I was watching Vitimbi on a ITV, Tanzanian Tv station the other day. It is a local Kenyan production in Swahili with the likes of Mzee Ojwang, Mama Kayayi and their ever crazy team of cooks based in their restaurant selling "nusu mukate na chai ya maziwa" (Half a loaf of bread and milk tea)
This is an age old program, and am glad it has not lost is humour much as the characters are losing their gait.
In this episode, Mama Kayayi gets a visit from a neighbour, the maendeleo ya wanawake type and she is not sparing Mama Kayayi by telling her how "mujinga" she is for not joining one of women clubs with a rotating fund scheme.
Ati, you , why do you tell your husband the truth, you need to save money and build for your mum a house back in the village
So the tricks out come out namely a)Tell hubby the sugar is finished kumbe you still have enough to last a week b) Make sure you bargain in the market place, save the diffrence for yourself.c)moan about how old your clothes are then buy some good quality mitumba (2nd hand) ones.
I sit there and am thinking, how sad that Money matters cannot be discussed openly with honey dear and stealing can even be an option in one of the 'closest' bonds one can have with another.
Well Mama Kayayi knew better though I am awoken as to how crazy things can get even to the extent that there exists a book on "how to hide money from your husband!"
Why the trend...?
It appears women are learning the hard way. He gets you off work to be "a mother to my children" and everytime you ask for kitu kidogo to send back home he barks at you. So the game begins.
At a meeting with collegues one time, husbands admitted that they do not tell their wives everything about the money they earn. Ati, "she wont allow me to spend on my people"
Who is fooling who?
3 comments:
I wonder! Like two "wise" ones playing wise on themselves, Mo...how dishonourably that makes their supposed noble union!
I know.
But again I have learnt to respect (not accept) pple's take and actions.
If the golden rule was applied, (treat others like you would like to be treated) Then all is fair and square.
These days its about getting ALL you can out of a relationship cause of lack of committment right from tha dating process down to when YOU have a piece of paper and rings that say YOU are ONE!
Stealing from ur partner is so very wrong. All money matters in a marriage should be discussed with both! If that is not possible, there is no real love.
I would never trust my wife anymore if i knew she had taken money from the household to send to her parents in Africa. We do send money sometimes, but always talk about it before. When I buy books or cd's I never use household money, but the money i earn from doing extra job, or going to play dj in parties!! Even most of the time, i use the extra money i earn to make my wife and kids happy !!
Greetings, Peter, Belgium
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