One of the other math teachers had a baby a couple of
weeks ago. There seem to be a lot of
families of our acquaintance having babies, perhaps because many of the
Tanzanian teachers here are in their 20s or 30s. We have learned of some cultural differences
associated with these blessed events.
One of these is that babies are indeed
"blessings". New parents
aren't to be congratulated, as on an achievement, because babies are a gift
from God. This is true even if the
family is very poor or if the parents are unwed. Babies are a blessing.
Another difference is that a woman's pregnancy is not a
proper topic for conversation. I was
told by a woman who spent 12 years as a missionary in this community that
miscarriages can and do happen up to 7 months of pregnancy, so chitchat about
when the baby is due, and so on, is not welcome until the very end of the
term. The same goes for naming the
child. Infant mortality is high, and
though parents love and care for their newborns, they don't take the step of
naming them until they are a month old, or more.
The middle-class women we know--other teachers and wives
of teachers--have their babies in the local hospital, which reportedly offers
good maternal and newborn care. Women in
communities far from healthcare facilities use a midwife, if they are lucky
enough to have one, or other women to help them with delivering the baby. Unfortunately, these rural mothers are
usually the ones most at risk for complications due to youth (marriage at 14 is
not uncommon) and malnutrition.
But our colleague Ester's little girl was born healthy
and beautiful. Two weeks after the birth
those of us in the math/physics department went to visit them at their
home. Angela, a chemistry teacher and
Ester's close friend, accompanied us and showed us the way to the house. Ester and her husband and (now) two children
live in a 3-room semi-detached home made of concrete with a tin roof, like
ours. There is a separate small building
used as a wash house and I saw an outhouse in the back yard. There were goats and ducks on the
property. Inside, the living room is
furnished in a nice middle-class fashion.
We took off our shoes at the door, and then stepped in onto a rug. There are two overstuffed loveseats, a comfy
chair, and a coffee table. A small TV
sits on a cabinet in the corner, with a picture of Jesus hanging above it. And there is an imposing hutch, which holds
the china on which we were served tea.
Mark and I went, as did four other math and physics
teachers, all male. We were greeted by
Ester's mother (whom we called Mama Ester, in the tradition of the culture) and
served tea, bread, boiled eggs, and soda by a young woman who was not
introduced but who is probably another relative. Ester joined us, and she looks well. She was convinced to bring the child out for
us to see. Not that I could see that
much of her, besides a very cute little face.
Babies are bundled up, in Tanzania.
This one was wearing standard baby clothes, including a hat and,
presumably booties, and was tightly wrapped in receiving blanket and a big
fluffy blanket. It didn't feel that cold
to me, but Tanzanians feel the chill more than Mark and I do.
What surprised me most about the visit was the fact that
the male teachers all wanted to hold the baby and cuddle her. One of them, a single man in his
mid-twenties, rocked and talked with her for a long time. I think he must come from a large family, and
have experience with babies. Certainly,
that behavior is not what I have seen from American men of the same age and
marital state.
Our visit lasted well over an hour. Before leaving, we gave gifts to the
mother. Mark and I had bought baby
clothes and booties in Arusha the weekend before, and brought them along. The other teachers pooled their funds and
bought flour and sugar at a local shop on our way to the home. Sugar, especially, is considered a very nice
gift here, I've learned. A Maasai man
may bring sugar to the parents of a woman he is courting, to get into their
good favor. Ester didn't open the gifts
while we were there, as is also typical.
I did show the baby outfit and booties to Angela beforehand, and she was
impressed, so I think they were fine gifts too.
It's good to know that, because Angela is a dear friend
of ours, and her baby is due in
another two weeks.
