Customs

Lomwe society is structured around work and play. The men build the houses, the barriers to protect their gardens, and grain bins to store maize even though women are just as likely to be seen tending the garden as the men. Men also make grass or reed mats for sleeping, or for drying produce. Women are generally thought of as more industrious than the men. They garden, cook, care for the children, haul water daily (sometimes over several kilometers), and often run small businesses from their homes selling chicken eggs, soap, matches, or other inexpensive items. Young girls begin helping their mothers by carrying younger siblings on their backs as soon as their first permanent tooth erupts. Lomwe often work with their friends and neighbors to cultivate their fields, build houses, etc. Lomwe children go through a series of initiation ceremonies that teach them about increasing responsibilities and prepare them for full adult privileges in their home village. The children have developed numerous games, and are quite expert at forming balls from discarded bits of plastic.