai community in Kambala, how did you know that the child has grown big starting with the female child?

P470: The breasts and menstruation period.

I003: Was it the one indicating that you are now big?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What about the traditional dances?

P470: Dances were performed whether a person is small or male.

I003: Mmmm....so what was indicating to you that this one is now big?

P470: Eeeee

I003: What was it?

P470: The breasts.

I003: What about on the side of boys what was showing you that this is now a big boy?

P470: You will see him and they seem to be very proud of themselves and they grow tall.

I003: What?

P470: The way he stands up it shows that he has become big.

I003: How does he stand up?

P470: You just see that he has become a big person.

I003: How do you know? For example I am a visitor to your house what is it that I will see to your boys that I will make me say that this boy has grown big? know?

P470: You will know because of his height.

I003: He will be very tall?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: What about if he is not very tall?

P470: you can see like now he is still young.

I003: What about going to be circumcised? Was it not one of the indicators that he is now a big boy?

P470: Mhh,

I003: Let’s come to your side, the time you became a mature girl, which things indicated to you that you are now a big girl?

P470: Which time?

I003: What is it that made you say that you are now a big girl?

P470: The breasts and menstruation periods.

I003: Mother, we have completed the first part, we are coming to the second part which is about how you live in your household. Mother I would like to know the people you live with in your household?

P470: I live with my husband and children.

I003: Do you have a co-wife who got married to your husband before you?

P470: Ahah, I am the first one.

I003: Does your husband have another wife?

P470: Eeeee.

I003: Do you live together with her in your household?

P470: Eeeee.

I003: How many are you in your household?

P470: There are six children and my co-wife has one child, mine are five together with the husband and her.

I003: And which activities do you do so that you can get money to use?

P470: Nothing. It is only milk and chicken.

I003: milk and chicken? What is your main work you engage yourself as a family so as to earn a living?

P470: It is only the cows and the goats, there isn't any other work.

I003: You said nowadays you depend on selling milk, Chicken, cows and goats to earn a living and in the past you only depend on cows to earn a living so is there any difference in the way you live now as compared with the past when you were living with your parents?

P470: In the past I was not the one to decide on what to sell but now I can sell and get some money.

I003: What are the disadvantages and advantages of the changes in the way you live in your family? Let us begin with the he disadvantages

P470: Sometimes we do not have milk and our children do not know how to eat dry food so that is the disadvantage.

I003: Why is it that sometimes there is no milk?

P470: Drought.

I003: What about the advantages?

P470: The only advantage we have gained is only chicken.

I003: What about cooking the chicken and eating them like meat?

P470: Ahah...no one eats.

I003: Why?

P470: We do not want.

I003: Why you do not like eating them?

P470: I have never eaten chicken in the past and I do not eat even now and if a chicken died I throw it.

I003: Okay and what are the duties and responsibilities of the men and women in your household?

P470: They only sell chicken and cows

I003: I mean the activities which the father does at home?

P470: There are no activities which he is doing alone.

I003: You all work together?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What about the issue of grazing?

P470: The children are the ones who go to graze.

I003: Children of which gender?

P470: Male children.

I003: And what about the issue of going to sell the cattle? Who does this activity?

P470: The man.

I003: The mother is not allowed to sell cows?

P470: No. She grazes but she is not allowed to sell a cow.

I003: And what are the responsibilities of women in your household I mean the only activities that is performed by you and your co-wife?

P470: No.

I003: What about washing dishes, cooking, fetching water?

P470: Eeeeh, we fetch water, we wash dishes, we cook and collecting firewood and that is not the work for the father.

I003: Mother has these changes of being able to sell cows; milk affected you positively or negatively?

P470: Cows?

I003: Yes, nowadays you are able to sell cows, milk or who has the responsibility of selling milk?

P470: It is ours.

I003: Who are they?

P470: Women.

I003: Women?

P470: Yes.

I003: You have earlier told me you were not selling milk in the past,

P470: Mmmm. ##I003# So what are the advantages or disadvantages you have incurred from these change?

The changes are women are the ones who sell the milk.

I003: Yes, what are the advantages you have gained from selling milk?

P470: Of course the money we get from selling milk we use them to buy sugar and other stuff in the house.

I003: And what about the disadvantages?

P470: The only disadvantage is when there is drought we experience milk shortage and that affects our income from sale of milk.

I003: Okay, I would like to know duties and responsibilities of the boys and the girls in your household starting with boys?

P470: It is grazing.

I003: Grazing?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Apart from grazing, which other duties do they perform?

P470: Nothing.

I003: What about the girls?

P470: Washing utensils, collecting firewood and cooking.

I003: When we were here on February this year we heard that there were some changes in the food people eat, nowadays people of the Maasai community are now eating fish, eggs, chicken others also eat chips enriched with eggs and also the cooking method has also changed people no longer boiling food like in the past, so mama I would like to know what are the changes you have seen or experienced so far?

P470: It is true that food has changed because we eat rice, we frequently eat meat, we eat vegetables such as the tomatoes okra we eat almost everything.

I003: What else?

P470: We frequently eat cassava. Nowadays we eat the food which we were not eating in the past like tomatoes, we eat bananas we eat rice frequently and we also have tea.

I003: What were you eating in the past?

P470: Only milk and ugali because there was a lot of milk.

I003: Which groups of people eat the food you are eating in these days?

P470: The groups?

I003: Eee.... I mean may be men were the only ones who were eating that food and women are not eating them or the women were the ones who were eating them and the men did not eat.

P470: They were all eating together

I003: And what about food that men were eating in the past that has changed?

P470: The men's food, they mainly eat meat.

I003: What were they mainly eating in the past?

P470: They were eating meat but mainly took stew but in these days they do not take stew.

I003: Why are they not taking stew in these days?

P470: They are saying that the cows have become thin. In the past you could go to different place and take stew but in these days it is mainly meat.

I003: How is the meat prepared?

P470: They slaughter and eat.

I003: How do they cook, meaning how do they prepare them so that they can eat them?

P470: They slaughter and then fry them in a cooking pot and then they eat.

I003: Okay, what about the foods which were eaten by the women only? How did these foods which were not eaten by other people change?

P470: Nothing.

I003: Aaaa, what about loshoro?

P470: Losh....

I003: Loshoro.

P470: What is loshoro?

I003: Do you know loshoro?

P470: Mhuh.

I003: Okay mother I would like to know the reason to the changes of the food which people used to eat?

P470: The cows' vanished .That is the reason for change.

I003: The cows have vanished?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Why have they vanished?

P470: It is because of the drought.

I003: The drought has eaten them?

P470: The drought.

I003: What has the drought done?

P470: Cows are dying because of too much sun

I003: Which other reason has caused this?

P470: The environmental condition has changed.

I003: The environmental condition has changed?

P470: mmm

I003: How has it been?

P470: It is bad and all the people are interacting with the Swahili and everything is prepared by the Swahili people.

I003: The Swahili people?

P470: They are hawking everything and that is the reason of buying.

I003: Explain for me in details what the Swahili people have done

P470: Ahah, Swahili people have mixed up with the Maasai .They have become one and they bring everything and the Maasai buy them.

I003: Which other reason apart from that?

P470: Mmmmhu!

I003: Apart from the coming of the Swahili people which other reason has made you change the food you are eating?

P470: Nothing else.

I003: Nothing else?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: What about the issue of children going to school? Do you think this is a reason for making people change the food they eat?

P470: Eee. People have gone to the market and the children have also gone to school.

I003: How have they changed the ways of eating after going to school?

P470: They have become cunning.

I003: What do you mean by saying they have become cunning?

P470: Mmhu.

I003: What do you mean by saying "cunning?"

P470: In the past they were not cunning and when they went to school they become cunning.

I003: What about the availability of food? Do you think this is a reason for changing the food they eat?

P470: Mmmmm.

I003: The availability of food? Do you think it is a reason for changing the food you eat?

P470: I do not know what are you saying?

I003: This is what I am saying, do you think availability of food is one of the reasons in the way you eat in your community such that in your household you have stopped eating a certain food because the food is not found in plenty, certain food is not available, and do you think these are some of the reasons?

P470: One of the reasons is you can get food today and miss it in the evening and vice versa or you get it every day it depends.

I003: How do you progress? I would like to know in depth.

P470: You go at night looking for food.

I003: Do you think the availability of firewood makes you unable to eat the food you eat such that if there is no enough firewood you will not be able to cook the food you used to cook for example (kande) mixture of maize and beans which needs a lot of firewood, Do you think this has changed your way of eating?

P470: It is not that way.

I003: Why is it not that way?

P470: Because you go to cut the firewood and stock them.

I003: And what about the responsibilities of women and men? Do you think this is associated with the changes in the food people eat?

P470: What are you saying?

I003: The duties of a woman and the duties of a man? Nowadays everything has changed such that women perform men’s duties and also men perform women’s duty so do you think this is another reason which has made you change the food you eating?

P470: No.

I003: Why is it not that way?

P470: It is not that way because if you want to wake up and go to get firewood, I do not wake up the husband? I just get the machete and leave, there are some duties I do alone and there are some duties he does alone.

I003: What about stigma, if people see someone eating a certain food they associate him with poverty and or rich, do you think this is another reason which has made people change the food they eat?

P470: No.

I003: Why do you say no?

P470: If you cook food, do you come to say that food is bad? he does not say that.

I003: Okay, you mentioned that there so many reasons in the changes of the food you eat one is drought such that the cows are dying, others you have told me is the interaction with other tribes such that the Swahili people have now interacted with the Maasai, the other one you have told me is taking the children to school and you have also told me the availability of food. In all these four reasons, which one do you think is the first reason which has made people of Kambala to change the food they are eating?

P470: The main reason of changing the food is that the cows have reduced in number and the Maasai people are now clever they know they cannot survive of milk and meat so they are eating other foods.

I003: They are clever on the issue of food?

P470: Eeee, one needs to do a job and get money to buy food for his family.

I003: What do you mean by saying that the Maasai are clever now?

P470: In the past the Maasai minds were blocked. They did not know how and where to look for food they were just looking for cows but in these days they are able to question what the children would eat in the evening or what they will eat the following day or what they will eat during the drought until it rains? They now know how to store food for future use.

I003: How did they get to think of that?

P470: God is the one who has created all this and now cows have vanished so they have to think of the alternative ways.

I003: Okay, so the first reason you said is drought?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Which other reason do you think has caused the changes in the way of eating? There is the interaction of the tribes, the children are going to school and there is also the availability of food. So which is second reason?

P470: The only problem is food.

I003: Food has the problem?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: You have said that food is the problem?

P470: Eeeee.

I003: What do you mean by saying the food has got a problem?

P470: You find that in these days we have started to farm.

I003: Do you grow crops nowadays?

P470: Now we are smarter it is not like before.

I003: Okay, which other reason do you think has caused the changes in the food you eat?

P470: Mmmm

I003: Which is the other reason among these ones? Interaction of the tribes, changing the way of life such that in these days you grow crops and also the children going to school. Which other reason has changed the food you eat?

P470: Nothing

I003: Choose for me among these ones

P470: Which ones?

I003: It is among the Swahili interacting with you, taking the children to school, change in the way you are living such that in these days you are growing crops, which one has changed the way you are eating in these days such that you cook other types of food?

P470: The reduction of milk has made us change.

I003: Okay, in all these reasons you have mentioned for me I have realised that the first reason in the changes of food you eat is drought followed by availability of the food such that nowadays milk has reduced. These are the main reasons my question is why do you think these are the reasons which have caused the changes in the food you eat?

P470: Pardon please.

I003: I am saying, drought together with unavailability of food change the type of food you eat so why are you saying those were the main reasons?

P470: Mmmhuh,

I003: Why have you said these are the main reasons of changing the way you eat?

P470: The main reason of changing is that there is drought and it has caused that famine

I003: Why are you saying these are the first reasons? Which disasters have you got?

P470: The cows have died.

I003: And why are you saying that taking children to school is a minor reason of changing the way you eat?

P470: Children?

I003: Taking children to school? Why are you saying this is a minor reason of changing the foods you were eating in the past?

P470: The children are going to school.

I003: Which changes have they brought after going to school?

P470: The children have become clever.

I003: mhhuh. And if they have become clever, how are they?

P470: They go to school and become knowledgeable

I003: What is it that you have gained after the children going to school? On the side of foods, which changes have they brought?

P470: The child goes to school to get education.

I003: So what is it that they have gained in school and brought back home and made you change the food you cook?

P470: Nothing.

I003: I would like to know the disadvantages or advantages you have personally gained?

P470: Mmmmm.

I003: You have told me about drought, the interaction of the tribes, children going to school, the unavailability of food, the changes in the way of living such that in these days you grow crops, so I would like to know the advantages and disadvantages you have encountered, and also if they have affected your family and community at large?

P470: Nothing.

I003: Nothing?

P470: Mmmm

I003: What about men do you think they have lost something?

P470: No.

I003: What about the positive changes they have gained?

P470: Now our children can go to school and also they can take cows to drink water.

I003: How? Where were you taking them to drink water in the past?

P470: In the river.

I003: Where is the river?

P470: It is far, where there is the lake.

I003: What has happened such that you are now watering here?

P470: They have built a house here

I003: Okay, Mother I would like us to talk about the issue of milk. Do you think milk is important to you?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What is the importance of milk?

P470: Milk is important to us because my children take milk every time.

I003: What does he/she gain after taking milk every time?

P470: He does not become hungry and also he does not cry again.

I003: He does not cry again?

P470: Mhhhh, even if he does not have Ugali he will not cry because he/she had milk, so that is the advantage we get.

I003: Which other advantage do you get from milk?

P470: The other advantage is that I sell and get money and also I make ghee out of milk

I003: You get ghee, you sell and get money and after the child takes milk he does not cry?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And what do you get in the body?

P470: The body like milk.

I003: Okay, and what about the advantages you get after taking milk?

P470: There is none, you find that ghee is the only thing in that milk.

I003: Okay mother if you compare the time you were young and nowadays how is the availability of milk do you think it has reduced or increased?

P470: It has reduced.

I003: Why has the milk availability reduced?

P470: I think it is because of the sun in the past there were no drought it was raining and animal pastures were available but nowadays it is too much.

I003: What has happened that nowadays there is no pasture for the animals to feed?

P470: There is no rain.

I003: What is happening that there is no rain nowadays?

P470: I do not know.

I003: Okay. Apart from this reason what else has made not to get a lot of milk?

P470: mmm

I003: Another reason of milk reduction nowadays?

P470: It is only that we do not have enough pasture for the cows to feed on.

I003: What have they done?

P470: Nothing we are waiting for the rains to come

I003: Apart from lack of rain and pasture, which other reason has made you not to get enough milk?

P470: Nothing

I003: Mmmm

P470: I can see there are no cows nowadays

I003: What about the way of living? Nowadays people have changed the way of keeping the animals that is why the milk has reduced.

P470: They were still keeping them in the past so there is no relationship.

I003: What about the issue of disagreements in the community? Do you think this is a reason which has made the milk to reduce?

P470: There are no disagreements.

I003: There are not there?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: So it is not one of the reasons?

P470: No, it is not the reason

I003: So what is the main reason of milk reduction in the Maasai community?

P470: What are you saying?

I003: What is the main reason that has reduced milk supply in the Maasai community here in Kambala?

P470: Milk is the best.

I003: How? What has made the milk unavailable?

P470: Milk has reduced in these years.

I003: What has caused this?

P470: Drought and nowadays when it rains the cows do not produce a lot as they used to produce in the past and also cow have died and there are disagreements.

I003: You have said disagreements?

P470: Mmmmm.

I003: How have these disagreements made you lack milk?

P470: Milk is there, drought is there.

I003: Yes, how has the disagreement made you lack milk?

P470: Disagreements? The people are bewitching the cows such that they cannot produce milk.

I003: They are bewitching?

P470: Eeee.

I003: So they bewitch the cows because of disagreement?

P470: Eeee, the people bewitch the cows and they do not get milk again.

I003: Who bewitches your cows?

P470: No it is not me the incident occurred in Mikindu community they bewitched the cows on behalf of the farmers.

I003: Which tribes did that?

P470: We do not know the tribes; we know there are people from Mikindu.

I003: Mikindu?

P470: Eeee.

I003: Okay, What about the issue of sickness do you think this is causes milk reduction?

P470: Mmhuh.

