A traditional skill that is handed down
"It goes with our culture and tradition. We learned to do this while growing up and our kids still do it. It is part of our heritage.When girls attend initiation schools they are taught how to be better. And part of that is teaching them to work with their hands and to carry stuff on their heads."
BURGERSFORT – Carrying items on one’s head is a common practice in many parts of the world, as an alternative to carrying a burden on one’s back or shoulders. People have carried items balanced on top of one’s head since ancient times, usually to do daily work, but sometimes in religious ceremonies or as a feat of skill, such as in certain dances.
To do daily chores with ease, children, elders and the majority of woman in the villages have adopted this unique skill for years.
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Women are normally seen carrying groceries, water containers or even firewood on their heads daily in Tubatse and Fetakgomo. Most carry things on their heads without even balancing them.
According to a community leader and one of the elders in Tubatse, Elsie Khuno, the skill has been practised for generations.
“It goes with our culture and tradition. We learned to do this while growing up and our kids still do it. It is part of our heritage.When girls attend initiation schools they are taught how to be better. And part of that is teaching them to work with their hands and to carry stuff on their heads.”
She estimated that 60 per cent of villagers have learned to carry luggage on their head. “You improve with time. Most of us can carry 20 litres of water without even protecting the containers with our hands. We call it ‘go takanetša’ in Sepedi. I am glad the kids are still doing it nowadays.”
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Asked about injuries they might sustain, Khuno said sometimes people might suffer from minor headaches. However, there is no evidence of other harmful effects regarding the health of women who carry heavy loads on top of their heads.
“Our old grannies have been doing it for years and they are still doing so even now. There are no permanent injuries. This helps, as some of our communities are still without water and others have no electricity.”
Steelburger/Lydenburg News caught up with two children in Dresden who enjoy carrying water on their heads.
“Sometimes we get water and sometimes we get wood. We learned this from the elders in the community and we enjoy it. I can walk for long distances with a pile of wood on my head. We put cloth shaped into a ring or ball between the containers and our heads to prevent injuries.”
