Swahili Pronouns, Part 1

Last week we learned some common Swahili phrases, and this week we begin learning Swahili Pronouns.

Next week we will continue learning Swahili Pronouns :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

This article about a group of moms raising money to build a hospital in Kenya really brought the mist to our eyes [Key Biscayne Times]

• Mobile Banking Gives Kenyans New Weapon Against Poverty [VOA News]
• Disadvantaged Children in Kenya Introduced to National Heritage [VOA News]
• An Inspiring US-Kenya Partnership to Fight HIV/AIDS [The Huffington Post]
• Kenya Court Rules Islamic Courts are Illegal [BBC]
• Kenyan Girls Flee Their Homes to Avoid Controversial Traditions [The Tribune]
• Kenya Adopts No-Tolerance Policy Against Poaching [eTurboNews]

Meet the Ameru

The Ameru are a Bantu tribe that inhabits the Meru region of Kenya. They speak the Meru language. The Ameru are a community living primarily on the fertile agricultural northeastern slope of Mount Kenya, in the Eastern Province of Kenya. The Meru are primarily agrarian, with some animals kept mainly in the northern part of the region.

The Meru were traditionally governed by elected and hierarchical councils of elders from the clan level right up to the supreme "njuri ncheke" council that governed the seven sections of Meru, making Meru perhaps the only pre-colonial democratic nation in sub-Saharan Africa. The Njuri is the only traditional judicial system recognized by the Kenyan state and is still powerful when it comes to political decision making amongst the Meru.

Taken as a whole, the Meru have one of the most detailed and potentially confusing oral histories and mythology of any people in Kenya. It is also one of the most deeply intriguing, at least from a western point of view, as it contains extremely strong Biblical similarities that suggest to some that they may once have been one of the lost tribes of Israel, and to others that they were once Jewish. This history includes a good part of both Old and New Testament stories: a baby in a basket of reeds who becomes a leader and a prophet, the massacre of newly born babies by an evil king, an exodus, the parting and crossing of the waters by an entire nation, Aaron's Rod in the form of a magic spear or staff, the leadership of a figure comparable to Moses, references to ancient Egypt (Misiri), and so on. In brief, it recounts that the Meru were once enslaved by the "Red People". They eventually escaped, and in their exodus came across a large body of water called Mbwaa or Mbwa, which they crossed by magical means. The details of the tradition are replete with parallels to the Old Testament, and also contain references to events described in the New Testament.

Photo credit: TRMS

Common Swahili Phrases, Part 4

Last week we learned some common Swahili phrases, and this week we will learn even more.

Next week we will begin learning Swahili Pronouns :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

Every WOD expedition to Kenya includes a trip to the Masai Mara and a visit with the Masai warriors. [BBC]

• Fraud, Fears of Violence Complicate Kenyan Reform [VOA News]
• Colorado School Helps Kids in Kenya [9 News]
• Kenya Signs Nile Basin Pact [Daily Nation]
• Teachers Vow to Strike over Salary Pact [AllAfrica.com]
• Wagalla Massacre - The Anatomy of Atrocity [AllAfrica.com]

Meet the Kisii

Kisii is a community of Bantu speakers who inhabit the Kisii District in Nyanza Province, Western Kenya. Kisii town, known as Bosongo by the locals, is located in Nyanza Province to the southwest of Kenya and is home to the Kisii people.

The Abagusii along with other Bantu speaking groups are believed to have originated in the Congo. The migration is believed to have been due to overpopulation, food scarcity, inter-group conflicts and exhausted soil for farming. As these Bantu speakers migrated from the Congo, they split up into different groups with the Kisii ending up in Nyanza Province near Lake Victoria.

The Kisii ended up in a geographical location unique among Bantu speaking groups in that they were surrounded on all sides by hostile Nilotic communities of the Luo, Kipsigis, Nandi, and Maasai. Constant sieges resulted in the development of a war-like culture to defend against cattle-raiding neighboring communities. To this day, they have a reputation of being tough, emotionally labile, resilient, and very industrious.

The Kisii are regarded as one of the most economically active communities in Kenya, blessed with rolling tea estates, coffee, and banana groves. However, Kisii district has a very high population density. It is one of the most densely populated areas in Kenya (after the two cities of Nairobi and Mombasa), and the most densely populated rural area. It also has one of the highest fertility and population growth rates in Kenya. These factors have ensured the Kisii to be among the most geographically widespread communities in East Africa. The Kisii are some of the most heavily represented Kenyans in foreign (usually Indian and American) universities.

