They are closely related to the neighbouring Kikuyu. The Kamba people are skillful in basketry and woodcarving. The Kikuyu are the country's largest ethnic group (22%). No quarrelling or fighting was allowed among themselves. Family groups are central in the Kamba culture; hence marriage and other rites of passage rank high in the community. The Kamba (also known as Akamba) belong to the Bantu community and lived in the eastern region in Kenya. rites of passage programme in Kisi with staff and beneficiaries. The Eunoto ceremony marked the graduation of the Morans into junior elders. PATH reports that the first "alternative ceremony" took place in 1996 in Meru district, and that "recent successful experiences have encouraged other Each of these rites are a key component that are a part of traditional African cultures. Es un rito de paso. When daughters got married, they would inherit the bright beads from their mother's ornaments, leaving the mother with the dull beads. Though primarily agriculturists, the Kamba keep considerable numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats. The Kamba made sacrifices to God on great occasions such as the rites of passage, planting time before crops ripen at the harvest of the first fruits. Before going through the initiation process, a boy or a girl at the age of about 15 expresses their desire to The items most in evidence-woodcarvings are actually least traditional, but most remunerative. The Kipsigis initiation process goes through seven major stages namely: Yatitaet, Labet-ab eun, Tienjinet, Kayaet, Ngetunotet, Yatetab oret, and Tiletab kirokto. Kamba . initiation rites to adulthood at around the age of 12, and have the same age-set Rites of passage are important stages or event in a persons life. The population of the Kamba tribe is growing, because in the year 2000 they had more than 3.2 million now they have between 3.5 million and 4 A lot of food was needed to 'heal their wounds'. There are intervals interspersing the women's laughter, which the men, waiting outside, can count as an indication of whether the baby is a girl or a boy. According to Akamba, Kilumi has been present since the very beginning of Kamba existence. Dance among the Luhya, the rites of passage among the Maasai and the skills of the Wamunyu wood carvers among the Kamba are some of the unique cultures which will be safeguarded under UNESCO funding. An ordinary ntheo ceremony must involve at least three goats, one of which must be a he-goat that is un-castrated. The boy's life in seclusion was usually a comfortable and enjoyable one. The Kamba make sacrifices on great occasions, such as at the rites of passage, planting time, before crops ripen, at the harvest of the first fruits, at the ceremony of purifying a village after an epidemic, and most of all when the rains fail or delay. Maasai Girl Initiate by Joy Adamson National Museums of Kenya. On its most basic level, circumcision marks the passage of a child into adulthood. dangers of the practice and develops alternative rites of passage for young girls. But from now on, Kenyan laws prohibit them from hunting, and meat is served only on They are also excellent hunters, pastoralists, and farmers. During the pre-colonial period, Kamba participated in long-distance trade. However, the highest concentration can be found in Central Province, known as the traditional Kikuyu homeland. The cutting of a foreskin or clitoris marks the cutting away of childhood. pasillo noun masculine. Initiation rites in Kalenjin nation is considered the most significant rite of passage just like birth and marriage. The new rite, known as "Ntanira na Mugambo" or "Circumcision Through Words," is "a week-long program of counseling, capped by community celebration and affirmation" (AfricaNews Online 27 Nov. 1997). The participation to the funeral is an important ritual obligation for all the Luo, it is the occasion to pay tribute to a loved one but also an opportunity to socialize with family and friends and discuss marriage alliances. The traditional Kamba made sacrifices on great occasions, such as at the rites of passage, planting time, before crops ripen, at the harvest of the first fruits, at the ceremony of purifying a village after an epidemic, and most of all when the rains fail or delay. A rite is a fundamental act (or set of rituals) performed according to prescribed social rules and customs. The traditions of the Miji Kenda community, the Isikhuti Dance among the Luhya, the rites of passage among the Maasai and the skills of the Wamunyu wood carvers among the Kamba are some of the unique cultures which will be safeguarded under UNESCO funding. It is a healing rite designed to restore environmental balance through spiritual blessings, movement, offering, and prayers. There were several social ceremonies that accompanied the rites of passage like circumcision, marriage and death. The Kamba have long Initiation rites take place during puberty and there are three parts to the Akamba initiation