Kamba Culture

Course Description

CONTENTS:

1. Kamba Origins
   • Mythology
   • Geographical Settlement and Migration
   • Kamba People outside Kenya
2. Kamba Language
   • Basic grammar
   • Greetings: Meaning and Functions including their role as indicators of inter-personal relationships
   • Language diversity including dialects
   • Decorum
3. Kamba clans
   • Common clans and their peculiar attributes
   • Role of clans including social functions
4. Common foods and Drinks
   • Common meals and their preparations
   • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
5. Kamba recreational activities
   • Games and play activities for children
   • Sports activities for the youth
   • Kamba Songs
   • Oral literature: folk songs storytelling, riddles and proverbs
   • Communal eating and drinking as leisure
6. Health, Wellbeing and Social welfare
   • Children’s illnesses and treatment
   • Common diseases/illneses from birth to one year
   • Traditional medicine and the role of the herbalist
   • Superstitions (Witch craft and witches)
   • Epidemics and natural calamities (famine and disease outbreaks)
   • Social welfare – supporting each other
7. Kamba attire and accessories
   • Dressing for children
   • Dressing for the youth
   • Dressing for Adults
   • Accessories
   • Ceremonial attire and accessories
   • Favorite colors
8. Kamba Economic Activities
   • Farming – types of crops and farming methods
   • Pastoralism – types of animals kept and characteristics of husbandry
   • Trade – intra-Kamba and external trade
   • Property ownership at the personal, family, clan and community levels
9. Kamba social and governance structures
   • Family level
   • Village organization
   • Clans system
   • Dispute resolution mechanisms

10. Defense
    1. Fighting tools and implements
    2. Self-defense
    3. Defense of the family
    4. Defense of the community
    5. Colonial Era

11. Religious beliefs
    • Spirits and ancestors
    • Worship activities
    • Priest/diviner and his roles
    • Prophets and seers
    • Curses
12. Traditional practices and ceremonies

      From birth to 7 years:

• Naming conventions
• Informal education

            From 7 to 15 years:

• Initiation rites for boys and Girls
• Religious rituals
• Pass time activities
• Societal roles and economic activities

13. Marriage and family
    • Function of marriage
    • Courtship
    • The process of marrying
    • Types of marriages
    • Polygamy
    • Religious rituals associated with marriage
    • Raising children
    • Dealing with childlessness (barren/impotent)
    • Gender roles in marriage
    • Dispute resolution in marriage
    • Divorce
    • Religious rituals associated with marriage
    • Societal roles and economic activities
14. Becoming an elder (from 45 to 70 years)
    • Stages towards becoming an elder
    • Religious rituals associated with becoming an elder
    • Pass time and recreation activities for elders
    • Societal roles and economic activities of elders

15. Death and burial/body disposal
    • Meaning of Death
    • Mourning
    • Life Expectancy
    • Causes of death (natural, witchcraft, curses)
    • Burial rites (Children, young people, elders; male, female)
    • Burial locations
    • Time of burial
    • Beliefs about live after death
    • Rituals after funeral