Bembea Ya Maisha simply means “the swing of life” in English. This page contains Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes. Bembea Ya Maisha is about how life changes for everyone. The characters experienced happiness and abundant success. Also, they faced many problems.
For example, Sara and Yona’s family life has a swinging image. At first, the marriage of Sarah and Jonah looks happy. This means that, like a swing, their life was prosperous and happy. Their lives are affected when the two miss a child after a long period of marriage. Moreover, they are blessed with three daughters. They don’t care about a son, contrary to society’s expectations. They are laughed at, scolded, and mocked.
Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
Part I Scene I
At Sara’s house, Sara is sitting on the couch after taking medicine pills because of an illness. Yona, who looks tired, enters the house. The show begins by showing how Jonah is not happy with the situation in his house. He complains to Sara that she has not prepared food for him.
Yona is not bothered by Sara’s illness; she needs a room to cross. Sara tells her how her body is, and then the conversation about their son, Neema, begins. Yona gives Sara the idea to call her daughter to come and take her to the hospital. Sara rejects the idea by admitting that her daughter has a family of her own to take care of.
Sara’s opinion creates a conflict between her and Yona regarding their child. Yona maintains that it is her daughter’s responsibility to be responsible for her mother’s treatment, and Sara maintains that her daughter has her responsibilities and has already done a lot for them; therefore, let her rest.
This conflict is leveled as the show moves towards Sara and Yona agreeing that they should give their daughter their blessing. The show ends by showing Yona referring to Sara’s issue, telling her to wait because she has sent greetings to Dina to come and do anything for them.
Exhibit Il: Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
This scene takes place at Kiwa’s house. He had come home to find out about his mother’s condition. This show begins by showing how Kiwa touches the food and claims he is satisfied. In the process of talking about food, Dina and Siwa find themselves talking about Yona and Sara’s families.
Dina tells her son Kiwa how the family was humiliated by the members of the community for staying for a long time without caring for the children, and even after being successful with the girls, the community continued to criticize and ridicule them because they were not blessed with a son who would inherit his father’s staff.
This being said by members of the community causes Yona to get drunk—a drunkenness that pushes him to despise and beat his wife. The show ends by showing Dina saying goodbye to Kiwa so that she can go help Sara with the recipe, since Sara was.
Scene III
This scene takes place in Sara’s house, in the kitchen. Dina is in the process of cooking, and Sara is curled up on the tablet. The sauce is ready. Sara thanks Dina for coming to help her. Dina receives thanks and gives Sara words of encouragement.
Dina tells Sara that everything happens according to Manani’s plan. He tells her to look at the comfort that has crossed her because her children have succeeded in life. He gives her hope that she will recover because the hospital where Neema takes her has specialists.
The conversation of hope continues as Dina continues, and Dina asks Sara where Yona went, and then a conversation about men and culture breaks out. We are told how civilization has made men unfit to enter the kitchen. This scene ends with Sara telling Dina about the plans planned by Neema about how she will return to the clinic to receive treatment.
PART II
Exhibit I: Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
At Neema’s home, Neema and her mother are sitting in the hall. Sara has arrived in town for treatment and is tired from a long journey. Neema is surprised by Lemi’s delay in leaving. She is reminded by Bela that Lemi is preparing for an event that will be held at school, which Neema has forgotten because of Neema asks her mother about the reasons for Sara’s frequent seizures;
she tells her that the seizures that caused her heart disease were due to alcoholism and that Jonah wanted him to bear a son. The community also pushed Yona to marry another wife so that a son would be born, which Sara was unable to have. When Yona could not withstand the pressure, he started to drink until he was fired. In addition to this, Sara defends Yona’s state and wealth regarding his drunkenness and violence.
In this scene, we see Neema complaining about Bunju. According to Neema, Bunju seems tight with money. He defends himself, saying that he is constrained by many needs that do not leave him with extra money.
