The Calabash Broke in Rotifunk
The calabash is a treasured gourd that can serve as a decoration, a favorite kitchen tool or even as a musical instrument. In Sierra Leone the broken calabash has a second meaning. When whispered in safe company, it means another mother has died in childbirth. The whispers are used because somehow perinatal mortality is perceived as the mother’s fault and brings shame to the family. So the secrecy continues.