In Swahili culture, a bride who marries because of an arranged marriage has a ‘marriage mentor (somo)’ during their first night. The marriage mentor is appointed to the bride. This mentor is one that is trained on how to be a sufficient wife.
The ‘marriage mentor’ will be under the bed, while the newlyweds will perfect their marriage. This is done to ensure that they have consummated their marriage and the ‘mentor’ is the witness.
In the Swahili culture, a somo or marriage mentor is appointed to the bride. This mentor is one that is trained on how t
o be a sufficient wife.
Linah, a native Linah explained in an article titled Secrets of Coastal Women Unveiled how coastal women are experts at pleasing their husbands. This is after talking to a couple of traditional mar
riage councilors who ‘train’ young women how to become perfect wives.Â
Linah quotes the councilor saying ‘you can’t go to bed and sleep like a log, you have to make sure that you satisfy your man by giving him quality s*x.’
Hence on the first night, the marriage counse
lor or mentor sleeps under the bed of the bride and groom to ensure that the bride is doing their first night well.
Even in this fast-paced world, a Swahili woman maintains her roots. They study and work like any other modern woman then keep steady in chasing after a career but still maintain what their mothers did i
n the past.
A true Swahili lady will not let a maid step foot in her room because they are brought up knowing that their rooms are sanctified; this is not something you are taught in a class.Â
A maid’s duty will be everything else but that room. If a maid is to help in the kitchen, she will be delegated to a very minimal amount mostly the physical bits such as doing the dishes.Â
As far as matters of the bedroom are concerned, Swahili women are too modest to care to discuss what goes behind the closed doors.
