Mama Kusuma - or "Mama Mboga" ... my fruit & veg Mama (far left, in blue jersey) & her helpers ! A few month’s ago I wrote a post about the lovely fresh fruit & vegetables which I buy from my “Veggie Mama” on the side of the road when I go into the city - we go back a long way, my Veggie mama and I - she has been supplying me with wonderful (top quality) fruit & veggies for years now and you can read a little about our ‘history’ together in that post over here.
When I was in the city recently, I asked if I could take a photo of her and her helpers (who are family members of hers) – she obliged and here the photo is above - she is the lady in the blue jersey on the far left – they are all jovial, lovely friendly Mama’s but they wanted a “serious” pose for this photo !
My Veggie Mamma’s name is Mama Kusuma, but I always call her “Mama Mboga” (Mama vegetable) as this is what people tend do to here. For example the butcher may be called “Bwana Nyama” (Mr Meat) or the farm manager “Bwana Shamba” (a “Shamba” is a farm in Kiswahili). Mostly the local Tanzanian people have nicknames for the Mzungu (white people) but you never know what they are – they are a closely guarded secret !
Do you see the colourful cloths that all the ladies are wearing around their waists in the photo ? This is the local Tanzanian Kitenge cloth (“Kanga”) which is a locally printed, brightly coloured cloth which comes in many different designs and patterns and is worn by most Tanzanian women here - especially in the rural areas. The women also traditionally wear matching kitenge cloths wrapped around their heads and / or over their shoulders, too. For special occasions such as weddings or Sunday church you can see all manner of bright kitenge been worn by the women as they walk along the roadside - they add a wonderful splash of colour to the rolling green countryside and endless blue skies around them !
So, now you have met Mama Kusuma and I wish that by looking at the photo you could feel her warmth and friendliness because she is truly a great lady and it is her nature and warmth that has probably also kept me as a loyal customer for so many years now – I look forward to going to her roadside stall, standing in the busy, shady street and chatting & laughing with her as we talk about mundane things like the weather, children, husbands and how we plan on cooking and/or eating the vegetable of the day.
After a visit to Mama Kusuma I always come home with not only a full basket of delightful fresh produce, but also a full and happy heart – it’s people like her who make up the wonderful spirit of Tanzania.
When I was in the city recently, I asked if I could take a photo of her and her helpers (who are family members of hers) – she obliged and here the photo is above - she is the lady in the blue jersey on the far left – they are all jovial, lovely friendly Mama’s but they wanted a “serious” pose for this photo !
My Veggie Mamma’s name is Mama Kusuma, but I always call her “Mama Mboga” (Mama vegetable) as this is what people tend do to here. For example the butcher may be called “Bwana Nyama” (Mr Meat) or the farm manager “Bwana Shamba” (a “Shamba” is a farm in Kiswahili). Mostly the local Tanzanian people have nicknames for the Mzungu (white people) but you never know what they are – they are a closely guarded secret !
Do you see the colourful cloths that all the ladies are wearing around their waists in the photo ? This is the local Tanzanian Kitenge cloth (“Kanga”) which is a locally printed, brightly coloured cloth which comes in many different designs and patterns and is worn by most Tanzanian women here - especially in the rural areas. The women also traditionally wear matching kitenge cloths wrapped around their heads and / or over their shoulders, too. For special occasions such as weddings or Sunday church you can see all manner of bright kitenge been worn by the women as they walk along the roadside - they add a wonderful splash of colour to the rolling green countryside and endless blue skies around them !
So, now you have met Mama Kusuma and I wish that by looking at the photo you could feel her warmth and friendliness because she is truly a great lady and it is her nature and warmth that has probably also kept me as a loyal customer for so many years now – I look forward to going to her roadside stall, standing in the busy, shady street and chatting & laughing with her as we talk about mundane things like the weather, children, husbands and how we plan on cooking and/or eating the vegetable of the day.
After a visit to Mama Kusuma I always come home with not only a full basket of delightful fresh produce, but also a full and happy heart – it’s people like her who make up the wonderful spirit of Tanzania.
