Anthu Okhala pa Nsanja

Yolembedwa ndi mtolankhani wa Galamukani! ku Benin

“GANVIÉ ndi amodzi a malo a Benin okopa alendo,” akutero woonetsa malo alendo ku West Africa. Winanso akunena kuti: “Anthu a mu Afirika iwo eniwo amachita chidwi ndi Ganvié; mutha kuona alendo a mu Afirika ambiri mofanana ndi akumadzulo.”

Ganvié ngwapaderadi. Ndiwo mudzi wa nzika 15,000 umene wamangidwa pa nsanja pamwamba pamadzi a nyanja ya Nokoué, kumpoto kwa Cotonou, Benin. Ku Ganvié, kulibe njinga, kulibe galimoto, kulibe njira, ndipo kulibe misewu. Ngati okhalako akufuna kumka kusukulu, kumsika, kuchipatala, kunyumba ya mnzawo, kapena kwina kulikonse, amakwera bwato losemedwa la mtengo wa iroko.

Mabanja ochuluka ali ndi mabwato angapo—limodzi la Atate, limodzi la Amayi, ndipo nthaŵi zina ana amakhala ndi lawo. Ana amaphunzira kupalasa bwato ali aang’ono. Podzafika zaka zisanu, mwana angathe kupalasa yekha bwato. Posakhalitsa iye amakhala ndi chidaliro chokwanira cha kuima m’bwato ndi kuponya makoka a nsomba aang’ono m’madzi. Ana ena amakonda kuonetsa alendo zimene angathe kuchita mwa kuima ndi mutu m’mabwato awo.

Pa msika wa pamabwato ku Ganvié, amalonda, makamaka akazi, amakhala m’mabwato mwawo ndi zogulitsa zawo zambiri patsogolo pawo—zokoleretsa chakudya, zipatso, nsomba, mankhwala, nkhuni, moŵa, ndipo ngakhale mawailesi. Atavala zipeŵa zamlaza zazikulu kuphimba dzuŵa la m’dera lotentha, iwo amagulitsa zinthu kwa ena amene amapita ndi mabwato awo kumeneko kukagula zinthu. Nthaŵi zina ogulitsawo amakhala tiasungwana. Musaderere usinkhu wawo! Amaphunzira luso la wogulitsa la kumvana ndi ogula akali aang’ono.

Pamene kuli kwakuti akazi amagula ndi kugulitsa pa msika, amuna amakonda kwambiri kusodza nsomba, kapena ulimi wa nsomba kuti tinene molunjika. Njira yawo yogwirira nsomba imaloŵetsamo kutsonyeza nthambi zambiri pansi m’mathamanda amatope, zimene zimakhala zothithikana. Nsomba zimafika kudzadya nthambi zomavundazo. Patapita masiku amunawo amabwererako ndi makoka awo kukagwira nsombazo.

Kuchokera ku Malo Obisalirako Kukhala Malo Okopa Alendo

Atofinu a ku Ganvié sanali “Anthu a m’Madzi,” monga momwe amadziŵidwira lerolino. Kuchiyambiyambi kwa zaka za zana la 18, iwo anathaŵira ku nyanja ndi kumathaŵale pothaŵa kuzunzidwa ndi ufumu wina wa mu Afirika woyandikana nawo. Akatswiri amanena kuti dzinalo Ganvié limasonyeza mbiri imeneyi, popeza kuti m’chinenero cha Atofini, liwulo gan lingatembenuzidwe kukhala “tapulumuka” ndipo liwu lakuti vie limatanthauza “chitaganya.” Motero, dzina la likulu limeneli la midzi ya m’nyanja lingatembenuzidwe momasuka kuti “chitaganya cha anthu amene apezadi mtendere.”

Kuthaŵira kudera la thamanda m’dera la nyanja ya Nokoué kunali njira yothandiza, popeza kuti zikhulupiriro zachipembedzo za ufumu waudaniwo sizinalole msilikali aliyense kuloŵa m’madzi kapena m’madera amene ali okhoza kusefukira ndi madzi. Chotero nyanjayo inawapatsa zowachirikiza ndiponso malo othaŵirako kuchokera kwa mdani. Nzodabwitsa kuti malo a chitaganya ameneŵa amene tsopano ali otchuka, amene alendo ambirimbiri oyenda pamaboti amadzaona, panthaŵi ina anali kobisalirako.