Introduction
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Small Farm 1
Small Scale Agr
Rural Lifestyles
Rural Migration
Role of Women
Drought
Small Farm 2
Commercial Farm
Non Trad' Farm
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Home Field Trips Rural Life and Agriculture Tour Rural Lifestyles

Small Farm 1 - Monze

Rural Lifestyles

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A typical household of the Tonga tribe is made up of groups of family members and individuals. Polygamy is regularly practised with husbands often having more than three wives. Co-wives do not usually cook together, but may share food and tasks. There can be as many as 30 members of a household.

Rural Lifestyles

Each household will have a head of household who has the responsibility of providing food and shelter for other members of the household. The head, usually although not always a man, has the right to the labour of the other members of the household. Whilst all members of the household are involved in the decision making about how the land belonging to the members is used, the head of the household will control maize production. The amount of maize that a household grows is a measure of the status in the community. Everyone in the household will devote considerable time to the production of maize. Only after they have done this can they use their time to work on their own fields. Sweet potatoes are a popular choice to complement the maize crop.

In the droughts that periodically affect the region shortages of food put the family on the brink of survival. In most other years, even if there is no drought, the maize crop is insufficient to feed the household. Family members must look for other ways of survival. Other options for raising money to purchase grain include such activities as selling their livestock, beer brewing, producing and selling traditional crafts, selling of wild foods and producing and selling charcoal and firewood.

Increasingly the household must rely on food relief, either from the government or from Non Governmental Organisations. Government relief food comes in three main ways (i) food for cash (ii) food for work and (iii) food for free. Wherever possible food for work is used. In Monze the food for work scheme provides 5 kg of maize to each individual after a days' work repairing rural infrastructure such as fence building.

Rural Lifestyles

The level of agricultural productivity is low and only limited levels of capital used. Animals and people perform the task of tractors. Within the household there may be one or more oxen. The productivity of the household's land and consequently its wealth and status will be dependant on the number of oxen the household owns. Many small-scale farms cannot afford oxen and must rely on hand labour and simple tools.

Both men and women carry out the various tasks such as field preparation, weeding and harvesting. Women tend to spend more time working on the land. It is also the women's responsibility for carrying out many of the domestic chores such as preparing maize meal or Nshima. Often children work looking after the livestock. Crucially the marketing of the maize is the task of the men whilst the women will sell sweet potatoes or other cash crops produced. Economic power rests with the family member who negotiates the selling of the maize crop. The wealth of the family and its ability to generate income depends on a number of factors such as cash crop income, family size, number of oxen, number of adult members and wives, level of maize produced, and the amount of fertiliser applied.

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Related Glossary Items:
Polygamy
Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
Productivity
Capital

Related Issues:
Low productivity agriculture
Rural migration
The role of women

Related Theories:
Poverty and the cycles of poverty
Measuring poverty
Composite indicators of poverty and living standards