I003: Sickness? Cows are not dying because they are sick here or you have medicine?

P470: There is medicine but not all cows die because of pain or they are sick most of them die because of hunger.

I003: Okay, mother I would like to know who is concerned with buying of food for your family?

P470: The man.

I003: And what kind of foods does he buy?

P470: He buys flour, cassava and rice.

I003: What about other foods?

P470: He buys tomatoes, cabbage, okra and African eggplant.

I003: And who is making decisions of the amount of money to be used to buy food at home?

P470: The man.

I003: The man?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And what about your responsibility as a woman? Are you responsible for what is to be brought at home or you are not concerned?

P470: I am responsible.

I003: How?

P470: I buy utensils, clothes and the guard; whatever I ask for is bought.

I003: Okay, how does your family buy the food comparing with the time you were young? Who was concerned with the issue of buying food at home?

P470: Father and mother.

I003: You have said that in the past your father and mother were responsible and nowadays the father is responsible for buying food. Is there any difference you can be able to see in both of them?

P470: Eeee.

I003: Can you tell me the difference?

P470: The difference is that I am responsible together with my husband but in the past I was not responsible.

I003: Why were you not concerned in the past?

P470: I was not concerned because my father and mother were responsible but these days it is my husband and I.

I003: And where were you going to buy food in the past?

P470: In the past, it was my father and my mother.

I003: Where were they going to buy food?

P470: Mikindu.

I003: What about in today's scenario? Where do you buy food?

P470: In Kambala town.

I003: How far is from here to Mikindu and compared with from here to Kambala?

P470: Mikindu is far.

I003: How has this affected you?

P470: People are now bringing food here.

I003: Do you benefit or you lose?

P470: We have benefited a lot

I003: And which types of foods were you going to buy mostly in Mikindu?

P470: Only flour and cassava and also rice.

I003: What about in today's scenario? Which types of foods do you buy in Kambala?

P470: We buy all types of food here in Kambala

I003: Like which ones?

P470: Like cassava every time, bananas every time, potatoes every time, and vegetables.

I003: What about fruits?

P470: Fruits?

I003: Mmmm.

P470: Like?

I003: Where do you buy the fruits?

P470: Nowadays people go to the markets and bring fruits.

I003: Okay, and which types of foods were found in Kambala market but they are no longer found there?

P470: All the foods are found there.

I003: Are there any types of fruit which were there in the past when you were young but it is not found nowadays?

P470: “Ubuyu” (baobab fruits)

I003: What?

P470: And sugar in the past I used to get it from far, but everything nowadays is near.

I003: Okay, and which types of food do you prepare for your family?

P470: Ugali, rice and even cassava.

I003: How do you prepare them?

P470: I cook them then serve the children and serve the man.

I003: Starting with rice, how do you cook rice?

P470: I fry the onion and put water then put rice.

I003: What about on the side of cassavas, how do you prepare them?

P470: I peel them; wash then cook but cover them and put some salt.

I003: Which type of oil do you use?

P470: I do not use oil	.

I003: You do not use oil?

P470: Cassava does not need oil.

I003: What about rice?

P470: I use oil.

I003: Which type of oil do you use?

P470: Cooking oil or Ghee if you have it.

I003: Which type of oil were you using in the past?

P470: In the past we were using ghee.

I003: What about nowadays?

P470: Cooking oil.

I003: Were you using onion, tomatoes?

P470: We were using only meat and ghee.

I003: What about nowadays?

P470: We use everything.

I003: Okay. Mother I would like to know the things which makes you cook the types of food you cook for your family?

P470: Mhhh.

I003: What drives you to cook whatever you cook for your family?

P470: The need.

I003: The need?

P470: mmm

I003: What else?

P470: Only the need determines what I cook in that day. If that day I want to cook Kande I will cook or if I want to cook Ugali I will cook. I cook the food which I want.

I003: Yes, you have told me that the need drives you to cook whatever you want, whose need is it? Is it the children's need, your need or your husband's need?

P470: If today I need to eat this type of food I will cook, children do not refuse something which I personally need.

I003: Apart from the need, what else makes you cook whatever you cook?

P470: Which other things?

I003: Mmmm.

