In a small town in Kenya's lush Rift Valley, arrows are scattered around a dusty, hay-littered compound. Men in plaid-checkered shirts construct bows and say they were forced to arm themselves for war. "We were using swords but they were not effective," says Sylvester, 24, slashing a knife in the air. "In a day we can make between 80 and 100 [arrows]," he adds, refusing to give his last name out of fear. Community members pool money together to buy the necessary tools in secret; the arrows are then distributed within the neighborhood. Local leaders know about the arrow factories, but police forces do not. 
Making bows and arrows has become a communal task. Although women and girls do not fight, they assist in collecting materials for the weapons. Five bow-and-arrow construction groups of 10 members each are scattered around the town. Weapon-makers first cut the head off a 4-inch nail, which is then chiseled with a heavy hammer into a sharp edge. The nail is then coiled to fit onto a bamboo stick. A groove is cut into the bottom of the stick in order to add paraffin paper wings for the arrow to have better flight. Sometimes, the arrow is dipped into frog or snake poison before being released. The bow is made by forcefully bending hard wood and adding string and springs. The result is a four-foot bow that can shoot an arrow for over 1,500 feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment