Harvest time

We agreed to help the Kapito family take their maize from their farm (about 2 acres) which is about 7km from town to their home in Kauma village. They had our pickup box heaped up so that the two boys could just squeeze up on top. The two boys in the family are members but only Daniel (18), the youngest, is active. He is a very smart young man. We really wish we could find a way to get him into school somewhere.

Bringing in the harvest. This is Daniel's sister Triza (21) who just graduated from trade school as an electrician.

Of course, as soon as we stop there are at least a dozen kids. We just backed in behind their house and they pulled everything out into a pile on the ground. From there they will pick the kernels off the cobs into big bags. One bag of kernels will feed a small family for about three weeks if they are careful. Eventually they will take the bags, as they need them, to the mill to be ground into the maize flour that they use every day to make nsema. The taste and texture of nsema are about like gritty cream of wheat porridge. It's really thick and they form it into kind of pancake shapes which they pick up with their fingers and eat with a bit of cooked "relish". Relish is anything from cabbage, onions, chopped spinach, tomatoes, fish and the like.

Take a look at this little dress. Pink and white with bows, lace and sequins. Just as cute as can be and out playing in the dirt with all the other kids. You literally see the full range of clothes in the village every day. You are just as likely to see evening wear walking down the street to the market as you are a t-shirt.

There she is on the right with all the other kids.