Exhibit Il: Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
This show takes place at Neema’s house with Bela, her employee. Through their conversation, it is clear that today’s life has so many challenges that parents do not interact with their children as desired. This situation seems to upset the parents.
The issue of busyness at work seems to conflict with the activity of parenting. In this part, it is clear that Neema does not see Lemi because every time he comes home, the child is asleep.
The issue of tradition also arises. Sara’s parents cannot sleep with their married son. Neema talks about this with surprise. This is a problem because Neema’s mother often goes to the city for medical work and always needs a place to sleep.
If it weren’t for the fact that Asna lives in the city and that she can support her mother, then Neema would have to rent a room for her mother, something that is wrong in Africa. The issue of globalization is emerging, and it is obvious that some traditions are outdated and should be discarded, as Bela explains: That is ancient, and ancient does not smell. Many no longer follow those traditions.
Exhibit Ill: Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
In this scene, Bunju is ready to leave for work in the morning. The conversation with his wife, Neema, is about the exam results of Lemi, their son. While Neema seems satisfied with the results, Bunju asks Lemi to work harder to get more satisfactory results. A conflict between parents regarding their children’s studies is emerging. The situation of Neema and Bunju disagreeing about their son’s hard work can cause a stir.
When Neema explains to Bunju that her mother has already arrived in town for treatment, she refuses to give money to support the treatment. Bunju claims that he has many responsibilities. He pays for all household needs, including school fees and rent, and has bought Neema a car.
He wants Neema to be responsible because he has allowed her to use her salary for her family’s needs. Bunju emphasizes the concept of not allowing the mother-in-law to sleep in their house. Those customs and traditions annoy Neema very much. By grace, those are outdated traditions and customs.
Scene IV
In the city, home of Asna. Asna prepares breakfast for her mother. A mother wonders why her daughter lives in a small room. The daughter defends herself, saying that the room is in a prestigious neighborhood and she enjoys it. Sara compares life in the city and in the village and finds that the life in the city is annoying but better than the life in the village.
He says that the people of the city are always on the run and that their income is scarce. Asna does not agree with her mother; for him, his level of education did not allow him to go and stay in the village. Sara begs Asna to get married and bring her a grandchild. Asna does not agree with that.
According to Asna, marriage has many problems, like those experienced by Neema, her sister, who, although she has studied and obtained two degrees, does not help her fight against the cultural position of Bunju, her husband. Instead of fighting for a change in Bunju’s position, Neema seems to accept it because of the freedom of use of her salary given to her by Bunju.
Inefficiency at work is discussed through doctors and their performance. Some doctors are always running from one hospital to another to earn extra money without paying full attention to their patients.
Part III Scene I
Home to Neema and Bunju. Neema is at home cleaning. He thinks about how his mother’s illness made him poor. When Bunju enters the room, Neema doesn’t hear him; she is shocked. Once again, he refuses to help Neema pay for her mother’s illness.
He says that he does all the responsibilities at home and does not see why Neema cannot plan his salary so that you can meet his needs. Neema is saddened by Bunju’s relationship but also remembers her mother’s words that Bunju is a gift to her, which gives her a little happiness.
Scene II
Sara is in the hospital, where she is admitted. Neema and Asna have come to see him. Sara wants to be allowed to go home because the cost of the hospital continues to rise. Sara compares the medical services in the village and in the city. City hospitals are like hotels, while rural hospitals are like cells, where if a person is admitted, even the hope of recovery fades away.
Sara wants him to leave the hospital and go back to the village to help Yona, who left all the housework to him. Bunju does his business without going to the hospital to find out about Sara’s condition. This angers Asna who sees Bunju as greedy and irresponsible toward her son-in-law. Neema defends Bunju. He says that his behavior is due to the way he was brought up, so don’t blame him.
Scene III
Neema helps Lemi in his studies. Lemi complains that his parents have not taken him on a visit for a long time. Neema tells him that she will not be able to take him on a visit because she is taking her grandmother back to the village. Lemi does not understand why his grandmother did not come to greet him.
