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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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Izava Walk : When I get to the end

A man who said his grandfather never wore clothes sat up at Ichava, daraja tatu, the place Izava crosses the tarmacked road of Kima-Stend Kisa, where I would start the next day from. He was of Avesonga clan in Nyore. Songa could be a luo woman, he said. He said that there once were land conflicts between Maragoli and Nyore which the white man settled with boundaries. His father was called Orwari and Orwari was the son of Afune Mkingi who wore no clothes.

They tried to plant coffee here but nothing happened. See the bushes remaining to date. That was in 1954.

That said, I entered a matatu whose conductor did not cash me change. Morning, the very matatu showed up and I entered. I was alighted but being quick to speak to the hurrying driver served best than cursing. He listened and in I went. Destination where I left last evening. At Bunyore Farmers factory, like any other quiet coffee place, I started the day.

The plan was to walk, seriously walk, see whether I'd remain with a small distance to cover the coming day. People and talking I'd reduce for the information I had wanted I thought I had. What would be questions is the rivers and streams flowing in. And for that, at Halyayuga stream I cleaned shoes from mud caused by due. My clipboard fell and papers socked. Lucky it was morning and I did not cram all my writings together.

Things that crosses one's path! You but see grass and leaves shake. A wrong path and Izava was lost. I had to walk long. The ridges had confused me. And Lusela stream from Muhondo and Ebunangwe places joined at Magaha area before Mmuyeshe- Muhondo road. Two, a stream from  Muruore, Matsuri and Elukhove went in. It is like at the start of Kakamega county all streams head Northwest for Izava received no major inflow from there.

The best way to justify my questions was that I was a student and out for research. You would be mad to say you are passionate to follow a river! And when they say that traditions among the Nyore are not as they used to be, they said to a trustee. One old man who weeded and in a while went by the banana to take tea said Mundioli stream bordered Matsuri from Emang'ari.

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