Eré · Swahili

Bao

The seed board · 8–15 min

Bao of the Swahili coast: houses, seeds, sow and capture. This sitting uses the twelve-house board a child can finish.

Why. Number and patience of the coast. Elders still sit to bao.

1. Mstari wa chini ni wako. — The bottom row is yours.
2. Kila shimo lina mbegu nne. — Each pit starts with four seeds.
3. Gusa shimo lako. Panda kwenda kulia. — Tap your pit. Sow to the right.
4. Anayeanza ishirini na nne (24) anashinda. — First to twenty-four wins.