Mchumba

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Mchumba means sweetheart in Swahili. When she was born, her parents had not been able to agree upon a name for their new daughter. Since she would not know or remember the difference, they waited three months before deciding on a name. In that time, they contemplated using ancestral names. But they didn't want her to feel bound by that elder; she should grow to be her own lioness. They considered the popular names at the time. But they wanted her to be unique. They finally agreed to give her a name that could represent her personality. It was difficult to do as a cub, but perhaps they had hoped it would fit her. They kept the meaning, however, unknown to her until much later so as not to influence her. The one thing they had agreed on was letting her be her own and not letting anything define her.