TITLE:
The Harvest of Tsam-Tsam in a Congolese Bowl: Body Adaptations of Harvesters
AUTHORS:
Yvon Rock Ghislain Alongo, Simplice Innocent Moussouami, Jean Georges André Moulongo
KEYWORDS:
Tsam-Tsam, Body Adaptations, Swampy Areas, Congo
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.10 No.2,
May
11,
2020
ABSTRACT: Thisexploratory and diagnostic standard study on the harvesters of local wine made from date palm aims to assess the effects of the practice of harvesting tsam-tsam, on the arch of the palm and thickening-hardening of the palm in the tsam-tsam harvesters in the marshy environment of the Congolese forest basin. This experimental, longitudinal, analytical and comparative study, exclusively concerned only the harvesters of swampy and non-swampy areas. Out of a population of 85 harvesters from different villages, 55 harvesters from villages in the districts of Makoua and Owando in the northern part of the country were chosen. It took place in the period of July 15, 2018 and July 19, 2019. The non-probabilistic method and the reasoned sampling technique were used for the choice of subjects. The subjects were randomized into two groups: a first experimental group (GE = 25) operating in the marshy area, a second control group (GC = 30) in the non-marshy area. The kinesiology technique based on the podoscope to be scanned with a manual platform made it possible to appreciate the effect of the marshy environment on deformations of the arch of the palm of the hand of tsam-tsam harvesters. The results showed that the valuesof the arch of the handsare significantly higher in the tsam-tsam harvesters living in the swampy area than those in the non-swampy area. The mercantile activity of the harvest of the local drink based on the sap of the date palm, helps fight poverty,andgenerates various deformations in the arch of the feet, from the hands of practitioners.