Today's Kenya song, Wednesday, December 9, is a working song.
But it is a joyful work, African, of quiet rhythms and little yield, but patient and constant, often without masters if not destiny, the one invented by man. Above all, it is a sweet work.
It is a woman's song, it is the women of the coast who, for a few shillings or sometimes even for free, pick up the ripe mangoes at the market and start peeling and cutting them into strips, and then lay them on the roofs of the lower houses or even in front of their entrances, drying them under the scorching sun.
No animal is particularly interested in mangoes, especially when they are fermented and dry.
The kids in these parts, on the other hand, love it and the dried mango becomes a sort of local chewing gum that also takes away a bit of hunger and infuses energy and vitamins to fight the many dangers of bacteria and viruses. During the pandemic the ancient habits and the tireless, wise and good work of the women, who are then mothers or grandmothers, are very useful and give not only sweetness, but also health. The two most important things in this period. It is a pity that many people have forgotten the beneficial power of the former.