It’s a very special time of year in central Tanzania as Gogo children head out of the village for male circumcision …. the drummers are in full voice, often celebrating all through the night. Their light weight drums are made from a wood called muheme.
So here it is – THANKS to all who bought the Sing to the Well CD – we now have a finished medical dispensary. The first medical unit in this village. The interesting part of the story is that the government has now been kicked into action and they have almost completed a clinic which will be adjacent to this new dispensary. Unfortunately governmental red tape has stopped the opening of our facility until later in June. The government have promised that they will supply a doctor, nurse and supplies.
Very interesting …. a short video from a documentary out soon about the psychological and economic processes of transformation for a group of outcast/untouchable drummers in rural India.
Rebekah’s family have always been interested in natural remedies. Through some research on the internet we have come in contact with a company called Anamed whose focus is on encouraging the natural resources that each country has in their land. Western drugs, when they can be obtained are very expensive, so we have been asking the question of what natural resources are available within central Tanzania. Read More
What’s the biggest change in your life time?” was the question we asked the oldest man in the village. “Female circumcision” he replied whilst other men around laughed. An interesting statement from someone who has lived through so many other changes in his community – this practise has completely died out amongst the Wagogo people due to teaching and a governmental campaign throughout Tanzania. His answer may have been due to the season we were in – we had arrived during male circumcision time (a real celebration were the drummers played all night – every night) and many of the young boys were seen coming back early in the morning on the backs of bicycles from the special place. The old man then left to go and play an African game that requires good memory skills – not bad for 100!
So good to be back in Tanzania – we have heard that Mnase village have had the best harvest for 8 years! It will be amazing to be there for the first time when they have an abundance. Every other trip has been when they were in a poor situation concerning crops. The land looks so green for June – amazingly beautiful.
Just watched an amazing piece of journalism on BBC 4 … harrowing but well worth the watch.
It’s a documentary about Comrade Duch, who ran the Tuol Sleng prison camp in Phnom Penh and was the first Khmer Rouge leader to be tried by the Cambodian courts for the regime’s crimes. On 28 February 2009 Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, appeared in the ECCC courtroom and made a two-hour speech where he asked for forgiveness for the appalling torture and execution of at least 13,000 prisoners at Tuol Sleng and probably more in the security camps of M-13 and M-99. Until this date, with the exception of a handful of judges, lawyers and a priest, he had not been seen or heard of for the last thirty years. How did a man, known to be kind and generous to fellow students, possibly transform himself into Comrade Duch, the Khmer Rouge’s infamous executioner? This documentary revisits and searches for clues.
We were all shocked by the horrendous happenings in Norway in 2011 and I felt for my good friends in that beautiful country. In my thoughts I often remembered a wonderful singer Hildegunn Vederhus who I had met that May in Norway. She told me some of the stories of her land and sang some of the old folk songs. This is just one (my friend John captured roughly on his iPad) that she remembered from her childhood. Here is her translation – very apt after the sadness of the last few days.
The Love Song
Yoiking is a very melodic rhythmical way of singing, sometimes with words sometimes without words. Traditionally the songs would have spoken of life and work, reindeer, journeyings, migrations, hunting, weather and love. The Sámi people today can be found in four distinct areas – northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in northern Russia. A singer who has pioneered this style is Mari Boine from Norway.
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