BUDGET 10

Maurice Nyingka and Audelia-Kilar

Maurice was a man of Mbonyaar Compound who was a Roman Catholic and was in his late thirties. He was literate and kept the accounts for the 'bank' and djanggi.
He had two small children, the younger being about 2 years old. His wife, Audelia-Kilar, was in her twenties and an indefatigable worker. With the assistance of her mother (whom she assisted in return) she farmed 3.9 acres, most of the plots being within 30 minutes' walking distance of the compound. She tended plantains, pineapples, pear and orange trees, and sold a portion of the produce. Only once during the 5 months (when I was recording the budget) did she traffic in cooked foods. She preferred to give her time to the farm.
Maurice was a caretaker of the Government Resthouse at Kikai and received 26s. a
month. Apart from tending a small coffee-plantation, he rarely assisted his wife on
the farm. He usually returned late in the evening from Kikai, and was far more
reticent than the other men about his expenses and income. His wife was under the
impression that he earned only a few shillings a week; and, on more than one occasion, said he had no money! He himself would often say towards the end of the month that he lacked cash and he would not admit he had savings. He belonged to two djanggis and contributed to the 'bank'. I attempted to record his budget for 5 months, but for two weeks I did not see him at all, and his records were less complete than those of other men. His wife had, by Nsaw standards, a good wardrobe and the family used a relatively large quantity of salt, oil, and meat, compared with the rest of the Compound.

NOTES

(a) Audelia had exceptionally large farm plots and there was no need for her husband to buy extra foodstuffs. Ninepence was expended on okra (2d.), davadava (2d.}, and egusi (5d.).
(b) Maurice bought an empty kerosene tin for his wife to use as a water container,
(c) Audelia bought the necklace for herself from her trade earnings.
(d) Maurice had 25s. in the Mbonyaar 'bank'. In October, and again in January, he
withdrew 25s. He repaid the first amount and 2s. 1d. interest.
(e) Maurice belonged to the monthly djanggi which he 'cooked' for 55s. He spent 3s. on wine, and his wife brewed beer to the value of 1s. from her own maize.
(f) Maurice bought his wife's mother a headtie (4s. 6d.) and, on a later occasion, tobacco (1/2d.). His cash expenditure was probably higher but I have no other records.
(g) Audelia tended plantains and other fruit trees, disposed of the produce, and kept the money for relishes, trinkets, and baskets.
(h) Maurice earned 10s. from the sale of 30 lbs. of coffee berries. In March, 1948, he had a 60 lb. case of berries for which he hoped to obtain 20s., less 2s. for transport.
(i) Audelia bought cassava (4d.) and made gruel, which she sold for 6d. In my records there is also a purchase of 4d. worth of cassava which she said she would make into gruel, but the sale is not in my notes and I have omitted the purchase.
(j) Maurice earned 26s. a month.
(k) I have allowed 10s. for oil; 6s. for salt; 5s. for meat; but it is probable expenditure was higher on these items. My estimates have been based on the recorded budget and also the expenses of other men.
(1) I have allowed 1s. 8d. for purchase of thatching grass for roof repairs, as Maurice's regular employment did not give him time to collect grass in the dry season.
(m) Cloth and headties for Audelia would cost 30s., while clothes for Maurice and the small child would amount to another 20s.
(n) During the rains Maurice withdrew, in April, 12s. from the 'bank'; and 20s. in June. Interest amounted to 2s. 8d.

(o) Maurice belonged to the Mbonyaar djanggi and I estimated that he 'cooked' it for 60s. Through an oversight on my part I did not get the exact amount, but I have used his weekly payments as a guide.
(p) Maurice as a regular wage-earner would have more demands made upon him by his affines than most men.
(q) In the last period Audelia gave cooked food, worth 10d., to her mother. Another 9d worth of food was for the marriage feast of a kinswoman.
(r) Maurice gave one of his own fowls to his brother's daughter when she returned from Nigeria. On other occasions his wife gave gifts of food worth 3 1/2d. Maurice received meat (6d.) from his half-brother, Thomas; and meat (1 1/2d.) from his half-brother, Lole.
(s) In September, 1947, Audelia reaped 15 vegati of maize; in January, she harvested 10 1/2 vegati of finger millet.
(t) I estimated that Audelia obtained 650 lbs. plantains from her groves, but about 200 lbs were sold per annum as she did not have to rely on the fruit as a supplement to the larder in the hungry period.