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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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THE LAST BEGGARS

07/09/2015

                       
                                                           BEGGARS AND ME

The disadvantage of digging for information is that it can build a paradigm of doubts to what was naively real (serious). My first time in Nairobi, two weeks after concluding KCSE exams at age 18 was a shock to how the city looked- if not whole, where my father stayed. Ronald Ngala was too noisy, the sun too shiny, the dust suffocating and the nylon papers allover to Dandora heart-braking. There were so many strangers than friends- different from rural side. The world had changed.

You have your own story of how the world 'changed'. It may have come early in your life that you may think that you were born in a distorted world. If reality hit you later- maybe after college then you can vividly tell. My reaction to the situation was to stick strong to my sunday school induced faith and fear. I was moved by new beggars and feared bad boys. 

They are new beggars because of the new environment and means of getting what they want. They have bowls and cups. They are mostly lame and sometimes in need of medical attention. They are often found along busy streets. I started giving coins for conscience sake. The more I  tried to give the better I thought I was doing good. One day I came across some dropped money on the road. Under a moral torment of whether I should leave it- for somebody may pick it and 'use'- I decided to pick and give the first beggar I met. I could not miss one. 

We were walking in Allsopps area, Nairobi when we saw a lame woman sitting with a begging bowl. He said that the beggar is richer. She had a few coins when he had none. He lamented. And another day early in the morning I boarded a nissan whose tout carries beggars early in the morning to their destinations. He was doing 'good'.


  1. ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something.
    "I begged him for mercy"
    synonyms:implore, entreat, plead with, appeal to, supplicate, pray to, importune;More
    • ask for (something) earnestly or humbly.
      "he begged their forgiveness"
      synonyms:ask for, request, plead for, appeal for, call for, sue for, solicit, seek,press for
      "we begged for mercy"
    • ask formally for (permission to do something).
      "I will now beg leave to make some observations"
  2. 2.
    ask for something, typically food or money, as charity or a gift.
    "a young woman was begging in the street"
    synonyms:panhandle, ask for money, seek charity, seek alms; More
    • acquire (something) from someone by begging.
      "a piece of bread that I begged from a farmer"
    • (of a dog) sit up with the front paws raised expectantly in the hope of a reward.




                    WHEN DID BEGGING START?
We cannot date when begging started as we cannot date when suffering started. It may however have been practised in different ways depending on the needs. Wikipedia writes that its form varied. Their needs vary from money, drink, illness, food, homelessness and run-away among others.



LEGALITY TO BEGGING

SOCIAL DICRIMINATION TO BEGGARS

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