In understanding Gabra homesteads, two words are prominent: Olla and Mana. The Olla is a Gabra settlement. The Mana is an eco-friendly traditional hut suited to the community’s nomadic lifestyle.
Each Olla comprises of several Manas inhabited by people who choose to live together. The Olla is a pack that moves together. During the dry season, they concentrate around wells, but every three to four months they pack up and move to another place.
What was more impressive about Gabra bomas were the female architects and their ingenuity and ability to build portable homes. The Mana, which is characterized by its dome shape, is light enough to be loaded onto a camel when a household needs to move to greener pastures but sturdy enough to protect those within from weather extremities.
When building the Mana, women use a framework of poles firmly fixed 30cm into the ground to create a 3m diameter circle. These are then bent at the top to make the roof, which is covered with dasse (sisal mats) or ithile (goat or sheep skins). The vertical poles are the skeleton of the Mana that are fleshed out using thin sticks tied horizontally onto them using cowhide thongs. Shrubs are used to surround the part of the house closest to the ground in order to prevent sand particles from coming in. The whole structure is then held firmly in place using ropes.
The Mana is truly an architectural masterpiece that also takes the weather into consideration. All huts must open to the west to prevent the westward winds from blowing dust into the house.
Home is where the heart is, and Gabra women give their all when it comes to construction of the Mana. The brilliance of their skills is unmatched, and we celebrate them for putting a roof over their families’ heads.
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