How to...shop

Here is a butchery selling meat. Early in the morning you can see traditional Rendille women leading a lone goat or sheep on a rope into town. The animal doesn't have long to live, and will soon be slaughtered and be ready for sale in a duka (shop) like this.

 

 

I have bought meat like this a couple of times; it is hacked off the limb hanging up using a sharp knife (all Rendille men have their own knife for this purpose!), weighed on balances scales and sold by the kg. I wasn't entirely sure whether it was goat or sheep meat.

Boya, the man serving, is one of Nick and Lynne's night guards and I also know Nabiro, the lady sitting on the floor in the corner of the picture. She was cleaning the intestines of the sheep - nothing is wasted.

 
Below is one of the larger dukas, Mohammed's. It's only a small shop but packed to the ceiling with many things- tin cups, batteries, bubble gum, beads, laundry powder and simple medicines for humans and animals. Their biggest trade is in the staples of maize and beans, loose tea and flour, all bought in small quantities from large sacks. You can see the scales on which this is all weighed out. I get flour and long life milk from here, and occasionally fruit (bananas, mango, passion fruit) or vegetables (cabbage, tomatoes) when they are in.

You don't help yourself to what you want to buy, but wait at the counter to be served. It is often quite busy and queueing is not customary so you have to be both patient and assertive! Amina, who is normally serving, speaks very good English which makes things easier, although I am able to greet her, and all the other customers, in Rendille, much to their ammusement!
 

And then there are some market stalls, selling an assortment of items like flip flops, belts, pots and pans.

We buy most of our food in a modern supermarket (Nakumat or Uchumi) in Nairobi or Nanyuki. Jim and Laura or Nick and Lynne bring it up in their car. There we can get things not available in Korr. We are currently running down our pantry and making plans to restock supplies for the next 3-4 months when we are down in Nairobi on school break at the end of April.