søndag 9. oktober 2011

Kanga and Kitenge

The colours and patterns of the traditional clothes here, Kitenge and Kanga, are exeptional. Kangas are pieces of fabric you tie around your waste or shoulders. They have symbols and a poetic messages written along the bottom edge which women use to show opinions, emotions or comments. They are easy to carry around in your bag if you need to cover your shoulders or knees out of respect for the traditions here. All the girls get a kanga when they arrive at TICC, but we have also bought a few more in town. They are very useful and you can wear them in many different ways. The Kangas below are the ones Amanda and I got at TICC. They are very pretty, but we're not quite sure what the text means.


the kangas we got at TICC

The one below on the other hand is made by TICC as an educational kanga.
"Kuzaa ni furaha kulea na afya ya mama je"  which means pregnancy is a joy when the mother is in good health. Around the outer edge there are healthy fruit and vegetables, in each corner images of breast feeding, health checks, and vaccination. In the inner frame there are smiling condoms, contraceptive pills etc. Mama Ruti (on the right) said that the kanga was a big success and they became vere popular among the women in the village. I thought it really shows how you can get through to people when you make an effort to understand their culture.

Amanda and Mama Ruti (Ruth Nesje) showing the TICC pregnancy kanga


Mzungu price
When white people try to buy something you usually get a much higher price than locals: "Bei ya mzungu" or "mzungu price". Mzungu is the swahili word for western/white people and comes from the word for "walking around with no purpose". I have learned to say "don't give me mzungu price", which is very useful phrase to know. When we were buying kangas in town, Amanda managed to haggle the price down from 32000 Tanzanian Shillings to 25000 for 5 kangas. We knew 5000-6000 was normal price for kangas (about 15 krones/3 dollars).
Our new kangas hanging on the drying line

It was difficult to find kangas with the right text because so many had a religious message. Being an atheist, I can't walk around with a kanga saying "only God knows about the future" etc. I'm very happy with the kangas I ended up buying. The translations are not 100% correct, but you'll get the main point:



"Maskini wa leo tajiri wa kesho" = Poor today rich tomorrow
I thought it would be a nice kanga to wear while working with the youth group. The youth group failed their primary school exam and are therefor not allowed to continue to secondary school. They could go to a private school, but it's too expensive and none of them can afford it. They have little hope for the future and desperately want education or work. We are hoping to help them create a group that can support and motivate each other.
detail from kanga

"Yataka Moyo kuishi na jirani" = The hearts desire is to live well with neighbours
This kanga I thought would be nice to wear when I go to live in the village for a week or two. They are our neighbours and I want to live with them and get to know them. It could be a way of showing my good intentions and that I have understood how to use the kanga to tell people something about myself.
detail from kanga

"Hamsemi yakaisha?" = Don't you have anything more to say?
I was was thinking about wearing this kanga after a week or so in the village if I knew people were talking a lot about me. I would have to wait until I knew people would take it as a joke and not as a negative comment. Hopefully it could be a funny way of saying "I know you're talking about me, and I don't care"


detail from kanga

Amanda chose her kanga solely because of the pattern.
The text on hers is: "Naiwe leo furaha ya harusi" = today is the day for a happy wedding. Not very suitable text, but a very nice pattern and pretty colour.
Amanda told me that guys sometimes give girls kangas as a present to tell them something. Maybe that one could've been used as a proposal, or as a wedding present? Anyway, it looks very pretty!
detail from kanga



Kitenge
Kitenge is the name of a different type of fabric that you buy by the meter, but it is also used about a two piece outfit made from the kitenge fabric. Amanda's aunt in Dar-es-salaam gave me two lovely kitenges.
I also find that it's a nice way to connect with the local people wearing their traditional clothes.

the lovely kitenges I got from Amandas aunt
I get a lot of nice comments from the locals when I wear kanga or kitenge. People here really like it when we speak swahili with them as well. Both with clothes and language, I think people in general really appreciate when you show that you're making an effort, that you're interested in their culture and want to learn their language and take part in their traditions.

4 kommentarer:

  1. Wow! You look lovely in the Kangas. They are also known as "Lesso" in Kenya. I sell them in wholesale.
    Let me know when you need them.
    Regards,
    winniekiboi@gmail.com

    SvarSlett
  2. Hello thanks for the information. We have more information on African dress here: www.happytoursug.com

    Paul

    SvarSlett
  3. Hello All,
    We are manufacturer of khanga, if you looking for import so please contact us.
    www.made2africa.com
    +91-9167546345

    SvarSlett
  4. Hello All,
    We are manufacturer of khanga, if you looking for import so please contact us.
    www.made2africa.com
    +91-7045840550

    SvarSlett