Taveta in Tanzania

Introduction / History

Tavetas inhabit the area at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Their homeland covers the swampy area from Lake Jipe along the Tanzania border and Lake Chala across the Maktau plains. Lake Chala is a crater lake whose waters are crystal clear. Tsavo National Park is found in the Maktau plains. Lake Chala has crocodiles and Lake Jipe has hippos. The area has plenty of wildlife, which is now protected by the park. The Tavetas are only linguistically related to the Taita and have no relation whatsoever with the Mijikenda. They appear to have elements of Kamba and Maasai cultures but maintain a separate identity. Among them are other subgroups, namely, Kasigau, Sagalla and Dawida.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Tavetas are popularly known as agriculturists and for their skills as smiths and craftsmen. Those near the waters practice some fishing. Plantations of pineapples, tea, coffee, and sisal are common sights. On a subsistence scale, they grow vegetables, bananas and mangoes.

Houses are either round or square huts, wooden poles and mud-plastered walls. The roof is thatched with banana palm leaves.

The most important types of traditional property were land and livestock, which provided the means to sustain life. Individual ownership rights were vested in the family head, who allocated usage rights as required. Females could not own land, even through married sons until the father's death. Plots are allocated to women for them to cultivate, sometimes including allocation to unmarried daughters.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ta'oih practice their traditional ethnic religions, seeking help from various spirits and objects. The most important spirits include the tiger spirit, the spirit of the longhouse, the house spirit, and a water spirit. The water spirit can provide them with an abundance of fish. The tiger is the most powerful animal they know of, so they call upon the tiger spirit for protection. The Ta'oih also believe that spirits are present in every object and person. They use rituals to control and placate spirits.

What Are Their Needs?

The greatest need of Ta'oih people is to place their faith in Jesus Christ, alone.

The Ta'oih people need better schools so they can compete in Vietnam's rapidly modernizing economy.

Prayer Points

Pray for God to prepare Kenyan Tavetas to disciple others in the ways of Christ.
Pray for Tavetas to have an intense spiritual hunger that will be satisfied by Jesus.
Pray there will soon come a day when Tavetas will be taking Christ to the Muslims in East Africa.

Text Source:   Joshua Project