Indigenous Knowledge in Disaster Management in Africa
the agro-ecological conditions. Once planted and harvested there was also indigenous knowledge know-how required on how to process, preserve and store them and other food products gathered from the wild to ensure food security during drought and times of scarcity.61 Other survival tactics included intercropping, mixed cropping, crop zoning and timely planting according to the rain calendar, water conservation, stock diversifying, herd-splitting and destocking, transhumance, bonding with family and community members and kuhemea (Tanzania Swahili word for seeking help from neighbours). Dissemination The various communities had different ways of disseminating information on impeding disasters. The methods included specific beats of drums and sounding of horns by clan elders. In western Kenya, the drums and horns were used to alert people to come together at known meeting points where the specific warning, instructions or advice was communicated and appropriate actions decided upon. In Tanzania, communities used a mortar known as kinu to warn distant villages about the occurrence of a calamity. This was achieved by beating the mortar with heavy sticks to make a cacophony that clearly signified danger. This was done in the evening or at night when the still, cool and quiet atmosphere enabled the sound to travel far and wide. In other areas, a drum known as lamgambo was beaten by a chief’s drummer. This would produce a characteristic tune that signaled to villagers to assemble at the chief’s home at the earliest opportunity for some important announcements. This gave rise to a Swahili saying: Lamgambo likilia ujue kuna jambo (“When the lamgambo makes a sound know that there is an important event around”). Preparedness and response
61 Normally any unusually heavy rainy seasons is expected to be followed with a rainfall deficient season or drought. It is this time that elders in western Kenya would give advice to the people to plant drought resistant plants such as budho or amatawu (pumpkin), bo or ikuwi (cowpeas), amariwua (cassava), sweet potatoes, millet and sorghum. In Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, the elders played very important roles in disaster management regarding early warning to response and recovery. During a normal and good rainfall season, the elders would advise the community to enhance land preparation and the planting of high yield crops. When a bad season and drought is expected the elders would advise the communities to plant drought resistant crops.
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