Cows are a big deal here in Rwanda, and so is milk. Cows are a sign of prosperity, blessings and riches. When you give someone milk, it is a way of wishing prosperity and blessings on them.
I learned about giving milk at a ceremony in my village when we celebrated International Women's Day, which took place on March 8th. A lot of the ceremony was in Kinyarwanda, so it was hard for me to understand everything that was going on, but I could tell we were discussing progress in our community with more women working and being able to provide for themselves. After introductions and the opening remarks of the ceremony, I was asked to participate in giving milk to children. I learned that this is a common custom in ceremonies in Rwanda as a way of wishing the future generations good fortune and prosperity. I was handed a wooden cup that looked like a gourd (kind of like a pumpkin) full of milk. I would bend down and tip the cup to the children's mouths. Yes, everyone drank from the same cup! Everyone was very happy that I was able to participate in the ceremony. Afterwards, the local Women's Cooperative gave a cow or a couple of goats to a few poor families in the area. These animals will help those families if they choose to sell the milk or the meat of the animals so that they can get money and food and milk for themselves.
