Indigenous Knowledge of Wild-food Resources among Children in Tanzania

Abstract

This is a case study of children's knowledge of wild-food resources in three rural communities in Tanzania. The study argues that research on African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) on wild food resources marginalizes the theoretical and practical knowledge that children have on these resources. It was found that children, both boys and girls, had a wide knowledge of the wild food resources. This was acquired through social practice. They saw, heard, gathered, processed and ate these food resources. Girls had more theoretical to practical knowledge of wild-food plants, while boys demonstrated greater knowledge of wild animals and birds due their respective involvement in related activities. The study recommends that more research should be conducted to establish the local knowledge of children in different age groups and genders for AIKS curriculum development purposes.