Meria
Elder Lister
This was a very deep concept and practice among the Agìkūyū. Gūtonywo kana Gūtūrwo Ndūgìra is both physical and symbolic . It is representative of the stages a young girl has gone through in informal learning and Kĩrĩra.
This was mostly the responsibly of the mother. In her absence, a maternal Aunty, sometimes even the grandmother was assigned the role of giving kĩrĩra and this life long education to the girl child.
The girl in the photo, has gone through 3 life long education and formation stages .You can tell by looking at her ears. She has the three piercings. After every stage, the mother pierces one hole in the upper ear lobe (Akamūtūra Ndūgìra)
These 3 Ndūgìra had these meaning
1. Ndūgìra ya mbere - The girl has acquired knowledge on how to carry out
domestic chores like cleaning, cooking and so on.
2. Ndūgìra ya Mūhūgia- This symbolized that the girl had been taught everything and all she needed to know about the Agìkūyū Culture. Kĩrĩra na Mataro. This involved teaching her proverbs and riddles and so on
3. Ndūgìra ya Kūmenya - Symbolized that she had been given knowledge on life skills around how to navigate though life in all it's seasons
Education was a life long process that started at birth and ended at death. So education for this young girl continued even after marriage. Remember this girl will graduate through the various stages of a Mūgìkūyū Woman from Kang'ei, Karegeire, Nyakìnywa Nini, Nyakìnywa ngurū, and Kìheti. And each of this stages had its own unique kĩrĩra.
This was mostly the responsibly of the mother. In her absence, a maternal Aunty, sometimes even the grandmother was assigned the role of giving kĩrĩra and this life long education to the girl child.
The girl in the photo, has gone through 3 life long education and formation stages .You can tell by looking at her ears. She has the three piercings. After every stage, the mother pierces one hole in the upper ear lobe (Akamūtūra Ndūgìra)
These 3 Ndūgìra had these meaning
1. Ndūgìra ya mbere - The girl has acquired knowledge on how to carry out
domestic chores like cleaning, cooking and so on.
2. Ndūgìra ya Mūhūgia- This symbolized that the girl had been taught everything and all she needed to know about the Agìkūyū Culture. Kĩrĩra na Mataro. This involved teaching her proverbs and riddles and so on
3. Ndūgìra ya Kūmenya - Symbolized that she had been given knowledge on life skills around how to navigate though life in all it's seasons
Education was a life long process that started at birth and ended at death. So education for this young girl continued even after marriage. Remember this girl will graduate through the various stages of a Mūgìkūyū Woman from Kang'ei, Karegeire, Nyakìnywa Nini, Nyakìnywa ngurū, and Kìheti. And each of this stages had its own unique kĩrĩra.