Placenta Disposal Rituals among Somali Refugees in Dadaab Camp

Abstract

Rituals surrounding birth and placenta are common in various African societies. These rituals often include behavior and belief systems that serves to ensure reproductive health and welfare of mother, child, and the community at large. The rituals and practices are transmitted from one generation to next in form of fertility myths, folk tales, taboos and religion. The rituals are perceived as spiritual, important and sacred. The burial of placenta is a common post-partum ritual in many cultures. However, the ritual processes, practices and its symbolic meaning vary from one culture to the other. For instance, the Holy Quran, 20:55, indicates that placenta should be buried because it is from the earth people were created, and into it shall they return. This could be a guiding principle for persons who subscribe to the Islamic faith. Yet, in other communities, they believe placenta should be buried lest witchdoctors steal and use it for witchcrafts, bewitch and/ or to curse the family. Therefore, this study embarked on exploring the rituals surrounding disposal of placenta among Somali refugees living in Dadaab camp. The study wished to establish the religio-cultural drivers behind placenta disposal; how and where they dispose the placenta and significance the manner in which placenta is disposed for the mother, baby and community at large. It was a qualitative study carried out in Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab. The study interviewed 2 married men, 3 TBAs, 2 pregnant mothers and 2 safe mothers/ community midwifes. Two separate focus group discussions (FGDs) were done for men and women, where one FGD was conducted for only women and another for men only. Content analysis was done after coding and categorizing data into thematic areas. The study established that placenta is buried. The Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) demonstrated how and where the placenta is buried in the compound. The findings indicated that for the Somali refugees, burying of placenta is a significant spiritual-cultural practice that has been carried out by ancestors from ancient times. And that TBAs are the ones that bury the placenta two feet deep to avoid foil stench and animals preying on it. the overburden is compacted to deter an evil person from exhuming it. The study established that the placenta has a religious significance as it is supported by the teaching of the holy Qur‟an. Burying of placenta is one of the major reasons why the community prefer the TBAs services to hospitals. Such findings could be a game changer for hospital staff to come up with strategies to make sure they elicit mothers input regarding placenta disposal, by ensuring that they make provision to meet their wishes