Chagga Underground Houses

During the summer, I read about an organization called Eekanubi Underground that are dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of ancient underground houses made by the Chagga people in Kibosho.

The Chagga are an indigenous group that have lived on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro for centuries. They are known for their farming skills - growing crops like bananas, coffee, and corn. They have deep ties to their land and believe that their mountain holds great spiritual significance.

Over 1000 years ago, they built underground tunnels/homed used as hiding places during tribal wars and resistance against Maasai raids. These caves, carved by hand centuries ago, symbolize the resilience and unity of the Chagga people.

We were very impressed with the personal tour we had. The guide told us how they had discovered the underground houses and what was involved in the excavation process, as we sipped an herbal tea made with rosemary, mint, lemongrass and a few other herbs.

Then we went underground and were amazed by the ingenuity of the people who lived in these manmade ‘caves’. Air vents, a fresh water system, bedrooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, storage areas, washroom area, an ‘intercom’ system and little shelves for lighting and cupboards were all discovered. A big bat flew past us as we explored the tunnels.

There is still a lot of work to do to remove the earth that has filled in the tunnels over the years but this organization is passionate about preserving this amazing piece of Chagga history.

On the way to our new accommodation, Le Parlour, we passed a little public elementary school. Kids were lined up outside with plastic bowls to get their lunches. We felt that it would be a good place to stop and leave the parachute at that school for group games. We met the principal and a few teachers and Paul, our driver, came with us and helped by translating.

A teacher and her kids were invited to play some games and then the kids eating their lunches came running to see what was happening. They really participated cooperatively and had a ball. It felt like we had picked a good place to leave it!

We ate lunch in a fancy shopping mall - a tasty and healthy buffet meal.

Paul, drove us through the old and new town of Moshi. There are underground streams there, so it is a green town with lots of trees and a lot of gardens. An old friend of ours used to live in Moshi as a child so we were interested in seeing it.

We drove through the big bustling market which was an interesting experience. People were also making and selling sandals and rope made from old tires.

Then on to our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse accommodation for the night.Read more