Kenya

During the first week of the Festival, Malika Badiribu and Salma Maro, members of the Pokomo tribe in Tana River, Coast Province, built a traditional Pokomo hut. Traditionally the men harvest the sticks and other natural materials found nearby, and the women build the huts with friends, neighbors, and family members, finishing construction within four days.

A foundation of sticks tied together with rope made out of local material is covered with long grass and layered, similar to roofing shingles. The hut is built in a beehive shape to prevent rain from entering the simple dwelling. A partition inside the hut separates the sleeping area from the communal area used for meals and socializing. Above a small kitchen is storage for grains and cooking utensils. The single opening for the door helps to prevent the introduction of malaria-carrying mosquitos and other pests into the dwelling. This hut is large enough to house a family of four.

FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS

Salma Ndoge Maro and Mwanajuma Malika Badiribu are Pokomo traditional hut builders, a skill that is handed down from generation to generation throughout the community.

A group of Kenyan participants works together on the frame for the Pokomo hut. It is the role of women within Kenyan communities to build the structures.

Photo by Hermine Dreyfuss, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

Mwanajuma Malika Badiribu secures the framework of the Pokomo hut using sticks tied together with rope.

Photo by Francisco Guerra, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

Salma Ndoge Maro, a skilled hut builder, works on the Pokomo hut.

Photo by Willa Friedman, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

The roof of the hut is covered with rough mesh to keep out insects.

Photo by Hillary Cleary, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

Salma Ndoge Maro adds layers of grass around the doorway of the Pokomo hut.

Photo by Bea Ugolini, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution

The shaded interior of the hut is furnished with small beds.

Photo by Heather Caverhill, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution