Cooking - Tarani 1971

Cooking was done over an open fire with an earthern pot nested between three stones. Villagers cooked inside during the rains and the smoke filtered out through the thatch. They would build a seperate tiny hut ( jiko) in which to do the cooking. We erected an old piece of tarp over our fire when necessary. The cooking stones held great significance as sort of the hallmark of the home. There were several staple products which practially everyone needed; kerosene lamp oil (for tiny wick lamps) salt, cooking oil and matches. Tea leaves and sugar were added if one had the shillings and then came malaria pills and batteries for a flashlight. Machetes, cloth and perhaps a metal basin could be had at some close little store.
Practially everything else could be made; cooking pots, food baskets, sleeping mats, spears, bows and arrows, sandals from old tires, leather skins for various uses, wooden mortar and pestle for grinding grain, stools from wood. All these were fashioned with great craftsmanship, decoration and beauty. Some of the baskets were woven so tightly that they would hold porridge, uji, made from grain. Water would be carried from the waterhole or spring in five gallon metal kerosene tins (debe). This was mostly done by women and children and only occasionally men.