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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 Isuvi

With Kisato left and Ominde on right at their home near Chavavo, Mahanga.


Isuvi lived at the foothill of iDabwongo, Maragori hills. Him and other vaSaniaga who occupied Inavi area among other clans. VaSaniaga there said they came from Sakwa, Bondo. And it is from the hills that they spread just like the rest of 'Murogori Children'. MuSari for instance, had his children at the hills, muMageza, muKoyani, muSweta, muMbaya and others before leaving the foothills and headed East/North. When you are on top of the hills, with one peak named Ong'ondo, the occupier, you do see the vast semi-flatness /voreremo/ in NorthEast. A direction that out ancestors took, not very long ago.

Isuvi died early, leaving his two sons and a girl, orphans. They grew up mu vwifwa not far from the foothill, their mother called Ogisa, mukana muMugezi. Isaya Ong'ondo was Isuvi's elder son. Norah Inyangu a daughter that followed and Muganda Rasto a son that was left young. These three grew up at Inavi. The very ground where the primary school is. It was part of their land. Inyangu was married and the sons begot wives. Then they left Inavi.

Isaya Ong'ondo left Inavi  afflicted. For some reason the neighbourhood was not at peace with him. Probably because he was a succeeding business person with a shop at Mahanga, probably because his girls were getting boarding education at Kima BoG (Now Bunyore Girls), probably because he was a church leader or probably because he was not 'belonging'. Then on one terrific night, he got leads that his vizu roofed house was a target to banditry, from the neighbourhood. The 1952 Christmas had been celebrated and the church had collected a stagering amount, Ksh 525/-. He was the treasurer, banks were homes. At 2am the fears became real, the vizu roof was set ablaze. A padlock had been fastened by the killers. And fire was engulfing vaSaniaga vaOng'ondo. In terror, Ong'ondo asked Hosea, 7 year old son to jump through the little window and go knock the padlock off. It was so. And the family only saved themselves, the rest was burnt down. That is how they moved from there and settled not far downwards. A majority of the people who occupied Inavi were vaFunami.

Downwards, near Mahanga, Ong'ondo would get a spacious piece of land at Gamarizi village, a name resulting from lots of papyrus reeds by the valley bottom. And by his wife, Leah Obunga, muSari muSweta they had five sons and three girls. Tadayo Isuvi, Ziriba Kaveza, Shadrack Emonyangwa, Dorina Ogisa, Wilson Anzugira, Kezia Andesia, Hosea Kisato and Fred Ominde. The latter two are thankful for their lives and regard their lives as that of proverbial phoenix that restored itself to former might, graciously.

Muganda Rasto did migrate to South Nyanza in the 1960's and had three sons, two, Isuvi and Soda by Beriha mukana muGuga and one, Ong'ondo nu muMavi.

Kisato and Ominde are grandfathers. The sons of Ong'ondo alive. Engaged at a community level with agriculture and a primary school that gives them a sense of fulfilment. Kisato is the PTA chairperson, Fred the Patron and Tadayo's son, Calvin Ominde the Director. An ideal way of pulling together at a family level with each one feeling helpful. And their children that are away from home, serving humanity alike are of great pride to these vaSaniaga in their prime.

-/With Thanks
saniaga.org
saniaga.blogspot.com
info.saniaga@gmail.com

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