Pongwe Pogwe is a Tanzanian village belonging to the
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of
Kang'ata,
Handeni District
Handeni District is one of the 11 districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The District covers an area of . It is bordered to the west by the Kilindi District and the Handeni Urban District, to the north by the Korogwe District, to the east by t ...
in the northern
Region of Tanga. The local
demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
is "Wapongwe" ("Samwepongwe" for men and "Mnamweponge" for women).
Geography
In Pongwe Pogwe there is a
natural spring
A spring is a natural exit point at which groundwater emerges from an aquifer and flows across the ground surface as surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere, as well as a part of the water cycle. Springs have long been important fo ...
water place called Kwekibaya. Kwekibaya is the only source of water for thousands of people and animals.
History
Cultural beliefs
It is believed that if a person not belonging to Wapongwe cleans the water source (the place where water is actually coming out to the surface), Kwekibaya dries out. If this happens, it is only a Wapongwe family member, in Wagongwe tradition, who can please the natural spring to give out water again.
Because of the importance of Kwekibaya, there is a chain of family leaders among the Wapongwe who guide the community in managing the Kibaya in particular and general resources such as deforestation issues (which forest is a reserved one). The last leader of wapongwe is Mkulago (1942-2006). Mkulago died on 28 April 2006 and laid to rest on 30 April 2006 in the Mtonga forest.
References
{{Reflist
Populated places in Tanga Region