Photo by Naiomi
Two of us got a ride from Livingstone to Mukuni. We could see the spray oand feel the humidity of the Falls until we left the paved road to Zimbabwe and drove up into the hills on a red dirt road.
Photo by Naiomi
The air got cooler and cooler as we climbed through the corn, soy bean, and millet fields of the Tonga People.
Photo by Naiomi
The air cooled with a very nice breeze, and there was a special calm feel to the air as we left the vehicle in the center of the village. Here we met Ma Felistus Mwaanga who was to guide us through the village.
These were very poor people who had only had their own well on the hill top since 2000. That was when electric power had been brought up to the village to power their two wells. Before this women had to walk the 5 kilometers to the Zambesi to cary eir water back up hill in 5 gallon buckets.
Ma Mwaanga introduced us to a few families and walked us through one family compound where the father showed us his drying ground nuts, Amarula berries, and chickens. There was one small bedroom hut for the mother and father, institute daughters, one for the sons, and one for cooking. They had a large enclosue for washing and laundry, but all toilet facilities were out in the bush outside the village.
Photo by Naiomi
Just outside each family compound was the family garden of okra, squash, and tomatoes.
The Tonga Chief lives in Mukuni village, but he rules over 110 villages. He is chief for life, but he cannot resign. There is a special hut in his compound. This hut is for the chief to die in if he starts making many bad decisions.
There have 19 chiefs for this group of tonga people. There ips a special stone, "Living Stone", that the new chief is given to swallow during the coronation ceremony. This same stone has resided in each of the 19 preceding chiefs.