Common Swahili Phrases, Part 3

Last week we learned some common Swahili phrases, and this week we will learn even more.

Next week we will continue to learn common Swahili Phrases :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

• Karua Launches Yes Campaign in Western Kenya [KBC]
• ICC Prosecutor Visits Kenyan Slum [Capital News]
• About A Boy Star Hoult Sums It In Kenya [Sky News HD]
• Kenya: We've Failed In The Healing Process [AllAfrica.com]
• The Constitution Debate in Kenya [American Chronicle]
• Report Faults Kenya Education System [Daily Nation]
• The Magical and Threatened Lives of Kenya's Elephants [ABC News]
• Floods Leave Thousands Homeless [AllAfrica.com]

Meet the Kamba

The Kamba are a Bantu ethnic group who account for 11.4% of the population in Kenya and live in the semi-arid Eastern Province. They speak the Kikamba language.

In Kamba culture, the family plays a central role in the community. The man is usually engaged in trading, hunting, cattle-herding or farming, while the woman works on their plot of land, supplying the bulk of the food consumed by her family. It is the mother's role to bring up the children. Grandparents help with the less strenuous chores around the home. Older women continue to work the land, as this is seen as a source of independence and economic security.

Kamba believe that God (Mulungu) made the first pair of husband and wife, and brought them out of a hole in the ground. Man was originally made to live forever, but the chameleon, which Mulungu sent to announce this news, lingered on the way and stammered in delivering this message. Meanwhile, Mulungu sent a weaverbird, which flew swiftly and told the people that they would henceforth die and disappear like the roots of the aloe tree. Then man began to die. But death is not the master of man, since he reproduces and thus counteracts the effect of death. The Kamba believe in an afterlife including the world of spirits (Aimu) and reincarnation. Further, ritual belief in witchcraft and magic is very prevalent. Ironically, the most common magic is that used to counteract the effect of harmful witchcraft.

Naming is an important aspect of the Kamba people, and the children are named for/after time or events surrounding their birth. Traditionally the Kamba did not name after living ancestors; as their superstitions believed that this was thought to be a curse upon the living namesake to wish them dead.

The Kamba people's love of music and dance is evidenced in their spectacular performances at many events in their daily lives or on occasions of regional and national importance. Dances are usually accompanied by songs composed for the occasion.

Traditionally, Kamba men wore leather short kilts made from animal skins or tree bark. They wore copious jewelry, mainly of copper and brass. It consisted of neck-chains, bracelets, and anklets. The women traditionally wore knee-length leather or bark skirts, embellished with bead work, as well as necklaces made of beads. They shaved their heads clean, and wore a head band intensively decorated with beads. Traditionally, both men and women wore leather sandals, though while at home or working in their fields they remained barefoot.

Photo credit: Brian Wood

Common Swahili Phrases, Part 2

Last week we started to learn some common Swahili phrases, and this week we will learn some more.

Next week we will continue to learn common Swahili Phrases :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

• Kenya Showcases at China Expo [Capital News]
• President Obama Meeting Mama Obama in Remote Kenya [The Epoch Times]
• Kenyan Heart Patients Enjoy Free Treatment [Capital News]
• Learning Tree Cultural Preparatory School... [NY Daily News]

Meet the Kalenjin

Kalenjin is an ethnic group of Nilotic origin living in the Great Rift Valley in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. The Kalenjin population is estimated at roughly 3 million. They are pastoralists and are believed to have migrated to their present location from Sudan 2,000 years ago. The Kalenjin's oral history claims that their ancestors in antiquity were Ancient Egyptians.

The Kalenjin have been called by some "the running tribe." Since the mid-1960s, Kenyan men have earned the largest share of major honors in international athletics at distances from 800 meters to the marathon; the vast majority of these Kenyan running stars have been Kalenjin. From 1980 on, about 40% of the top honors available to men in international athletics at these distances (Olympic medals, World Championships medals, and World Cross Country Championships honors) have been earned by Kalenjin. In recent years, Kenyan women have become a major presence in international athletics at the distances; most of these women are also Kalenjin. It was speculated that the Kalenjin may possess some unique genetic predispositions for running; it seems that their running success results from the combination of their slender physique, slim lower legs, efficient oxygen consumption, and, possibly, the influence of altitude.

Photo credit: 4Kenya's Weblog

Common Swahili Phrases: Part 1

Last week we learned some Swahili politeness, and this week we will begin to learn some common Swahili phrases.

Next week we will continue to learn common Swahili Phrases :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.