Nowa ya asili

Niko mama shujaa waafrika
nili zaliwamu mwaka wa 1984 pa Vyura, tuli zaliwa watoto tano wote wabinti.Mimi ni binti wa pili.Niliolewa na mume wangu mu mwaka wa 2000 pa Minembwe.Ninao watoto wane:wasichana wawili na wavulana wa wili.Ninawapenda sana sana.
Niliolewa kwa mali mengi:Ngombe saba na mali mengine
nilioewa wakati nilikua na miaka kumi na sita.Kwa wakati ule nilikua mu somo la tano la msingi.Niliolewa kufuatana na utamaduni na mila yetu.yaani:kubomboka ao kurendera.
Kubomboka ni kuolewa pasipo kuchumbiana.Mume anakuja nyumbani ao njiani na ana peleka binti nyumbani kwao.Kiisha ivi,wazazi wake wanaenda kupeleka ngombe na mali kwao na binti.
Niliona kama ile siyo ndowa nzuri.Nilazima vijana wawili wasikilizane na kuchumbiana na kiisha kusikilizana,wanaweza kuowana.
Mimi kama vile mama shujaa ninapinga sana sana kubomboka ao kuremndera.Ninakataza mabinti wote kuolewa kwa hali iyo ya asili na mila.
Nyantebuka

English translation by community member Celya

Traditional marriage

I am a Mama Shujaa from Africa. I was born in the year 1984 in Vyura. In my family we were five children, all girls. I am the second daughter. I got married in 2000 in Minembwe and I now have four children, two daughters and two sons. I love them very much. When I got married, my bridal price was high: seven cows and other belongings. I was sixteen when I got married and back then I was in my 5th year of secondary education.
I got married according to our tradition and culture meaning I had two choices: getting raptured or moving in with my boyfriend.
“Getting raptured” is getting married without any previous encounter or relationship with the partner. A man goes to a girl’s house or seizes her by force as she walks and takes her to his home. After that, his parents take cows and other presents to the girl’s family. I thought that wasn’t a good way of getting married. It is important that two young people get to know each other first, get engaged and then get married.
As a Mama Shujaa, I am totally against getting raptured or moving in as a way of getting married. I advise all girls against getting married in a traditional and cultural way.
Nyantebuka