Katuma village is thought to be the center of the Bende tribe since it is the largest village among villages where the dominant tribe is Bende (more than 75% of the population). Apart from Bende people, Fipa, Nyamwezi, Ha, Sukuma and other tribes also live there. The village population is 1,821 (Men: 920, Women: 901, the number of houses: 344) according to 1988 census{1} Katuma belongs to Mwese Division (tarafa), and is itself a ward (kata). Katuma Ward holds three villages; Katuma, Mpembe and Sibwesa. Each village has some hamlets (kitongoji). Hamlets of Katuma village are Mskitini, Mashineni, Shuleni, Majengo (all in Katuma village), Simbo (4km from Katuma), Mwikang'ombe (13km from Katuma), Kapanga (14km from Katuma). Each village has a primary school, and children of hamlets go to school of their village.
Administrative office of Katuma
In Katuma village, there is one primary school, one dispensary, a village and ward office, a CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi) office, two milk-bars, and several small shops where sugar, salt, soaps and other small goods are available. There is one place where people come to sit and sell small things, i.e. markets (soko). But very few kinds of foods are available. You can get rice flour buns (kitumbua), banana buns (bajiya), beans, oranges, sugar cane, anchovies (dagaa), bananas, tomatos, onions and sometimes small goods like baskets and potteries when somebody made them.
From August of 2002 year, markets (mnada) have been held on 19 and 20 of every month. Traders and merchants come to the flea markets mainly from Mpanda. Their main articles for trades are used cloths and food vessels.
There is no car in the village, and no regular transportation is available. Therefore the transport is the most serious problem for village people. When they want to go to the nearest town, Mpanda (73 km from Katuma), they just wait for a good luck, i.e. they may hitch-hike a car which passes by chance (about 2000 Tsh.), or go to Mpanda by bicycle (it takes 6 hours). Generally a few cars pass there. You can come across such cars only 4-5 times in a week.
In 2000 the Mwese road (the road from Mpanda to Mwese through Katuma) was repaired and extended up to the Lake Tanganyika (up to Lukoma). If it was dry season, and if you had a car in good conditions enough, you could reach Lukoma. But in rain season it is impossible to pass the road from Mwese to Lukoma.( -> How I got to Mahale NP. by car.)
The name "Katuma" is the name of the river which flows through the village up to the Lake Katavi. But in the time of British colonial period, here was called "Landamilumba". Landamilumba is Bende traditional name of this area; i.e. today's Katuma village. The name Landamilumba is still active in tradition, such as in Mwami administrations.
Mulumba trees
Landamilumba is a part of a Bende traditional country [síhughó], whose name is [bhusiámba]. Bhusiámba is inhibited mainly by Lúhinda clan people [múláhilo]. Bhusiámba includes smaller countries, such as Landamilumba (today's Katuma village), Itiasio (today's Mpembe village), Simabhuasi, Ndolo, Musunga, Nsabala, Mulumbi bhusungue, Ipumba and Matale. Landamilumba spreads between two rivers, the River Katuma and the river Kasóbhue.
The name of Landamilumba came from the name of trees [milúmba]. There is a certain place (at Bibi Itambila), where milúmba are found. The Bende traditional spirits is told to live in these milúmba.
Godforsaken for spirits
In the time of British colonial period, a primary school and a dispensary were built in Landamilumba. After the independence of Tanganyika, Landamilumba has changed its name into Katuma. The village itself has existed from the old time, and a rather pure Bende village. Once in 1962, many Kikuyu had reached the village. They had escaped from Kenya at the time of the MauMau war and a few of them has inhabited until today. Gerenally there have been rare invasions of other tribes in the history of Katuma until today, but these years Katuma experienced a few gold rushes. Traditionally Bende people have several stories on gold in their history, but special attention had not been paid on gold and even other mines. In 1994, some Tanzanians from other areas came to the village to dig gold mines, in such places as Mpeta and Nsimbo hills. It continued for a while and many of them had already left Katuma. In 1997-98 two Russians appeared in Katuma with some gold mining equipments, and dug in Nsambwa area.
Teachers: 7 (2 female among them)
The number of children registered;
| Standard | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 72 | 75 | 147 |
| II | 47 | 35 | 82 |
| III | 29 | 12 | 41 |
| IV | 33 | 31 | 64 |
| V | 23 | 18 | 41 |
| VI | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| VII | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| Total | 238 | 184 | 422 |
The percentage of attendance (average) -- 82%
The classes are divided into the morning groups and evening groups, because of the short of teachers and classrooms. In 2002 year the school had got financial aid from the government, and they are in the process to construct three more classrooms (since June 27th, 2002).
Urgent problems of this school are following;
[1] the short of textbooks
The school can provide only one textbook for 5 children.
[2] the lack of First Aids equipments
For now, when children get injured, they go to the village dispensary. It takes time (2-3 hours) to get the treatment there. It would be better if they could be cured at school at least First Aids.
[3] the lack of electricity (lights) for the evening group
The children of evening group have difficulty to watch blackboard in the dark.
[4] the lack of clean drinking water
Children are provided lunch at school (beans and maize), but throughout the year they have adversity with diseases caused by drinking water. There is no well in Katuma, so children are forced to drink water directly from the River Katuma, which is not clean enough (The problem is the same for all villagers in Katuma).
Footnote
{1}Rukwa Regional Statistical Abstract (1991).
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