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Today is Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah)- cooperative economics: to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Ujamaa was the concept that formed the basis of Julius Nyerere’s social and economic development policies in Tanzania just after it gained independence from Britain in 1964. In 1967, President Nyerere published his development blueprint titled the Arusha Declaration, in which Nyerere pointed out the need for an African model of development and which formed the basis of African socialism. Ujamaa comes from the Swahili word for “extended family” or “familyhood” and is distinguished by several key characteristics, namely that a person becomes a person through the people or community. For Nyerere, an African “extended family” means that every individual is in the service of the community.[1] Thus, Ujamaa is characterized by a community where co-operation and collective advancement are the rationale of every individual’s existence. According to Ujamaa, personal acquisitiveness is prohibited, thus allowing the distribution of wealth through society horizontally rather than vertically. As adopted by those who celebrate Kwanzaa, it is a pulling together of one segment of society, so that all experience success.
Here are a couple of yummy-looking recipes
Chicken in Coconut Milk from Kenya
Ingredients:
* Garlic salt to taste
* 1/2 C vegetable oil
* 1 whole chicken, jointed into 6 – 8 pieces
* 3 medium onions, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 4 large tomatoes, blanched, seeded, and diced
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 C coconut milk
* 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
Preparation:
Rub the garlic salt and about 4 Tbsp oil all over the chicken pieces. Arrange on a charcoal grill and lightly brown or, alternatively, cook in the oven.
In a separate cooking pot, fry the onions and garlic in the remaining oil until they start to brown, then add the tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 5 – 10 minutes. Now combine the onion and tomato sauce with the chicken and coconut. Stir well, lower the heat and simmer slowly for 30 – 40 minutes until the coconut sauce reduces and the chicken becomes tender.
Pour the stew into a serving dish and top with fresh coriander (cilantro). Serve hot with boiled rice and vegetable of your choice.
Nyama Ne Nyemba (Steak & Bean Stew) from Zimbabwe
Ingredients:
* 3 onions, thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoon) vegetable cooking oil
* 2 lbs shoulder steak or spareribs, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 green chili (hot peppers), crushed
* 3 tablespoons curry powder
* 2 medium tomatoes, sliced or diced
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 16-oz cans kidney beans
* Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation:
In a stew pot, brown the onions in the oil until golden brown. Add the meat and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Lower the heat and cook gently for a further 15 – 20 minutes. Add the garlic, chili (hot pepper) and curry powder and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.
Season to taste, stir in the cooked beans and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle the lemon juice all over the top. Garnish as you wish and serve with boiled rice, or simply by itself as a nutritious meal.
Serves 4 – 6
