| How women adapt to Ramadhan | Send to a friend |
| Friday, 27 August 2010 16:10 |
 By Zaynab TurukuIt’s 4pm at Mnazi Mmoja bus stop and the sun is still shining. It is vividly clear that there are more women struggling to squeeze themselves into the already congested buses and most of them are in veils. It doesn’t take long for one to know the cause for such a hassle. Of course, it is Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and it is at this time that, women are rushing home in order to prepare food in time for their families to break the fast. By all means, they have to get home earlier. For many families, Iftaar is not like any other normal meal that can be prepared in a jiffy; it is a collection of several well-cooked meals. In other words, as Ramadhan knocks the door, Muslim women are the first ones to readjust their lifestyles in order to assert their positions as caring and loving mothers and wives to their families. A radio presenter Geah Habib, a female radio presenter at Clouds FM, when I met her, she was quick to say, “I hope your interview won’t take long. I hate eating meals that have been prepared by a housemaid during Ramadhan. Therefore, come what may, I have to get home earlier and prepare Iftar.” But that is not the only readjustment Geah has made so far. She has also changed even the general content of her popular Leo Tena programme. Her gossip programme discusses conflicting issues in a typical lower class society. It’s in the same programme where trendy Taarab music is being played. Busy as she is, yet she still has time to rush home and prepare something special for her husband. Even in such a trendy world where more women are becoming breadwinners, Geah still finds it inappropriate not to prepare Iftar for her family. “Our families need appetising meals because they are fasting. I can give all excuses in other months not to cook but not this month,” she says. A lecturer Imane Duwe is a lecturer at St. Augustine University. To her, Ramadhan can only be difficult to families whose members don’t share responsibilities. Although she prepares meals for her family, she also thinks that, it is not purely a woman’s role. To make things simple, she has prepared a month long timetable of possible meals to be served. Everyday, she discusses it with others to see if there is any change in preference. “If there is anything missing at home, my husband would always pass at the market and tops up the stock,” she says. Imane is one of those who will do anything to make sure that Iftar is served in time. “We cook at least three meals per day. I discourage cooking too much food because the excess only ends up in the dustbin. Our religion discourages extravagance of any kind,” she says. Nevertheless, she is thankful to her long time house help for being familiar with the family’s cooking style. “I can let her cook and everyone will just be okay with her meals,” she says. Her husband also supports during this month. “He prepares some meals and leaves behind a note indicating what is left. When I get home I finish the rest.” However, Imane finds weekends appropriate for her to prepare the family’s favourite delicacies since she has all the time. A businesswoman For unmarried women like Zuhura Juma, she has to prepare her own food whether she is back in time or late. “I get home at around 5 to 6 pm because of the traffic jam. I just prepare something simple such as spaghetti or even bread with tea,” she says. Married to a Muslim Anna Pascal is a Christian woman married to a Muslim. To her, things are a bit difficult since she has to strike a balance between her banking job and Ramadhan. “It’s a bit hectic, but Alhamdullilah everything is okay because fasting is not completely a new thing to me,” she says. She gets off work at 5pm. Since she is in Mwanza, traffic jam is not her major concern. To make sure that her husband finds everything set on the table, Anna buys a stock that would last for at least a week on weekends. “Once everything is in the house, preparation becomes easy. If I want to prepare anything that takes longer, I normally direct my house girl to start preparing some few things in advance. Otherwise, whenever I know that I would be late, I let her prepare everything.” Unlike in other Ramadhan, Anna this time is concerned about the increase of food prices since she also has the task of setting up the budget. “Much as the prices have gone up, but women always fare well when it comes to negotiating. They are familiar with the prices of coconuts, rice, spaghetti, potatoes, bananas and other stuff,” she says. Client advisor Moza Musa, 25, is a client advisor at Access Bank. She hasn’t seen herself changing much this month because she still lives with her family. “I don’t feel that pressure of rushing home to prepare Iftar. I just make sure that I get home earlier and enjoy the meal with my family. If I happen to be home earlier, then I help them cook.” On weekends however, while everyone else is exhausted, Moza does the cooking. Meanwhile, she can’t help thinking how her lifestyle would change once she gets married. “I know I will manage when the right time comes,” she says, with a radiant smile. A business woman Jasmini Nassor, 31, has her small business at Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam. Her day begins at 6am when she opens her store. During this month, she has to close it at 3.30pm in order to get home and start her chores in time. She looked a bit exhausted when I saw her at Mnazi Mmoja bus stop. She walked back and forth, looking desperately in every side for a daladala. When I asked her how she has managed to adjust herself, she says, “It’s quite difficult but I have no other option. I have to make sure that everything is prepared well in advance so that we can sit and enjoy as a family.” However, sometimes she gets home late and finds her children to have already prepared something. “They have grown up,” she says in an unsettled tone as she looks for a sign of any coming daladala, determined this time not to miss it. “I still need to get back and break the fast with them. I also need to supervise them too,” she says, while avoiding more of my questions. All in all, during Ramadhan, the last thing a woman would do is failing her family by not taking her traditional roles seriously. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
| Last Updated on Friday, 27 August 2010 16:16 |
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