Chagga Tribe

We took Tuesday off from our placements to discover the Chagga tribe.
A guide from Cross Cultural solutions took us to a batik maker who demonstrated to us the process of creating his magnificent works.
We then stopped at a Baobab (pronounced bow-bow) tree and learned of how this tree plays a significant role in the lives of Chagga people. They use the tree as a place for meditation and ceremony, as a dwelling place for one or two families, and/or as a source of food and medicine.
The Chagga market was a bustling place where people gathered to sell anything from hardware, food, spices, clothes, shoes, fabric and items for the home. Like the Boma market, people travel on foot to bring their goods to market. Women carrying one or two bunches of bananas were a highlight. The Chagga people believe that if you take a photo, you are taking their spirit, so most people will not grant permission to have their photo taken.
Chagga people are also known for their iron work. Over hot coals fueled by a bellows system, workers shape iron into spears, knives, bells and other works of art.
Their doomed dwellings are made of branches with a grass roof. They are divided into two areas, one for people and their other for livestock. The Chagga are very protective of their cattle. There is an attic like area, designed for storage or to the smoke/dry certain foods.