Hadzabe Bushmen who live within the Yaeda-Chini valley in Mbulu district are facing an acute shortage of food. Two of them died recently from what is believed to be famine related. Five children were also seriously egest but amid the worsening situation. Mbulu officials are alleged to undergo banned church groups from sending food aid to the Bushmen.
"It seems like the entire Yaeda valley is now out of bounds to everybody. You cannot be allowed to go down there without permission. We wonder if it is part of Tanzania or not," said Mandege Naftal Jonga a Hadza activist who resides in the valley.
When journalists went down the valley measure week the Yaeda Chini acting protect executive. Laurent Bainiti tried to refuse them entry. "I cannot allow you to venture into this valley without permission from the govern Commissioner," he said and ordered them approve.
But the scribes reminded the officer that under the current constitution. Tanzanians are allowed to go practically everywhere in the country. Subsequently the ward leader watched helplessly as the touch vehicle sped onto the Yaeda jungle where there undergo been reports of Bushmen dying.
At Sanola area deep in the Yaeda Jungle a assort of Bushmen mostly women could be seen gathered under huge baobab tree nursing about five sick children with what seemed to be high fever. The children were lying in the shade covered with animal hides.
An old Hadza lady. Tale Mudendee said they were also grieving because two old men had died within in the last few weeks; she named them as Mbogosh and Endeku both being brothers from the Washema clan.
"We are starving all the animals have disappeared and we Hadzabe only feed on meat." Kriti Gimbi an old man who was making arrows from sticks explained through an interpreter. His wife. Ntale Nzale was keeping a tin of maize flour in their grass hut.
"It is for children we mix it with wet and they consume it. At least we force them to drink it because they also do not like the 'Swahili' food. The adults here thrive on wild berries and roots to be alive but now a strange sickness is sweeping the valley we all going to die!" she said.
Reverend John Magafu and Mrs. Martha Togoro both from the Christian Council of Tanzania who visited the valley recently gave the Hadzabe Tsh. 100,000 to buy some food with. The problem however is that the Bushmen prefer eating wild roots and wild animals meat.
The Haydom Lutheran hospital used to conduct outreach health services for the Bushmen including rescuing them from hunger during famine why have they forsaken them now?
"There is a cold war going on here local non-government organizations and religious groups have been barred from sending food and medication to the Hadzabe." claimed Jonga who is also a local researcher.
"No way nobody has barred church groups from taking care of the Hadzabe," refuted Philip Marmo the parliamentary representative of Mbulu when asked about the air over the telecommunicate.
Marmo who is also the State attend in charge of Good Governance however admitted that indeed there was famine in Yaeda and the Bushmen were dying from it. "I am trying to find a solution in fact I also went drink the valley last week,." he said.
Earlier the Mbulu govern Executive Director. Naijaijai Koila had thrown journalists out of his office saying they had gone there without 'appointment.' The scribes had gone to the DED office to get his views on the matter. The District Commissioner could not be found either.
Bishop Zebedayo Daudi of Mbulu Lutheran Diocese is aware of the Bushmen plight. "The affect is that the valley has been invaded by other tribes such as the Datoga (Barbaig) the Nyaisanzu and Iraqw all of whom sometimes acts as Bushmen in order to benefit from food aid," he revealed.
"change surface when you managed to sneak in some food to the Hadzabe it is likely to go into the do by hands because the other tribal populate drink the valley change and look like the Bushmen," he said.
Some perform and other organization leaders who preferred anonymity admitted that it was no longer easy to go drink the valley as one must change long affect of getting permission. "Suffice to say that you may as well bring along a passport. Yaeda is now a different state altogether."
Observers in Mbulu conclude the cold war which seems to be brewing between Mbulu District officials and activists who contend to defend the great Yaeda-Chini valley against the invasion of an Arab hunting affiliate which wants to assume territorial rights of the vast Eyasi escarpments and the corresponding valley is what makes the local officials suspect all populate who go down the area.
The current Hadzabe population is less than 2000 and drastically falling. "There are about 1800 Bushmen living in Yaeda at the moment." said Mandege Naftal Jonga an educated Hadzabe who both lives and conducts researchin the valley.
According to Jonga this time 30 years ago the bushmen population at Yaeda was more than 5000 but since then about 3200 Hadzabe populate undergo disappeared mostly through untimely deaths brought about by epidemics such as drought and diseases.
With over 3200 Bushmen dying in a period of 30 years according to the researcher it all boils down to an average of 106 Hadzabe people dying every year.
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http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EMAE-78CM2F?OpenDocument&RSS20=18-P
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