{"id":1396,"date":"2025-04-23T18:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/?p=1396"},"modified":"2025-07-22T15:06:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:06:32","slug":"life-in-the-boma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/stories\/life-in-the-boma\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in the Boma"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Life in the Boma\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part of Land and Ocean Grabbing<\/b> <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

Growing vulnerability in fishing communities<\/a><\/h3>

Cape Verde - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry<\/a><\/h3>

Liberia - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Portraits of palm oil farmers<\/a><\/h3>

Liberia - 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Not so sweet<\/a><\/h3>

Ghana - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cocoa farmers portraits<\/a><\/h3>

Ghana - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Land for sugarcane<\/a><\/h3>

Malawi - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sugarcane workers portraits<\/a><\/h3>

Malawi - 2022<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our land our nature<\/a><\/h3>

Tanzania - 2021<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Life in the Boma<\/a><\/h3>

Tanzania - 2021<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When the Senegal Sea runs dry<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Protein drying<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fishing in dangerous waters<\/a><\/h3>

Senegal - 2020<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The great fish robbery<\/a><\/h3>

Mauritania - 2019<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bloody batteries<\/a><\/h3>

Kolwezi, DR Congo - 2019<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Maasai live in\u00a0kraals<\/em>\u00a0of extended families, which today have come to be popularly known as\u00a0bomas<\/em><\/strong>. This is a large circular thorn enclosure containing huts and animal pens to protect the family and their cattle from predators. Every wife has her own hut where she lives with her children. A son starting his household chooses one end of the boma and builds his house. The Maasai hut is oval with a curved roof.\u00a0It is built by the women with sticks, grass and cow-dung mixed with ash and it is their job to mantain the structures by smearing them with cow-dung from time to time to prevent leaks<\/strong>. The interior is very dark to keep away the flies that roam around the goats and herds of cows. Traditionally,\u00a0the Maasai are polygamous<\/strong>. The bigger the herd, the more people\u00a0 will be needed to tend the cattle. A Maasai woman has a chain of duties to perform dor the family: she must build and repair the huts, fetch water, collect firewood, milk cows and take care of the children. When there are two or three wives in the household, the work is shared. Thus, for the Maasai, polygamy is more a way of survival than a sign of prestige. Young girls in the family help thei mothers with the house chores and also sometimes help their brothers to graze calves close to the boma. Driving cattle to the pastures is largely the work of the younger boys who have not yet undergone the circumcision rite of passage. When cattle are driven further away, the junior warriors may join in. (text by\u00a0Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/strong>).<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naitu, 14 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Malanja
Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Maria, 45 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Magdalena 18 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Laiiza
Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naseku 17 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Sophia 10 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naishie 16 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Malanja
Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Loningo 13 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Misigixo
Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Mathias 13 yers old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Solomon 15 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Malanja
Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Mary 24 years old, with her children inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Arkatani
Arkatani Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Simon 11 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Naiti
Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Neema 50 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Misigixo
Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Ketui 9 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Naiti
Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Tipilit 12 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Malanja
Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nemura, 16 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Laiiza
Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Lomito Puti 8 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Zeinah, 12 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Laizer 8 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Laizer 8 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Misigixo
Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Rahel, 15 years old, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Misigixo
Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Lazer, 8 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Laiiza
Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nosim, 14 years old, inside inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Sislia, 19 years old, with her daughter, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Issaya 13 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naseku, 19 years old, inside inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Embaas
Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Tipilit 11 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Naiti
Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nasek, 18 years old, inside inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mtoni
Mtoni Village, Loliondo Area, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Najali, 32 years old, with her daughter, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Naiti
Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Maureta, 28 years old, with his son, inside her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Arkatani
Arkatani Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Leshoko, 10 years old, inside his hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Laiiza
Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nemburis, 94 yeras old, in front of her hut.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Related news<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Luca Catalano Gonzaga at Visa pour l\u2019Image<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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\u201cOur land our nature\u201d by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
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Article \u201cOur land our nature\u201d story, by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/a><\/h2><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Life in the Boma by Luca Catalano Gonzaga Part of Land and Ocean Grabbing Growing vulnerability in fishing communities Cape Verde – 2023 Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry Liberia – 2023 Portraits of palm oil farmers Liberia – 2023 Not so sweet Ghana – 2022 Cocoa farmers portraits Ghana – 2022 Land for sugarcane Malawi – 2022 Sugarcane workers portraits Malawi – 2022 Our land our nature Tanzania – 2021 Life in the Boma Tanzania – 2021 When the Senegal Sea runs dry Senegal – 2020 Protein drying Senegal – 2020 Fishing in dangerous waters Senegal – 2020 The great fish robbery Mauritania – 2019 Bloody batteries Kolwezi, DR Congo – 2019 Growing vulnerability in fishing communities Cape Verde – 2023 Abuse in the Palm Oil Industry Liberia – 2023 Portraits of palm oil farmers Liberia – 2023 Not so sweet Ghana – 2022 Cocoa farmers portraits Ghana – 2022 Land for sugarcane Malawi – 2022 Sugarcane workers portraits Malawi – 2022 Our land our nature Tanzania – 2021 Life in the Boma Tanzania – 2021 When the Senegal Sea runs dry Senegal – 2020 Protein drying Senegal – 2020 Fishing in dangerous waters Senegal – 2020 The great fish robbery Mauritania – 2019 Bloody batteries Kolwezi, DR Congo – 2019 The Maasai live in\u00a0kraals\u00a0of extended families, which today have come to be popularly known as\u00a0bomas. This is a large circular thorn enclosure containing huts and animal pens to protect the family and their cattle from predators. Every wife has her own hut where she lives with her children. A son starting his household chooses one end of the boma and builds his house. The Maasai hut is oval with a curved roof.\u00a0It is built by the women with sticks, grass and cow-dung mixed with ash and it is their job to mantain the structures by smearing them with cow-dung from time to time to prevent leaks. The interior is very dark to keep away the flies that roam around the goats and herds of cows. Traditionally,\u00a0the Maasai are polygamous. The bigger the herd, the more people\u00a0 will be needed to tend the cattle. A Maasai woman has a chain of duties to perform dor the family: she must build and repair the huts, fetch water, collect firewood, milk cows and take care of the children. When there are two or three wives in the household, the work is shared. Thus, for the Maasai, polygamy is more a way of survival than a sign of prestige. Young girls in the family help thei mothers with the house chores and also sometimes help their brothers to graze calves close to the boma. Driving cattle to the pastures is largely the work of the younger boys who have not yet undergone the circumcision rite of passage. When cattle are driven further away, the junior warriors may join in. (text by\u00a0Luca Catalano Gonzaga). Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naitu, 14 years old, inside her hut. Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Maria, 45 years old, inside her hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Magdalena 18 years old, inside her hut. Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naseku 17 years old, inside her hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Sophia 10 years old, inside her hut. Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naishie 16 years old, inside her hut. Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Loningo 13 years old, inside his hut. Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Mathias 13 yers old, inside his hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Solomon 15 years old, inside his hut. Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Mary 24 years old, with her children inside her hut. Arkatani Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Simon 11 years old, inside his hut. Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Neema 50 years old, inside her hut. Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Ketui 9 years old, inside his hut. Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Tipilit 12 years old, inside his hut. Malanja Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nemura, 16 years old, inside her hut. Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Lomito Puti 8 years old, inside his hut. Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Zeinah, 12 years old, inside her hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Laizer 8 years old, inside his hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Laizer 8 years old, inside his hut. Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Rahel, 15 years old, inside her hut. Misigixo Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Lazer, 8 years old, inside his hut. Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nosim, 14 years old, inside inside her hut. Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Sislia, 19 years old, with her daughter, inside her hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Issaya 13 years old, inside his hut. Mtoni Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Naseku, 19 years old, inside inside her hut. Embaas Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Tipilit 11 years old, inside his hut. Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nasek, 18 years old, inside inside her hut. Mtoni Village, Loliondo Area, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Najali, 32 years old, with her daughter, inside her hut. Naiti Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Maureta, 28 years old, with his son, inside her hut. Arkatani Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Leshoko, 10 years old, inside his hut. Laiiza Village, Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. Nemburis, 94 yeras old, in front of her hut. Related news Luca Catalano Gonzaga at Visa pour l\u2019Image \u201cOur land our nature\u201d by Luca Catalano Gonzaga Article \u201cOur land our nature\u201d story, by Luca Catalano Gonzaga<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1396"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8796,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1396\/revisions\/8796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.witnessimage.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}