About_Hstory

Knowing your history is knowing who you are !

It all began as explained here!
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The first inhabitants of the Village of Salea-Bambao believed to be labourers from different parts of the Island brought in the area to work for a man known by the name of Muwinyi Mkuwu. He was the first founding father of the Village of Selea Bambao. This man was once the land owner of this area known as Selea.
Muwinyi Mkuwu was among one of the first descendent settlers of the Capital City of Grande Comore (Moroni). He was amongst the originator of the Village of Selea-bambao. Muwinyi was a strong, powerful and a well-known person in the region of Bambao. Originally, Selea-Bambao was his farm where he would come everyday to inspect his wealth and livelihoods. His labourers lived permanently on the farm with much regards, obedience and respect to this man.

Muwinyi Mkuwu was well known as a man of courage, honour and integrity. However, many settlers of the Village of Selea-bambao maintain that Muwinyi Mkuwu never was interested in the welfare and well-being of the people who worked for him with almost nothing in return in terms of money. Food was not an issue as they were living on a farm.

Many storytellers from the village claimed that Muwinyi Mkuwu used to hunt labourers beyond the area of Selea-Bambao. He spent most of his daytimes searching for labourers to increase the man-power on his farms. It has been related that one of the tactics he used to capture labourers was to hung around in the nearby roads tracking down any man who may be passing-by and detain him to his farm. Nevertheless, the Village legends and storytellers maintained that all workers were so dear to their capturer (Mwinyi Mkuwu). They believed that he had great love for his work force and he was also grateful for their work too .His loving effects and gratitude to his labourers can be seen from the first building constructions which took place in the Village.

The first buildings in the Village were named after him. These buildings include Mosque Muwinyi, a monument known as Nkanywa of Muwinyi Mkuwu) and a public place known as Banguwe. He dedicated the Mosque to himself and the Monument to be a symbal of his present and existence in the Village. Therefore, he will be remembered as the founding father of the Village of Selea-Bambao. The public place (Bangwe or Bangweni in the local language) was built specially for his work force for the purpose of socialising and hold special events and occasions, including traditional music of different rhythms during marriage ceremonies, village meetings and social gatherings. The workers would spend their leisure times socialising with one another in the public place here.
Through many generations, the public place remains a common place for all the inhabitants of the Village to entertain one another and enjoy themselves. It provides an opportunity for the workforce to hold all their social gatherings, events, celebrations, various games such playing Cards, game know in the local language as ‘Mraha’ and Dominos.

After the workers settled on the farm for so many, many years, they decided to turn the farm to be their Village. From this time on wards a Village has been established and named after the farm and the region. It became what is now known as Selea-bambao. Selea is the name of the Village and Bambao is the name of the region where Selea is situated.

By this time, Mwinyi Mkuwu began getting old and his power and authority start to weakenbvery sharply. He commenced losing control among his labourers. It then became very clear to him that he must return to his place of origin Moroni and leave the farm to his work-force to control it and run their affairs and lives on their own on the farm as he could no longer be in command.

Muwunyi Mkuwu decided his departure back to his place of origin. The firm was declared to become the Village of Selea. A new form of leadership came to an existence in the Village with new social rules and orders. The first rule introduced among the labourers is to divide all the Village male members into sets of groups according to their age and marital status. This process took place in all villages and towns in Grande Comore. Each group was given a unique name and place to sit during any social occasion in the Village.

The higher men among these social groups carry a special name known as 'Wanru-Wababa', which means in English 'the Fathers' or simply Grande Notables. These are basically men who have done the big traditional Comorian Wedding (Anda). This group assumes the power and authority to rule the Village and take control of the inhabitants’ affairs. The groups divided into two sects: Wafoma-Mdji and Wanazikofiya. Wafoma-Mdji means ‘the kings of the Village’. They are the top group in the Village social structure. The group after them is known as Wanazikofiya. They have limited amount of power in the Village social structure. They must obey orders given by the higher group and pass them to the lower groups.

All other lower groups were obliged to obey all rules, decisions and regulations set up by the top group (Wanru-Wababa). No other group would dare to challenge the fathers' rules, decisions and regulations. Nonetheless, the fathers played a very significant and important role to keep things in order in the Village. They have the duty of ensuring that none of the Village members behaved in unacceptable manners. In this respect the fathers were highly honoured and respected by all the Village citizens. This type of social structure was also applied in every other village and town in Grande Comore and continues to be applied through nowadays generations.

The rest of the other groups however possessed some sort of power within their sets. Among the other lower groups after Wanru-Wababa, the most influential is a group of Wafomana Madji (don’t get it confused with Wafomana Mdji) .This term could be translated as the young kings of the Village. Below this group there are other two groups also formed according to their age differences. These groups are known as Wazuguwa and washonjde'. Wazuguwa group is normally below ‘the young kings’ group and they have their role to play in the Village social structure. They are considered by the young kings groups as their rival, simply because Wazuguwa group can over throw the young kings group at any time they see themselves up to the challenge.

Washondge group is the lowest groups among all other groups. The young kings groups watch over them and pass orders to them whenever they wish.

The process of grouping would be carried out after the Village young males reach the age of 15 onwards. Once a young man has been located to his first social group, all unpleasant jobs are now under his responsibility together with his group. Basic rules and regulation were well defined among all groups. Disobedience of these rules and regulation would result a heavy penalty. The penalty would involve a payment of money, cow, goat or simply cooking a big, fine dish of rice and meat for the higher groups as a form payment to reinstate one’s place in the social structure. This would wipe out the fine and matter could be settled. Furthermore, the whole group or groups can also be penalized if they failed to fulfill their expected duties towards the Village’s social structure.

The above structure was pioneered by the first generation of the early settlers of many villages and towns of Grande Comore. This type of social structure plays a central role in the Grande Comorian society. It also plays a fundamental part of the Comorian history, oral traditional and literature.

It is important to note that this is not like a caste system, as it is a highly dynamic social structure that changes demographically. As men age, gain achievement and respect in the community they can be promoted to a higher social group. In this way, anyone has the opportunity to be at a higher trophic level. Simply performing a ‘Grande Marriage’ is a cause for you to ascend to group the ‘Wanru-Wababa’

The ARSB highly recognized the importance and the values of the history of Selea and its social structure, which existed throughout many generations.
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ARSB is very proud and pleased to preset to its audience with this master piece of the history of our Village (Selea).