I just love visiting this mama on market days. She’s always welcoming and always invites me to sit and rest for a while. And I love her spot because all the Datoga-Barabaig women love it too. That’s their main meet up place in the market. I don’t take pictures of them because they don’t want me to. But we’ve become friendly after I was invited to one of their weddings.
On market days, we sit and chat, every once in a while a woman stands up and announces she’s off to walk around the market, or another arrives and greets everyone. Market day is always a happy day of coming together from all the remote villages in the deep bush.
The blankets on sale are called Shuka, and are the traditional wear for Barabaig women and men around here. Most sellers place each cloth in a sort of a pile, with the tip pointing upward.
As the day goes by, women come and ask this mama to leave their shopping with her, as they continue to wander around and meet up with friends.
Slowly, each blanket was covering another woman’s Luggage, and the whole pointy display becomes all smooshed, but filled with love and togetherness.
I was sitting there beaming, deeply touched by this sight of the blankets changing their role from items for sale, into guardians of the women’s shopping bags, and Mama’s stand transforming into a safe place that allows the women to enjoy the market without dragging their shopping around with them.
To me, this is Tribal wisdom at her best. The most important thing, always, are people. Community. Togetherness. Business is nice and money is good, but our relationships and warm feeling of having people to rely on- that’s the nectar of human life.
I asked her to take a picture and she agreed. And so, I’m able to tell you this sweet little story from my last market day, about togetherness, and the beautiful Barabaig women.
