Mr. Shuma

Meet Mr. Shuma, pictured here with his wife.  We spent the better part of the day last Saturday at the home of Steven Shuma.

I had met him on Friday, I think he was impressed with my greeting to him in Kichagga.  Who wouldn't be?  So Saturday he stopped by the church office to invite us to the "Chakula Cha Mtoto" he was having that afternoon.  This is a celebration to welcome the family of his son's fiance to their home.  It is a traditional meal and all kinds of speeches get made.

When he stopped into the office he endeared himself to me right away when he pointed out the blood splattered on his shoe and said "for some occasions you cannot trust a butcher, you have to do the slaughtering yourself."  Seriously, right then I knew I wanted to attend this party!

It was a fun party, good food and plenty of Bitter Lemon, my favorite soda.  When we were leaving I asked Mr. Shuma where his son was, I hadn't met him.  Turns out he wasn't there, its just the parents of the two sides that come together.  "Chakula Cha Mtoto" means "food of the children" and its a way of letting the parents of the future bride know that the groom's family is capable of feeding her.

As the bride's family drove away I noticed a huge bundle of bananas strapped to the top of their vehicle.  This was confirmed to be a gift from the groom's family to the bride's - sort of like a dowry.  Pastor says there may have been money exchanged too.

I guess this is a good trade?  Traditionally the bride's family was sent home with an ox leg and a can of milk.

Wedding traditions are so interesting aren't they? 

I remember early on in our visit we were talking with our German friends about the interesting tradition they have here in Tanzania called a "send off" where the bride's family basically gives their daughter to the other family.  It is as big as the wedding.  Some of the Germans had attended a wedding in America and they were reporting on our silly tradition of a rehearsal.  They laughed and laughed about that.  So did I.