P470: Availability of food if I have a certain food in the house I will cook that food but it is not by other people telling me that I should cook this or that food.

I003: What else makes you cook whatever you cook apart from when you have the food in the house?

P470: Every day I cook .Today I cook ugali children are the ones crying of hunger if there is milk I do not cook in the evening we will take milk.

I003: So why is it that if you decide to cook ugali or rice, what propels you to make such decisions? Is it because the children want you to cook or it is easy to cook or it is readily available?

P470: It is only me who cooks food.

I003: What about cooking because the father has decided that you should cook that food? He likes it and wants you to cook it?

P470: Mhhh.

I003: What if the father wants you to cook a certain food? Can it be a reason which drives you to cook that food or not?

P470: If there is that food which he needs he says that we should cook that food in that day and we cook it.

I003: What about the easiness of cooking that food?

P470: Mhhh.

I003: The easiness of cooking that food? Do you think this is a reason of cooking what you want to cook, example if you cook rice its easier to cook, you just put some water and cook , if its ugali it is tedious because you have to stir. Do you think this is a reason for cooking a certain type of food?

P470: Yes if it is ugali you put small amount of water and then you go. Not clear

I003: So the easiness is also a concern?

P470: Eeee, the food is the one which is easy to cook.

I003: You have mentioned very many reasons. The first one you me is the need that makes you to cook the food which you cook, second is the availability of the food at home, if it is there you just cook, the third one is if the father needs a certain food you cook it and the forth reason is the easiness of cooking the food such that if you want to cook rice you just put water and rice and leave it. So which is the main reason that drives you to cook the food you cook?

P470: I do not know.

I003: I mean what is the first thing that drives you to cook what you cook for your family is it a need, or availability or easiness or father’s need?

P470: The first one is food; I decide the type of food I should cook.

I003: It is the first one?

P470: Eeee.

I003: And what is the second reason?

P470: The second one is I cook for my children example if they have just arrived home so I will make the food which is easy to prepare like rice or ugali it depends.

I003: The third one?

P470: There isn't.

I003: We have remained with two reasons so which among these is the third reason is it availability of food in the house or the father’s needs?

P470: It is better?

I003: Eeeee, meaning which one comes first and makes you to cook that food?

P470: He is the one who makes me to cook that food; I kindle the fire and cook food quickly.

I003: That is the first one

P470: Eeeee.

I003: The second one you have told me is the easiness?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Which is the third one that makes you to cook that food between the availability of food in the house and if the father’s needs? Which one comes first?

P470: Onion comes first.

I003: Okay. I am grateful we have completed that part, let us discuss another part which is concerned with the alternative ways of encountering various disasters. I mean the ones you were using when you were young and now when you are mature. First and fore most I would like to know if you experienced a food shortage when you were a small girl and how did you encounter it?

P470: What time?

I003: The time you had food shortage in your Community, Which year was that?

P470: It was 20….when there was drought. Which year is this is it 2007 or 2017?

I003: 2017.

P470: So four years back.

I003: Mhhh.

P470: It is the fourth year since the food shortage has been experienced in Kambala.

I003: Four years?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Since the food is over?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What about by the time you were young was there any problem of food shortage?

P470: No there was no food shortage.

I003: It was not there?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: It has now been there for four years?

P470: Eeeee.

I003: Okay, What made you lack food in Kambala?

P470: Cows were dying that is why we are facing hunger.

I003: Which is the main reason that has made the cows to die?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What is the reason that has made the cows to die?

P470: they are dying because of hunger there is no grass for the cows to feed on, in the past they were never finished but in these days the grass are over and that is why we are facing hunger.

I003: And how did you overcome this food shortage?

P470: We do not have milk so nowadays we are eating various types of vegetables.

I003: So Nowadays you eat vegetables?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Milk is over and you have decided to eat vegetables?

P470: Eeeee.

I003: Which other way have you used to overcome this disaster apart from eating the vegetables?

P470: I just sit. There are no ways.

I003: What have you done? Probably you have sold the cows, or you have moved them to your neighbours, what have you done to overcome the food shortage?

P470: Eeee, that is what we did, I took cows to my brother who lives near the river. So now my people are eating vegetables and black tea with sugar because there is no milk.

I003: So you have changed the way of life because there is no rain?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And you have taken your cows to your relatives?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: What about the children? How do they overcome this disaster? What do they eat so that they can live? Which activities do you engage yourself in so that you can live?

P470: We sell the cows.

I003: You sell the cows?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Apart from selling the cows, which other activity do you do?

P470: Nothing.

I003: Okay, and who are the major victims of hunger?

P470: Mhhh.

I003: Which group has been mostly affected by this food shortage?

P470: Which Group?

I003: Has been mainly affected by the problem?

P470: Only the men.

I003: The men?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Why are you saying the men?

P470: It is the men because they are the one’s suffering?

I003: The men? Who are these men?

P470: The fathers, men in general.

I003: Eeee, the men are the ones suffering?

P470: Eeee.

I003: Why are they suffering? ##P 470## They suffer in getting the cows to the auction some of them they mill and the other people pay.

What about changing your eating portions may be you eat a little portion than what you used to eat do you think that could be one of the alternative to overcome hunger because you will have food for a longer period.

P470: We have not reduced the way we were eating; our problem is milk for example if you have a cupful of milk you will eat Ugali until you are satisfied and nowadays we eat bananas, cassavas and others. Health does not come only if you take black tea in the morning and eating lunch at around one or two in the afternoon.

I003: So your health has deteriorated?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: How has it deteriorate?

P470: There are not energetic if there is no milk.

I003: Okay mother, I am grateful because of your good answers. We are almost coming to the end of our conversation but I would like us to add few questions for conclusion.

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Mother I would like to know, how people in this community get to know about the issues of food so that they can have good health?

P470: Where they get this education? I do not know.

I003: Where did you get education on what to eat, the issues of good health, the issues of eating healthy food. Where did you get it from?

P470: I was given by God.

I003: He has given you education?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: You did not hear from a person even saying “we should be eating well made food”, or we should be doing this so that we can have good health, we should be eating bananas, we should be eating cassavas" you have not heard that?

P470: Ahah, I only see people buying and I also buy but not a person telling me.

I003: So you have not been educated on the issues of feeding?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Okay, I would like to know if we bring the education concerning the way of eating, the issues of food, the forms of eating, how will you benefit from it?

P470: That education?

I003: Mmmm.

P470: In what?

I003: If we bring it and came to educate the people of Kambala on issues concerning the ways of eating, education about the foods, how do you think you will benefit from it?

P470: Good, those who will listen are the ones who will benefit from it.

I003: Which benefits are you going to get?

P470: We are going to benefit.

I003: Which benefits? I would like to know the benefits which you are going to have.

P470: Like when you give us cows, we get a benefit, we will eat well

I003: May you explain in details

P470: What am I saying?

I003: For example if we come to educate you on the ways of eating, the issues of foods, so that you can have a good health, which benefit do you think you will get from it?

P470: Good.

I003: Which are the benefits? I would like to know the benefits.

P470: Do you want to know the benefits it will get?

I003: Mmmm, how will it help you?

P470: How it will help us?

I003: Mother, so you do not know the benefits you will get?

P470: Mmhuh

I003: And how do you think this education about the nutrition should be brought to you so that it can reach all of you? Should we bring it in the churches, or schools or health centers or we broadcast it in the radios so that you can be listening on what to eat healthy foods, how do you think this education should be brought so that it can reach you?

P470: So that it can reach us. You only come to the children's school.

I003: Children's schools?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: We Go and tell the children?

P470: Ahah, you call people to come there.

I003: Ooh, you come as a group or a meeting?

P470: Eeee.

I003: So that the education can reach you?

P470: Eeee.

I003: What about if we do it to the churches? We just tell you in the churches, do you think you will benefit?

P470: Eee, we will benefit.

I003: But which one do you prefer?

P470: let it be a meeting.

I003: A meeting?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: And who do you think is the best person to bring the education? The one who can bring the education to all?

P470: The chairman.

I003: The chairman?

P470: Mmm.

I003: Which chairman? Is it a village chairman or?

P470: Local area chairman.

I003: Is the one who can bring the education?

P470: Mmmm.

I003: Okay mother I am grateful of your good answers, we have come to the end of our conversation, Thank you very much.

P470: Thank you.