Neema asks Bunju to take Lemi swimming as she is planning to bring her mother home. Bunju refuses because of the cost, and he also says he is going to earn a living. He complains that Neema is often away on business and leaves all the household duties to him.
Bunju complains that he was not informed that his mother-in-law had left the hospital and that she will be transported to the village. Neema tells Bunju that his wife did not want to disturb him with their affairs at home.
According to Bunju, Neema has started to despise him. Bunju reminds Neema how desperate she was when he found her. This issue saddens Neema, and she starts to cry. Bunju sympathizes with her and tells her to calm down and not cry in front of him.
Scene IV
The conversation between mother and daughter touches on many issues. It turns out that Asna does not believe in marriage. She is content with living without a husband, even though she has reached marriageable age. According to Asna, Neema’s marriage is flawed. This is because Bunju is stingy and does not want Neema’s parents to sleep at his house.
Second, he observes that Sara also suffered a lot in her marriage. Even the illness he had was caused by Yona, their father. Asna decides to live out of wedlock because of the examples of the two unsatisfying marriages. In this show, Sara finds time to talk to Asna about the troubles of her marriage with her father and how it started. Sara and Asna talk about the efforts of Dina and her sons that have helped them get out of trouble.
Part IV, Scene I
Kijigini at Luka’s house. Luke invites Beni and Yona to a party to enjoy his crops. Beni talks about how people have completely thrown away their traditions. He says that future generations will not have traditions and customs. In their conversation, the three elders agree that today’s generations think that whiteness is civilization.
This is due to urban education, which is often left to domestic workers. Parents jump on the bus in the morning and return at night with the children in bed. Luka reminds his colleagues that old traditions did not allow female children to go to school or inherit property, but they relied on the support of their husbands.
But he admits that the value of a girl child has increased, and her opportunities have expanded. Jonah’s daughters are highlighted in this conversation. Although they were despised before, now they have become stars. It is clear that they are now the ones who pay for their mother’s treatment in high-quality hospitals in the city.
However, traditional thinking still dominates. Beni blames Sara for leaving Yona alone to do all the housework. Luka opposes Beni’s statement about degrading girls and women in general. In this show, the issues of alcoholism and its effects, masculinity, gender equality, and change are highlighted.
Exhibit Il: Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes
This scene takes place at Sara’s home in the village. Sara and Neema discuss the issues of culture and social change. Neema says the world is running fast, while some people are left behind in the traditional tendencies of drinking alcohol without limits.
Sara defends Yona for not being properly responsible with household duties, especially those of livestock. According to Sara, a man cannot be put on the same level as a woman. He says Yona performs his duties properly. That is cultural thinking. For Sara, a man has his place in society and should not help a woman with housework. To do so is to invite the whispers of community members and mislead her sons into marrying them.
Sara takes care of the honor of her marriage so that her children can have good things in life despite the suffering she gets from her husband. Sara gives Neema advice that can make her marriage successful. He advises Neema to talk to her father wisely to help him change his position, especially regarding alcoholism.
Scene III: bembea ya maisha notes
The show is held in the morning in the village. Yona is alone in the living room. His wife’s illness saddens him, and he regrets his previous life that brought him to his wife, Neema, and finds his father in a state of many thoughts. Yona is surprised to see his daughter so thin.
Yona explains to Neema how Sara’s illness affected his town. He thanks him for taking care of Yona; he remembers his college life and how smart he was. Neema is surprised when she realizes that her father has prepared breakfast early while she and her mother are still asleep. Neema is happy, and thanks her father for his kindness.
The show ends with Yona apologizing to Neema for the mistakes she made while they were still young. Yona hopes that her other daughters will forgive her one day. Yona also apologizes to his wife and promises her not to doubt that he will be with her in every situation. The lights go out, and all three hug each other to show the family’s forgiveness and coming together.
In conclusion, I hope you are able to enjoy this beautiful Bembea Ya Maisha Summary Notes. The play was an interesting one. We hope for a better swing of life to a positive side.
