Improving African Futures Using Lessons from the Past

Providing for Families

Over the centuries people living in the Banda area provided for their families in a variety of ways—by farming, fishing, hunting and trading. At times people living in a household did all these activities, while at other times some families, villages or groups of people specialized in one of these livelihoods.

Through the portals below, we invite you to explore what we have learned from historical and archaeological sources about how people provided for their families over the centuries and how they responded to challenges in the past including climate change.

  • Livelihoods explores practices of farming, fishing and hunting over the centuries and the ways in which people adjusted their practices in relation to changing social, environmental, and political contexts.
  • Making Meals focuses on the ways in which food is prepared and shared and explores how the grandmothers and grandfathers experimented with new foods over time.
  • Accessing Water highlights the importance of water to family and individual well being and explores the challenges faced by the grandfathers and grandmothers in accessing and managing this critical resource.
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