I have been out and about making films about beekeepers and this week it was the turn of young mothers in Kanga near Turiani, who have formed a group to keep 5 hives between them.
Everywhere I go in the bush is beautiful especially with the mountains as a backdrop. And of course the weather is mostly bright and sunny which helps the mood significantly.
Everything grows quickly in Tanzania especially in the Morogoro region because of the perfect climate and the soil being so fertile. Hence the fields which are cultivated are bordered by grasses taller than a man.
One of the fields of grass had been partially cleared to make way for five hives for the young mothers to farm. Young mothers are an important group because they have often missed out on an education and have limited economic opportunities compared to men. Many NGOs support young mothers for this reason.
We filmed them talking about beekeeping and about the challenges of beekeeping as a young mother. They were animated, confident and full of fun. Around them children played on swings and watched with wonder at the filming. Sometimes one would dash across the scene or start drying or run to their mother’s arms.
In the end we had to stop shooting because they had to go home to cook lunch for their kids. And there you have it – the plight of the women, especially in the rural areas. They have to balance entrepreneurial activity with child care, household tasks, collecting water, sticks, cooking, cleaning and farming their ‘shamba’.
It was a joy to spend half a day in the company of these women. It was a humbling experience to watch people with very little money and opportunity making the most of it without complaint.
I gave them a small amount of money to thank them for the help filming and the first thing they did was to send the kids don to the shop to buy some sweets. I cannot imagine any man doing after I had given him money. That’s why young mothers are special.