Harold Ayodo was at Gubadida village in Garba Tula, where he encountered an unrivalled cultural mechanism among the Borana that is both elaborate and all embracings
The sheer natural beauty of Borana women welcomed us to Garba Tula district on a warm Sunday Morning. Here, beauty defies complexion, both light and dark skinned women are appealing with their grace and poise to boot.
I was immediately taken by their beauty and photogenic qualities. Clad in traditional flowing shukas and jewellery, they smiled heartily as they greeted us in their language. It was the kind of smile that melted the torturous journey to this place. "Ebaro nkan," I responded recalling the rehearsed response.
It is not strange that most male visitors who tour the homesteads not only shower the women with but request photo sessions. At times the women proudly show off their beauty to the photographer like any woman in the world would.
Songs and ululations rent the air as photographer Martin Mukangu and I made our way to the homestead. I later realised that they did this to every visitor. The women took us to a tour of manyattas — made of sticks and palm tree (gela). We were shown a special manyatta (honeymooners) where one Asha Ganjobe, 21, who had been married a day before was.
She will not leave the honeymooner’s manyatta (minorosa in Borana) for the next seven days. It is time to get to know her husband in the most intimate way possible. Her in-laws bring her food — mainly milk and meat throughout the whole period. All these are in accordance with the culture.
Seclusion
Elderly Borana women like Aisha Ali say the period of seclusion is meant to allow the couple to spend quality time together.
"I passed through the same when I was married years ago. The duty of the bride is keep herself beautiful and attractive for the husband," Ali says.
Nure Kampure receives a bowl of milk from his wife Fatuma Galgalo. |
"We light the herbs in a special fire place called bolkaya which, continuously emits smoke and the bride covers herself in it," Ali says.
A gourd filled with milk is constantly in the honeymoon manyatta for the newly weds, should hunger beckon before official meal times. Although the bride is forbidden from leaving the manyatta, her husband is free to go about his daily business — mainly herding.
bridal dance
The honeymoon does not end there, traditional songs in encouragement of the new couple are sung and villagers dance, especially if the bride was found to be a virgin.
Ganjobe Hussein says celebrations after the bride emerges from the honeymooner’s manyatta after seven days are memorable.
"It is not only a celebration of the deflowered bride but in encouragement of their union as one," Hussein says.
During the song and dance in celebration, the husband places an ornament made of beads and shells on the head of his wife to signify enduring love. The birth of a child marks another seven-day period of seclusion for the woman in a manyatta called galm.
Nure Kampure says a cow or goat is slaughtered to welcome the new born into the homestead before circumcision after seven years, if it is a son.
"The mother moves into the husband’s manyatta but sleeps in a different bed with the new born for two years," Kampure says.
However, the mother is at liberty to join her husband in their traditional marital bed made of sticks and a cowhide for conjugal rights.
Courtship
"The idea of having the baby in a different bed is to avoid possible commotion between the husband and wife at night," Kampure says.
It is a continuous process as a mother can deliver up to ten children in the traditionally polygamous culture. Surprisingly, unwanted pregnancies are unheard of — according to the strict Borana culture. Seducing a girl can attract a fine of up to ten cows. I played images of some of my male friends who would have long been confined to poverty had such laws been applied elsewhere.
"Culture demands that a woman reports any man who attempts to seduce her to her father before elders take up the matter," Kampure says.
Normally, a man who feels attracted to a woman confides in his father who goes to speak to the parents of the girl on his behalf.
"The father negotiates the bride price for his son — the girl cannot object a man allowed to marry her," Hussein says.
duties
Traditionally, men have their way amongst the Borana — a wife serves the husband with milk and meat whenever he comes home without asking questions.
"A husband’s favourite spot is at the entrance of the manyatta and it is here the wife serves him milk from a gourd," Kampure says.
The wife then sits at a distance and watches the husband eat and occasionally rises to replenish his cup and bowl. Furthermore, it is the duty of women to construct the manyatta using sticks and palm trees brought by the men from the bush.
"It takes us a day to construct the house we call mindase in Borana — wives must ensure the husband is comfortable,"Aisha says.
tourist attraction
Needless to say tourists flock Gubadida village, Garba Tula District to see the Borana’s way of life. For a night in the manyattas they pay Sh4,000 before a photo session the next day.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) eastern conservation area assistant director Jonathan Kirui says the cultural villages are a hot cake.
"Meru National Park is witnessing increasing numbers of visitors who wind up their stay and game drives by visiting the homesteads,"Kirui says.
Hussein says 90 per cent of their visitors are from the rejuvenated Meru National Park, which was associated with banditry in the 1980s.
Fatuma Galgalo is among the women who make traditional artefacts and sells them to the visitors.
"We sell jewellery, ornaments and traditional utensils to tourists," Fatuma says.
We saw similar artefacts displayed for sale at the Malka Bisanadi cultural village in Kina Location, adjacent to the park. The cultural village also has the traditional manyattas which foreign tourists opt to pay over Sh4,000 a night instead of modern cottages that go for only Sh3,000.
According to Meru conservation area acting senior park warden and Kora National Park warden Mark Cheruiyot, tourists enjoy traditional conservation songs.
"The Borana who reside adjacent the park are aware of the benefits of conservation of wildlife and have incorporated this messages into songs," Cheruiyot says.
