I began another journey of discovery – I wanted to discover why there was a culture of silence around Menopause in my black African community. My grandmother, Mbuya Puma (translated as “Granma Puma”), was born around 1912, and my mission began by looking into her lifestyle. (She has become my Menopause Wellness Coach). She was pretty young when she married my granddad, we think maybe 16, and she had her firstborn in 1928. Mbuya Puma spent all her years on her and granddad’s farm, living a simple and natural lifestyle. She ate what she grew – fresh, organic foods and vegetables straight from her garden and field. She drank water from her borehole and had milk straight from the cows. Meat was a special occasion food, mainly when we, the grandchildren, visited. And it was fresh organic chicken, beef or lamb. Most of the green veg herbs and plants around her yard were full of goodness, nutrients, and healing properties to boost her immune system. Her daily routine was filled with farm work – tending to her garden, feeding chickens, collecting firewood, and fetching water. They had no electricity out in the rural areas – no phones – no TVs – no internet. She was out in the sun in the daytime, getting plenty of natural vitamin D. Her world was the farm; she rarely went anywhere else. Mbuya and my granddad had separate bedrooms but would chat from across the walls late into the night.
Did Mbuya Puma know about Menopause? I never heard her complain about menopause symptoms like hot flashes or mood swings. She just got on with life, strong and steady. She lived in a world surrounded by natural remedies and must have sensed the changes in her body when her period stopped. She knew that such a season of life would surely come. As for intimacy with my granddad, that’s a mystery they kept to themselves – but they had separate rooms.
Her daughter, my mom, and her brothers left the farm for city life. That lifestyle was a lot different from Mbuya Puma’s world. We grew up in the generation of Coca-Cola ads, consuming many sweet, fizzy drinks. Tea and coffee with heaps of sugar became the norm. Meat became an everyday consumption. Then, my generation moved to the Western world to chase their dreams.
We have lost touch with the sun and natural organic foods in this new world. We got busy with work, and our lives became stressful. We were unprepared for Menopause when it came. Our bodies, used to a different lifestyle, struggled with the change and were confused. Our generation faces challenges with Menopause due to our way of life. We have drifted far from the life Mbuya Puma exemplified, a life harmonious with nature and God’s design.