rites. These include the so called naming ceremonies, male initiation and circumcision, marriages and funerals. Burials. plwiktionary.org. Boys undergo circumcision and girls undergo clitoidetomy. This Maasai girl initiate is wearing elaborate ornaments on her head and arms. In Kikuyu and Kamba cultures widowed women and their first daughters shave their heads as a sign of mourning their bereaved husbands. Through the Frontiers Project, USAID funded PATH (an American organization) to work with MYWO on introducing alternative rites of passage for girls in three districts in western Kenya. This rite of passage is usually done on the eleventh or twelfth day after birth, and sometimes the first new moon or full moon day after the 10th day of birth. Overcrowding and soil erosion in the Machakos district have driven many to work in Nairobi. The Kikuyu were formerly hunters, and meat was the prerogative of men. People of both the main faiths and all ethnic groups more or less go through all the rituals. 5. A person's life in Gambia is marked by a series of African rites of passage or traditional rituals. In Kenya, approaches used, with varying degree Here it made mention of the different ways, of how pregnant woman are subjected to one taboos or the other in various towns in The Kamba have various metaphorical phrases for death: to follow the company of one's grandfathers, to go home, to stop snoring, to be fetched or summoned, to empty out the soul, to sleep for ever and ever, to dry up, wither or evaporate, to pass away, to be called, to reject the people, to reject food, to be received or taken away, to return or go back, to terminate, to be These rites of passage are crucial in all traditional African communities rites are ceremonies conducted on such occasions very from one community to another. His or her The tribe's mother tongue is Kikamba (Kamba). Nobody was permitted to eat leftovers. Kamba is the 5th largest tribe in Kenya, accounting for over 10 percent of Kenya's population. On the day of this samskara, the infant is bathed and dressed in new garments. Their main staple crops are millet, sorghum, and corn (maize). Kilumi dance was conducted to appease the spirits when the need arose and also it could be done to thank God for his blessings. We are grateful to staff at Population Council including Winnie Osulah, who guided the research proposal Kamba and Turkana, and rarely practiced among the Luo and Luhya (less than 1%). In Nandi traditions, the original name that a child receives is not used until another substitute name, birth-related and selected by the mother, is given a few days later. Gusii/ Kisii/ Abagusii Tribe of Kenya's Rites of Passage for It's a rite of passage. Around the ages of four to seven, children go through the first stage of initiation rites. The five rites are birth, adulthood, marriage, eldership, and ancestorship. USAID also funded the Population Councils evaluation of the same program. In chapter one, Pregnancy rites was one of the rites of passage. Among the Kamba and the Maasai, women workloads in the homesteads vary mainly due to inter alia; differences in social organisation, modes of subsistence and marriage arrangements. The Maasai adopted the institution of Oloibon or prophet that combined socio-religious functions and later own assumed political authority. They live on the whole territory of Kenya. After seclusion there were several cycles of cleansing, anointing and feasting. Would you like a place by window or by passage? Kamba, Bantu-speaking people of Kenya. Family groups are central in the Kamba culture hence marriage and other rites of passage rank high in the community. In traditional African community the important stages a person goes through are birth, initiation, marriage and death. Boston Garden is long gone, 25 years since the bandbox atop North Station was reduced to rubble and replaced with a newer, shinier, tonier version of itself. Kamba Cue people of Paraguay are known famously in South America for their awesome, intense and lively traditional African drumming and dancing performances. Cleansing ceremony and when rains delay. Maasai girl wearing ornaments symbolising the rites of passage. Psychologists and others variously ascribe all manner of additional interpretations to the act: it could be a breaking of innocence, or of purity; it is a cleansing; it marks the difference between rational man and animal-like After, there is public rejoicing, dancing, singing, drinking beer and making food offerings. Rites of passage as could be seen in this work dealt with the various ritual which an individual undergo from one stage to another. Kamba crafts are evident not only in Kenya but overseas as well. Population The population of the Kamba is roughly around 3,500,000 to around 4,000,000. They speak Kikamba language and are closely related in language and culture to the Kikuyu, Embu, Mbeere and Meru. However, they are allowed to shave their heads during rites of passage such as circumcision and marriage.