Gift-giving, the act of presenting someone with a gift is intended to convey thoughtfulness, appreciation, or goodwill. The gift can be a tangible item, experience, personal time or gesture. Gifting began in Africa, when the first humans like us emerged.
It then evolved as people migrated and was adapted to fit different cultures. Early examples involved the transfer of cattle or women to seal relationships between groups. Today, it is exemplified by exchanges of gifts between countries during state visits and has evolved into practices like philanthropy.
Today’s humans originated in Africa, about 200,000 years ago, developing unique mental (cognitive) abilities as part of their evolution. These governed the way humans interact with each other. Research shows that three types of interactive human socioeconomic behaviours evolved together: selfish, cooperative and selfless.
Collectively applied, they enabled groups of hunter gatherers to survive, flourish and grow in numbers. These behaviours appeared in a ratio of about 20% selfish, 63% cooperative, and 13% selfless. Gifting is similar to the instinct to cooperate, but it does not necessarily imply that something is expected in return.
As people migrated around the world, their societies adapted to the conditions they encountered. As humans evolved, more and more complex social relationships developed in bounded territorial spaces. Within Africa, groups become clans, clans become tribes, developing into chieftainships, kingdoms and other types of organised areas.
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First, within groups, gifts were structured ways of caring for each other and ensured mutual well-being and growth. Gifts were used to build friendships and connections among equals (horizontal relationships). Gifts also helped create loyalty and respect in relationships with leaders or people in power (vertical relationships). Here, gifts were often equated with an expected “deal”. Or, for example, gifts during ceremonies ensured one’s place within the group.
Islamic expansion in northern Africa and the imposition of rules by European colonisers everywhere altered this landscape. Gifting started to function in different, notable ways. Islam came into ancient Africa around the seventh century while Christianity spread from what is now Egypt in the first century AD. Each faith recognised an obligation to gift. Early in the past millennium, as resistance to colonisation gained traction, gifting practices transformed into a self-defensive strategy.
Gifting became one tool to cope and survive under difficult conditions. For example, in east Africa people would exchange food, money and other resources to support both families and the communities they were part of.
Colonial rule ended after about 300 years. In the post-colonial era, gifting can be divided into two periods. One can be referred to as “traditional”, dating from about 1960 to 2000.
The traditional era loosely corresponded to when many African countries gained political independence, calling for a return to traditional values, societal norms and to self-determination. African leaders inherited borders that forced together diverse ethnic and language groups, each with different relationships to colonial powers that had to be managed.
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For about 30 years of independence, many countries were under single-party rule with politicians relying on vertical gift-like handouts extracted from public resources, to manage internal political tensions. Even after multi-party systems were introduced, this practice continued as a form of political dispensation.
Independence allowed many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or “givers”, to become involved in development. Instead of focusing on people’s rights, aid was often framed as charity. NGOs used professional, one-way donation models.
Alongside NGOs, big private donors and foundations introduced the idea of “philanthropy” to Africa. This popularised a type of giving that can make traditional, smaller-scale generosity feel less important.
One force is a fast-moving diversification of gift-givers. Examples include corporate social investment as well as “philanthocapitalism” - large-scale donations or investment by very wealthy individuals or private organisations.
Another force is innovation in the design of gift-giving practices. For instance, trust-based philanthropy where funders support recipients they trust without requiring strict contracts or periodic detailed reporting until the next tranche is paid.
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Third is promotion of domestic resource mobilisation. Looking back, it’s clear that those giving gifts - in whatever form - should take a more reflective and balanced approach to understanding the role of giving role in Africa’s community and society, especially as a political tool.
Traditional Wedding Customs in Tanzania
Tanzania is home to Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro and with several famous national parks and game reserves there is plenty for visitors to see and do. When the women are ready to leave their parents to be married, they are given traditional wedding gifts that are generally items they will need to set up a future home.
With her future husband generally not able to cook, since it is the women that provide the care in the family, he will move into a new home with his wife who will take over the role of caring for him. The prospective wife therefore needs to be able to fill her new home with essentials. On the day the bride-to-be leaves home, she will hold a party at her parents home to say goodbye to her own family and her neighbours.
At the party, those invited offer her a gift. It is tradition that the person making the gift explains how it is used, even if the woman is already familiar with the item.
Here are some of the traditional gifts that are offered to couples getting married. If you are looking to marry in Tanzania or Zanzibar, or have been invited to a wedding there, you may want to incorporate some of these items into your own wedding celebrations:
- Kijomela: A container used to drink the local brew. These brews range from the delightful to the horrific. Honey beer is syrupy like mead, Gongo is an illicit spirit generously referred to as gin, but the only resemblance is the fact that both are clear liquids.
- Mpasa: Needed in the harvesting season, this is a mat made from reeds that is used to dry grains and cereals.
- Lisala: This is a container that was traditionally used to carry water and also as a container for preserving cereals so that they could be securely stored and saved for the leaner months and not be destroyed by pests.
- Chihulu: A clay pitcher or pot used to fetch water or to store the local brew. This is usually a large size.
- Chiviga: This is a clay cooking pot. These are a treasured item because, unlike metal pots, heat and moisture circulate during cooking, preserving the nutrients and providing tastier food. Clay also interacts with the acidic foods like potato, meat, rice, making them sweeter.
- Kibao cha Chapati: A small table on which to make chapati or rolls which is sometimes paired with a chigoda, which is a small round stool with 3 legs
- Litefu: A sleeping mat. If the bride have generous friends and neighbours they may have additional litefu to used separately for seating or for the serving of food
Here is a summary of these traditional gifts in a table:
| Gift | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Kijomela | Container for local brew | Drinking local beverages |
| Mpasa | Mat made from reeds | Drying grains and cereals |
| Lisala | Container for water and cereals | Carrying water and preserving food |
| Chihulu | Clay pitcher or pot | Fetching and storing water or local brew |
| Chiviga | Clay cooking pot | Cooking food while preserving nutrients |
| Kibao cha Chapati | Small table for making chapati | Preparing chapati or rolls |
| Litefu | Sleeping mat | Sleeping or seating |
How to Get Married in Tanzania
Your country’s Embassy will provide you with accurate information for your planned wedding in Tanzania, but here is a brief overview of the rules that have remained constant for a while:
- Before getting married in Tanzania you are required to get a “certificate of no impediment” from your home country. This is a notarised statement that declares that you you are free to marry.
- If you wish to marry in a religious ceremony, you will probably need a letter from religious head.
- You must first contact the Office of the District Commissioner nearest to your wedding location to notify the government of your intention to get married.
- At the Registrar of Marriages you must complete the necessary forms, pay the fee and submit documents including passports, certificate of no impediments and passport photos.
- You must wait twenty-one days so that others may register a complaint. Alternatively pay extra for a Special Marriage License and don’t wait.
- You may need to register or confirm your marriage at the Embassy for it to be recognised in your home country.
A Typical African Traditional Wedding In Uganda. Interracial Marriage Ceremony (Tooro And Kenyan)🇰🇪
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