Health - Important Tips
Answer the phone by LEFT ear
Do not drink coffee TWICE a day
Do not take pills with COOL water
Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm
Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume
Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night
Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS
Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time
Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning
Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping
When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times
Forward this to those whom you CARE about
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
African Ambulance
This photo was taken recently in Mtwara, Tanzania by John Mnamba. An ill person is being carried to a local hospital. The person is obviously poor and cannot afford a ride in a taxi. Plus ambulance service as we know it in the USA is not available.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Why has Rev. Jeremiah Wright been villainized? He is a minister of the Word of god yet some want him to be seen as the Devil incarnate. Compare him to other politicians.
While I don't agree with some of his comments, he is right that Blacks in America have been oppressed and are still being oppressed. We cannot just sweep the legacy of slavery and its effects under the carpet.
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There are far more serious matters in the world than wasting time on this dribble: For example....Real Men In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines. In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)
The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital , as a member of the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery.
For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation. What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.
While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/ sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father.
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections. Who is the real patriot?
The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?
After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America 's biggest cities. This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
TAMWA 20 years later
Please note, I am one of TAMWA's Founding Members.
*******************************************************
Bravo, TAMWA, for searching for women activists
2008-04-08
By Salma Mlindi
Tanzania Media Women Association`s 20th anniversary has clearly reflected how the association is determined in advocacy regarding African women`s activism as narrated by Special Correspondent Salma Mlindi: On March 29, 2008 the Tanzania Media Women`s Association (TAMWA) began a week long commemoration of 20 years of advocacy for women`s human rights. Among activities earmarked to mark the occasion include the opening of a self-sponsored office building; the launch of a Fundraising Campaign for a Women`s Media and Documentation Centre; and a book launch of TAMWA`s story in pioneering social transformation in Tanzania as experienced by members, supporters and friends.
TAMWA was officially launched and registered in 1987 by 10 women pioneers working in the media with two major objectives: to agitate for a positive portrayal of women in the media; and to raise the academic and professional standards of female journalist to enable them to assume positions of influence in the media with the expectation that they will have a voice with regard media content and output in so far as its portrayal of women.
Twenty years later TAMWA has much to celebrate about. Arguably TAMWA is the foremost advocacy organization for women`s right in Tanzania. TAMWA`s command of the local media is unparralled and stems from years of capacity building and advocacy of media heads in various media institutions.
Nevertheless, in Tanzania, TAMWA is best known for its work in gender-based violence. Soon after its formation, TAMWA made it her business to expose crimes against women that were otherwise considered taboo. The association has demonstrated its commitment in the struggles against domestic violence and notably wife beating, incest, and family neglect together with sexual harassment at workplaces.
TAMWA also addressed the larger phenomena of sexual abuse against women and children in Tanzania, contributing to the impetus of increased local responses to address the phenomena. The association has teamed up with other associations with similar objectives of liberating women in the country. The associations include the Tanzania Women Lawyers Association. Undeniably, Gender Based Violence (GBV) is the mother of activists` struggles in Tanzania thanks to a large part to TAMWA`s relentless advocacy on the issues.
Other than the ongoing Campaign on breast cancer by the Tanzania Medical Women`s Association (MEWATA) which is mainly service-oriented no other advocacy campaign has been as successful as the Campaign to Stop GBV launched by TAMWA in the mid 1990`s. Through innovative strategies like media advocacy, action research and campaigns TAMWA made sure that her advocacy agenda was current news and popular, not just with legislators and bureaucrats but with the local populace.
It is not unheard of that activists visiting any village in Tanzania would be approached by concerned villagers about human rights violations against women and children in the belief that the activist who cared enough to visit them represents TAMWA. While Tanzania now has a number of women`s rights organizations, TAMWA remains the most recognized and coined by men and women alike. TAMWA`s advocacy ensured that GBV was not only named, but was also unpacked and demystified.
Certainly fifteen years ago many Tanzanians did not know about the prevalence of female genital mutilation FGM)in the country. Personally, I learnt about the practice in France after watching a documentary prepared by Sudanese women on alternative forms of cutting. However, building on her research work on crimes committed against women undertaken with journalists in various regions of Tanzania, TAMWA exposed FGM and made it a national agenda.
Consequently, Tanzania was among the first countries to outlaw FGM and to have an active anti-FGM network at regional and national levels. Another less publicized issue was the deaths of old women accused of witchcraft in west and north western Tanzania.
TAMWA made the link between the deaths of old women to economic insecurity experienced in most poor rural communities. Access to landed resources increasingly endangered the lives of old women occupying land that younger relatives wanted to access and control. Other than changing the dominant perspective about the issue, especially witchcraft beliefs, TAMWA was able to lend impetus to and influence the content of the Land Campaign in the late 1990`s to address the question of women\'s access and control of landed resources.
In many ways TAMWA activist trajectory informed and continues to inform my own activist trajectory. I was introduced to TAMWA in the early 1990\'s when I was still doing my LLB helping out in what was then known as the Library and Documentation Unit. This was the beginning of my own official activist trajectory and as Fatma Alloo, the first TAMWA Chairperson, puts it, ``Of channeling my anger against injustice towards more productive activist enterprise``.
Other than having first hand access to feminist literature from different parts of the world, I got to meet many authors and or subjects of books in the centre satiating my growing zeal for alternative leadership figures and visions. Just as the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) Women Wing and later Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania (UWT) was a pioneer for women`s interests pre and post-independence, TAMWA pioneered autonomous women rights organizations as well as autonomous advocacy agendas.
Figures that led TAMWA also offered the first real taste of female leadership outside the dominant party structure. The growth of private media houses meant that TAMWA personalities were recognized nationally, often times as readily as leading government figures. The pedestal TAMWA has come to enjoy in the civil society sector means that the successes and struggles she achieves impact on the larger women`s movement in Tanzania.
Thus, when in the mid nineties TAMWA suffered an organizational crisis bought on by rapid organizational growth, burn out and rifts between the ranks that otherwise would be normal in an organizational context but that spiraled to become personal because of the absence of an awareness in how to manage the health of a dynamic, visible and politically charged organization, mushrooming advocacy organizations held their breath.
They were conscious that TAMWA`s failure would reflect not just in the women`s movement, but also in the larger civil society sector that was beginning to attract some level of sanction on account of its work. Perhaps the crisis appeared bigger than it actually was because the emerging activist sector while commonly survives on camaraderie, trust and enthusiasm had not had to deal with the full force of what it means to be empowered individuals.
Also the age old habit of selfless devotion and sacrifice `serving others` most women succumb to, may have been transferred to the activist space such that some members may have felt not adequately appreciated. Indeed in an activist space the actors are many, the roles more visible and the stakes are higher such that it is not uncommon for egos to become more sensitive to criticism or doubt. Nonetheless, TAMWA survived and emerged stronger.
In fact the crisis introduced the notion of organizational health and anti burn out measurers to CSOs. Following an emotional OD intervention members were able to come to terms with their reality and create a healthier space to address existing and perceived weaknesses. TAMWA had to change and since she has learnt the value of reinventing herself and her agenda making it timeless. TAMWA`s records successes not just institutionally, but also with her membership which comprises of exceptional pioneers.
Edda Sanga was Chief Controller and acting head of Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam (RTD) before her retirement while Joyce Mhaville manages the largest private radio and television network in the country. Fatma Alloo, Halima Sheriff and Rose Kalemera all among founder members have also worked in the civil society sector serving and serve in a number of prestigious boards. Pili Mtambalike and Rose Haji work for the Media Council of Tanzania and MISA-Tanzania respectively.
Young women journalists who interned at TAMWA are mostly employed as media consultants and directors in the private sector. Mahfoudha Alley Hamid, a TAMWA veteran was a member of the first East Africa Legislative Assembly and currently serves as Deputy Chairperson for the Tanzania Human Rights and Good Governance Commission while others like Zainab Vulu serve as Parliamentarians and others like Halima Kihemba and Betty Mkwasa in local government administration.
As I danced and ululated in celebration with women I had known and grown with for 20 years, I could not help but feel a strong sense of achievement. Members I had not seen for a number of years trickle into the new headquarters to join in the momentous occasion. There was laughter and congratulations all round.
By sheer will the vision of 10 women, who the whole world seemed to ridicule had lived on, thrived and triumphed! It inspired and gave birth to other smaller social justice movements at local and national levels.
The Tanzanian First Lady, Mama Salma Kikwete graced the occasion. I was gripped by a strange disquiet as she posed a challenge to TAMWA for the next twenty years. As I looked around me, I wondered would I recognize my sisters (and brothers) in activism 20 years from now? Certainly, mostly TAMWA members and `official` activists`` attended the event. I would have loved to see greater participation of the population that TAMWA spent 20 years advocating for.
Perhaps a public solidarity walk would have been more appropriate to facilitate a broad based commemoration. Also while there were a few men in attendance, many men representing media organizations stayed away. How could they then be seen to lend moral support to women`s human rights when such support is not felt in physical terms?
While TAMWA`s successes fill me with pride I can`t help but worry about the implications. I worry whether the agenda we have fought so hard to push is getting co-opted as more young women with activist potential are being lured by the private sector which is reverting to selling the sexualized image of young women.
It is no secret that other than plastering images of young and supposedly successful women in marketing ads, many companies employ younger women because of the `sex appeal` they offer. Another consideration is the lower wages they attract in contrast to male executives. This is not to say that young female media practitioners are not worth their salt. Rather there is a real concern around the original agenda of using the media to conscientize about and advocate women`s human rights being compromised in the era of a liberal media and economy.
The detachment of young women from the struggles of past is palpable as most activists organizations and initiatives remain dominated by middle aged and retired women. Young professions have sold out to the liberal economy as most become preoccupied with becoming successful in the market and portraying an outer image of success through apolitical consumerism. Gender discrimination has mutated or gone underground such that young female professionals appear clueless about the struggles of past that brought about the even playing field they now enjoy.
Mistakenly, and perhaps because they come armed with an education, they think this is how things were and will continue to be. Indeed, TAMWA produced young professionals and executives who can compete with handsome pledges to her fundraiser providing much needed relief from over demanding and increasingly tightfisted funders.
But I wonder if in so doing whether the women`s movement is not opening itself up to an elitist and consumerist culture that is unconcerned with the means through which she achieves her end? Or is it a matter of redefining our values? Salma Mlidi is a political activist.
SOURCE: Guardian
*******************************************************
Bravo, TAMWA, for searching for women activists
2008-04-08
By Salma Mlindi
Tanzania Media Women Association`s 20th anniversary has clearly reflected how the association is determined in advocacy regarding African women`s activism as narrated by Special Correspondent Salma Mlindi: On March 29, 2008 the Tanzania Media Women`s Association (TAMWA) began a week long commemoration of 20 years of advocacy for women`s human rights. Among activities earmarked to mark the occasion include the opening of a self-sponsored office building; the launch of a Fundraising Campaign for a Women`s Media and Documentation Centre; and a book launch of TAMWA`s story in pioneering social transformation in Tanzania as experienced by members, supporters and friends.
TAMWA was officially launched and registered in 1987 by 10 women pioneers working in the media with two major objectives: to agitate for a positive portrayal of women in the media; and to raise the academic and professional standards of female journalist to enable them to assume positions of influence in the media with the expectation that they will have a voice with regard media content and output in so far as its portrayal of women.
Twenty years later TAMWA has much to celebrate about. Arguably TAMWA is the foremost advocacy organization for women`s right in Tanzania. TAMWA`s command of the local media is unparralled and stems from years of capacity building and advocacy of media heads in various media institutions.
Nevertheless, in Tanzania, TAMWA is best known for its work in gender-based violence. Soon after its formation, TAMWA made it her business to expose crimes against women that were otherwise considered taboo. The association has demonstrated its commitment in the struggles against domestic violence and notably wife beating, incest, and family neglect together with sexual harassment at workplaces.
TAMWA also addressed the larger phenomena of sexual abuse against women and children in Tanzania, contributing to the impetus of increased local responses to address the phenomena. The association has teamed up with other associations with similar objectives of liberating women in the country. The associations include the Tanzania Women Lawyers Association. Undeniably, Gender Based Violence (GBV) is the mother of activists` struggles in Tanzania thanks to a large part to TAMWA`s relentless advocacy on the issues.
Other than the ongoing Campaign on breast cancer by the Tanzania Medical Women`s Association (MEWATA) which is mainly service-oriented no other advocacy campaign has been as successful as the Campaign to Stop GBV launched by TAMWA in the mid 1990`s. Through innovative strategies like media advocacy, action research and campaigns TAMWA made sure that her advocacy agenda was current news and popular, not just with legislators and bureaucrats but with the local populace.
It is not unheard of that activists visiting any village in Tanzania would be approached by concerned villagers about human rights violations against women and children in the belief that the activist who cared enough to visit them represents TAMWA. While Tanzania now has a number of women`s rights organizations, TAMWA remains the most recognized and coined by men and women alike. TAMWA`s advocacy ensured that GBV was not only named, but was also unpacked and demystified.
Certainly fifteen years ago many Tanzanians did not know about the prevalence of female genital mutilation FGM)in the country. Personally, I learnt about the practice in France after watching a documentary prepared by Sudanese women on alternative forms of cutting. However, building on her research work on crimes committed against women undertaken with journalists in various regions of Tanzania, TAMWA exposed FGM and made it a national agenda.
Consequently, Tanzania was among the first countries to outlaw FGM and to have an active anti-FGM network at regional and national levels. Another less publicized issue was the deaths of old women accused of witchcraft in west and north western Tanzania.
TAMWA made the link between the deaths of old women to economic insecurity experienced in most poor rural communities. Access to landed resources increasingly endangered the lives of old women occupying land that younger relatives wanted to access and control. Other than changing the dominant perspective about the issue, especially witchcraft beliefs, TAMWA was able to lend impetus to and influence the content of the Land Campaign in the late 1990`s to address the question of women\'s access and control of landed resources.
In many ways TAMWA activist trajectory informed and continues to inform my own activist trajectory. I was introduced to TAMWA in the early 1990\'s when I was still doing my LLB helping out in what was then known as the Library and Documentation Unit. This was the beginning of my own official activist trajectory and as Fatma Alloo, the first TAMWA Chairperson, puts it, ``Of channeling my anger against injustice towards more productive activist enterprise``.
Other than having first hand access to feminist literature from different parts of the world, I got to meet many authors and or subjects of books in the centre satiating my growing zeal for alternative leadership figures and visions. Just as the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) Women Wing and later Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania (UWT) was a pioneer for women`s interests pre and post-independence, TAMWA pioneered autonomous women rights organizations as well as autonomous advocacy agendas.
Figures that led TAMWA also offered the first real taste of female leadership outside the dominant party structure. The growth of private media houses meant that TAMWA personalities were recognized nationally, often times as readily as leading government figures. The pedestal TAMWA has come to enjoy in the civil society sector means that the successes and struggles she achieves impact on the larger women`s movement in Tanzania.
Thus, when in the mid nineties TAMWA suffered an organizational crisis bought on by rapid organizational growth, burn out and rifts between the ranks that otherwise would be normal in an organizational context but that spiraled to become personal because of the absence of an awareness in how to manage the health of a dynamic, visible and politically charged organization, mushrooming advocacy organizations held their breath.
They were conscious that TAMWA`s failure would reflect not just in the women`s movement, but also in the larger civil society sector that was beginning to attract some level of sanction on account of its work. Perhaps the crisis appeared bigger than it actually was because the emerging activist sector while commonly survives on camaraderie, trust and enthusiasm had not had to deal with the full force of what it means to be empowered individuals.
Also the age old habit of selfless devotion and sacrifice `serving others` most women succumb to, may have been transferred to the activist space such that some members may have felt not adequately appreciated. Indeed in an activist space the actors are many, the roles more visible and the stakes are higher such that it is not uncommon for egos to become more sensitive to criticism or doubt. Nonetheless, TAMWA survived and emerged stronger.
In fact the crisis introduced the notion of organizational health and anti burn out measurers to CSOs. Following an emotional OD intervention members were able to come to terms with their reality and create a healthier space to address existing and perceived weaknesses. TAMWA had to change and since she has learnt the value of reinventing herself and her agenda making it timeless. TAMWA`s records successes not just institutionally, but also with her membership which comprises of exceptional pioneers.
Edda Sanga was Chief Controller and acting head of Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam (RTD) before her retirement while Joyce Mhaville manages the largest private radio and television network in the country. Fatma Alloo, Halima Sheriff and Rose Kalemera all among founder members have also worked in the civil society sector serving and serve in a number of prestigious boards. Pili Mtambalike and Rose Haji work for the Media Council of Tanzania and MISA-Tanzania respectively.
Young women journalists who interned at TAMWA are mostly employed as media consultants and directors in the private sector. Mahfoudha Alley Hamid, a TAMWA veteran was a member of the first East Africa Legislative Assembly and currently serves as Deputy Chairperson for the Tanzania Human Rights and Good Governance Commission while others like Zainab Vulu serve as Parliamentarians and others like Halima Kihemba and Betty Mkwasa in local government administration.
As I danced and ululated in celebration with women I had known and grown with for 20 years, I could not help but feel a strong sense of achievement. Members I had not seen for a number of years trickle into the new headquarters to join in the momentous occasion. There was laughter and congratulations all round.
By sheer will the vision of 10 women, who the whole world seemed to ridicule had lived on, thrived and triumphed! It inspired and gave birth to other smaller social justice movements at local and national levels.
The Tanzanian First Lady, Mama Salma Kikwete graced the occasion. I was gripped by a strange disquiet as she posed a challenge to TAMWA for the next twenty years. As I looked around me, I wondered would I recognize my sisters (and brothers) in activism 20 years from now? Certainly, mostly TAMWA members and `official` activists`` attended the event. I would have loved to see greater participation of the population that TAMWA spent 20 years advocating for.
Perhaps a public solidarity walk would have been more appropriate to facilitate a broad based commemoration. Also while there were a few men in attendance, many men representing media organizations stayed away. How could they then be seen to lend moral support to women`s human rights when such support is not felt in physical terms?
While TAMWA`s successes fill me with pride I can`t help but worry about the implications. I worry whether the agenda we have fought so hard to push is getting co-opted as more young women with activist potential are being lured by the private sector which is reverting to selling the sexualized image of young women.
It is no secret that other than plastering images of young and supposedly successful women in marketing ads, many companies employ younger women because of the `sex appeal` they offer. Another consideration is the lower wages they attract in contrast to male executives. This is not to say that young female media practitioners are not worth their salt. Rather there is a real concern around the original agenda of using the media to conscientize about and advocate women`s human rights being compromised in the era of a liberal media and economy.
The detachment of young women from the struggles of past is palpable as most activists organizations and initiatives remain dominated by middle aged and retired women. Young professions have sold out to the liberal economy as most become preoccupied with becoming successful in the market and portraying an outer image of success through apolitical consumerism. Gender discrimination has mutated or gone underground such that young female professionals appear clueless about the struggles of past that brought about the even playing field they now enjoy.
Mistakenly, and perhaps because they come armed with an education, they think this is how things were and will continue to be. Indeed, TAMWA produced young professionals and executives who can compete with handsome pledges to her fundraiser providing much needed relief from over demanding and increasingly tightfisted funders.
But I wonder if in so doing whether the women`s movement is not opening itself up to an elitist and consumerist culture that is unconcerned with the means through which she achieves her end? Or is it a matter of redefining our values? Salma Mlidi is a political activist.
SOURCE: Guardian
Monday, April 07, 2008
Bongoland II - Mini Review
The new Film, Bongoland II, premiered in Minneapoli, Minnesota, this past Saturday Arpil 5, 2008. Here is a review from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
BONGOLAND II - The movie review - StarTribune - April 4th, 2008
The following is a movie review written by MEGAN KADRMAS from The StarTribune - Friday April 4th - After she reviewed the movie. (Page F11)Plymouth based filmmaker Josiah Kibira releases his third attempt Saturday in a quest to create high quality films in Swahili.
"BONGOLAND II" completes an adventure that brought Kibira back to his native country of Tanzania for 36 days of filming.As a continuation of Kibira's first Swahili-based movie "Bongoland", this sequel follows as main character Juma as he readjusts to life in Tanzania after failing in the United States.The beauty of "Bongoland II" arises in its misleading simplicity.
Although it could be said that the film tracks Juma's adaptation, it uses larger issues to highlight the ways in which Juma is not - and may never be - fully readjusted. From family secrets to workplace drama, reconnecting with friends to waiting for his girlfriend, it becomes clear that Juma might not fully reclaim who he once was.
Tanzania serves as a complementary backdrop, with its own mixture of basic starkness and complex beauty. Inside cinder block shanties and pristine swaths of beach, Juma learns that leaving home is sometimes easier than returning home.
Megan Kadrmas
BONGOLAND II - The movie review - StarTribune - April 4th, 2008
The following is a movie review written by MEGAN KADRMAS from The StarTribune - Friday April 4th - After she reviewed the movie. (Page F11)Plymouth based filmmaker Josiah Kibira releases his third attempt Saturday in a quest to create high quality films in Swahili.
"BONGOLAND II" completes an adventure that brought Kibira back to his native country of Tanzania for 36 days of filming.As a continuation of Kibira's first Swahili-based movie "Bongoland", this sequel follows as main character Juma as he readjusts to life in Tanzania after failing in the United States.The beauty of "Bongoland II" arises in its misleading simplicity.
Although it could be said that the film tracks Juma's adaptation, it uses larger issues to highlight the ways in which Juma is not - and may never be - fully readjusted. From family secrets to workplace drama, reconnecting with friends to waiting for his girlfriend, it becomes clear that Juma might not fully reclaim who he once was.
Tanzania serves as a complementary backdrop, with its own mixture of basic starkness and complex beauty. Inside cinder block shanties and pristine swaths of beach, Juma learns that leaving home is sometimes easier than returning home.
Megan Kadrmas
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Learn Swahili
This is a new book available at Lulu.com
swahili grammar in use
by elizabeth mahenge
A book exposes simplest ways and methods of learning Swahili language as a second language. It exposes a learner to equivalent meanings which makes sense in his or her language, and then it gives a communicative translation which will help you to learn the language in a smooth way. So in a couple of days you will find yourself speaking standard Kiswahili language and you will wonder yourself how competent you are. In addition it give exercises at the end of every session along side answers at the back of the book to enable self-teaching of the Swahili.
swahili grammar in use
by elizabeth mahenge
A book exposes simplest ways and methods of learning Swahili language as a second language. It exposes a learner to equivalent meanings which makes sense in his or her language, and then it gives a communicative translation which will help you to learn the language in a smooth way. So in a couple of days you will find yourself speaking standard Kiswahili language and you will wonder yourself how competent you are. In addition it give exercises at the end of every session along side answers at the back of the book to enable self-teaching of the Swahili.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The President and First Lady of Rwanda
photo from Bongo Celebrity BlogPictured are the President of Rwanda, the Honourable Paul Kagame and his wife, First lady Jeannette Kagame nee Nyiramongi.
Rwanda was the site of the horrific genocide of many Rwandans particulary of Tutsi origin. Almost 1 million people were killed as the West stood by. Today the country is prospering. We pray that the beautiful country of Rwanda never sees a genocide again.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Race Problem in America Can't be Ignored! Today even though things are better for black people, the repercussions of slavery and the ensuing racism are still felt.
I watched parts of Senator Obama's speech on race and his Pastor yesterday. Kudos to the Senator for speaking out on what he thought was wrong. But I also give him kudos for not abandoning Pastor Wright. He has been part of his life for 20 years.
I was watching Fox News last night and was appalled at the level of hate and fear mongering that Bill O'Reilly, Greta van Susteren, and Sean Hannity were spewing. Hannity even said that in his heart Obama wa anti-semitic! How does he know what is in anyones heart? The three should have gotten out their Grand Wizard cone hats and worn them.
They accused Senator Obama of being a racist for failing to denounce his Pastor. They asked, "Is this the type of man we want to run our country".
I can't condone Pastor Wright for saying D-word America. But some of what he said is true whether we want to admit it or not. Hillary Clinton will never know what it really is to be a black man in America. When they wrote in the Constitution that "All Men are created equal" They did mean only white men were created equal. Remember women weren't even allowed to vote and blacks were considered animals. The proof is that in the slave masters holdings he listed the slaves with his horses, pigs and other property.
Then O'Reilly even had the nerve to condemn black churches and ask what's going on in them. Need I remind these bigots that Black Churches were formed because white churches wouldn't let blacks in!
Senator Obama, spoke of hearing his own white grandmother using the N-word. His father is a black African Kenyan and his mother white so in America Obama is Black! No question about that. Let's remember that in the USA it was said that if you had a drop of black blood in you then you're black! So many white looking black people were forced to 'Pass' in order to live a decent life in America.
It should be mandatory for everyone in the USA to get a DNA test and find out their real ancestry! A lot of people who think they are 'white' would find that they are black uder that old code! Even Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Greta Van Susteren might find they had a black ancestor. I remember watching a show in which a white college professor took a DNA test. It indicated that he had a West African ancestor. He was 1/8th black. He said he went to ask his mother about it and she told him not to talk about it.
There's a lot more that I can say but for now, I am glad the Sen. Obama spoke about race. The issue needs to be addressed in this election.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The killer truck
The backwheels where the poor man met his fate
A policeman measures the distance between where he was struck and where it stopped. Note the trail of blood and flesh. 
Front view of the truck
Flesh and blood was under that sheet. I almost threw up when the cop lifted it!
Where the truck stopped. The truck is registered in Maine.This morning a Harvard University Graduate student was run over by a big rig truck on its way to Shaw's Supermarket at MIT. The incident happened at the intersection of Masscahusetts Ave. and Western Ave. The student died at 12:20pm today and has been identified as 28 year old Isaac Meyers.
I was on my way to work this morning when I came upon this horrific scene. I took the above photos. I talked to some people who witnessed what happened. They said that Meyers was in the crosswalk when the back wheels of the truck struck him and dragged him to the next crosswalk where it came to a halt only after people flagged the driver down!
The police were measuring the scene and I saw blood, human meat and bone spread on the street. People said that Meyers was still alive when he was put in the ambulance but it did not look good.
Seriously, that crosswalk where Meyers was hit is DANGEROUS! Yes, people are allowed to cross and cars are allowed to turn right at the same time. So many times I have seen impatient drivers nearly run over people. They even honk at people in the crosswalk to hurry up. They even have no pity on the elderly or those pushing baby strollers! Sometimes the cars speed in front of you or behind you. I cross there almost everyday, its a horrible crosswalk.
This is the second horrific accident in Central Square I remember over the past years. In the last one, a woman was riding her bike when the driver of a parked car opened its door. She ran into the bike door and got thrown into the path of an oncoming MBTA bus and was crushed to death. She was riding in the bike lane.
So, today I ask will it take the death of this young man, to allow people to cross the street in Central Square safely?
Rest in Peace Issac Meyers.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
From ippmedia.com
US Govt eases travel conditions for Tanzanian
2008-03-11
By Lydia Shekighenda
The American Embassy in Dar es Salaam has announced the softening of conditions for Tanzanians seeking to travel to the United States. Robert Hannan, the embassy`s First Secretary and Consul, said yesterday they would now be issuing entry visas to any and all prospective travellers establishing their eligibility.
In remarks at roundtable talks with journalists, he said the embassy would provide prompt and responsive service by reducing the waiting time for visa interviews, online scheduling and application for longer visas in a bid to reduce bureaucracy.
`Our country encourages legitimate visitors and students. We are doing everything possible to help applicants fulfil their mission,`` explained the consul, adding that they were out to cut the time for waiting for interviews to two days.
Elaborating on the new arrangement, Hannan said visa applicants would be able to schedule their appointments with the embassy directly on-line. He said Tanzania had reached an agreement with the US on the extension of visa validities from three months to one year.
``Frequent travellers need to apply for new visas less often?More Tanzanians are travelling to America each year; we expect to issue over 5,000 visas this year. This is great news for both countries,`` he noted further. Hannan said the most popular
US Govt eases travel conditions for Tanzanian
2008-03-11
By Lydia Shekighenda
The American Embassy in Dar es Salaam has announced the softening of conditions for Tanzanians seeking to travel to the United States. Robert Hannan, the embassy`s First Secretary and Consul, said yesterday they would now be issuing entry visas to any and all prospective travellers establishing their eligibility.
In remarks at roundtable talks with journalists, he said the embassy would provide prompt and responsive service by reducing the waiting time for visa interviews, online scheduling and application for longer visas in a bid to reduce bureaucracy.
`Our country encourages legitimate visitors and students. We are doing everything possible to help applicants fulfil their mission,`` explained the consul, adding that they were out to cut the time for waiting for interviews to two days.
Elaborating on the new arrangement, Hannan said visa applicants would be able to schedule their appointments with the embassy directly on-line. He said Tanzania had reached an agreement with the US on the extension of visa validities from three months to one year.
``Frequent travellers need to apply for new visas less often?More Tanzanians are travelling to America each year; we expect to issue over 5,000 visas this year. This is great news for both countries,`` he noted further. Hannan said the most popular
Photo from Mzee wa Sumo blogSaturday, March 08, 2008
TODAY IS March 8th, 2008, is
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Lyrics to Helen Reddy's song (1972)
I AM WOMAN!
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend'
cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
CHORUS
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me'
cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer'
cause you've deepened
the conviction in my soul
CHORUS
I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
FADE
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
BETTY NYAKU-WHAT A WOMAN!
BETTY Nyaku, a resident of Ullepi sub-county in Arua, Uganda looks after 13orphans. Frank Mugabi tells us how she has managed to build one happy familyof people from different backgrounds In the thickets of Ullepi sub-county in Arua district stood a four-year-oldboy.
The grass so high and thick the boy could not see which direction totake. "I was young and I do not remember what happened, but I have been told thatI was found crying with swollen eyes.
The people who were taking care of me left me and disappeared in the thickets as we grazed cattle," says Ronald Candia. "I had thought that was the end of the world, but God sent Maama Betty Nyaku just in time to rescue me.
She took me to her place and made me one of herchildren. She gave me food, clothing and now education." Nyaku narrates: "I had gone to collect firewood. It all felt as if some invisible power was telling me to venture further into the bush and pick aspecially reserved gift for myself."
Suddenly, Nyaku heard a child crying. She says she first ignored it,thinking if truly it was a cry then that child had to be with an adult, who was collecting wood. "The cry persisted and, although I was frightened, Imoved closer. What I saw was shocking - a little boy of about four years, all by himself in the thickets. His eyes were swollen because of crying,"she says, adding that she picked the boy and, fortunately, when she took himhome, her husband welcomed the idea of keeping the child until a relativeturned up looking for him.
That was about 10 years ago. To date, no one has turned up looking for the boy. Instead, Nyaku, who is in her late 50s, has had the number of abandoned children and orphans in her custody increase.
This turned Nyaku from being a mere housewife into a woman who struggled to sustain her family and support needy children. She named the boy Ronald Candia (Candia is Lugbara word for 'in trouble'). Nyaku later learnt that Candia had actually been abandoned by his guardians who were normadic pastoralists from western Uganda. They had been in the area to graze cattle and when the dry season set in, they moved away. "I think I had become a burden to them. My parents had died and left me in their care. Because they moved from place to place, they found it difficultto take care of me," Candia says.
He says Nyaku took him to Kati Primary School, one of the best schools in the neighbourhood. He is now in S.2 at Ullepi Secondary School. Another boy Nyaku saved is Bosco Adriko, 23. "I was only 10 years old when my father died. After his death, things athome became bad and I decided to go away. I walked to Arua town where Istayed on the streets. It was there that Mama Betty found me and took me toher home."
Nyaku says she had gone to buy seeds when she saw a boy crying helplessly."I asked him what the matter was and he told me he was an orphan and had nowhere to go." More tragedy strikes In 2005, Nyaku lost her eldest son to AIDS.
As if that was not bad enoughthe deceased's wife disappeared, leaving her six children, five of whom werealready in school. Nyaku took them in. Today, Nyaku looks after 13 orphans. In 2006, her husband Michael Edoni, who is a retired teacher and partiall yblind, was crippled in a motor accident. This left Nyaku the solebread-winner for the family.
One happy family Nyaku's home is in the remote village of Muni in Arua district. "In thishomestead, all of us live in harmony as a real family. The boys have theirown house and the girls theirs," she says. Although they are in a rural setting, the children are provided with all thebasic necessities and none of them is left wanting.
Several granaries filled with different foodstuffs are found in the backyard, a sign of food security. "She is our mother. She gives us everything and treats us like her own children," one of the children says. Stuck, but pushing on Two of the orphans completed Senior Four, but they are still at home due tolack of fees.
Fiona Anguparu, another of the orphans who is in Primary Six at Kati Primary School is afraid her future could be bleak. "I may fail to join secondary school, like my brothers, because of lack o fschool fees. So, I might never realise my dream of becoming a universityprofessor," Anguparu says. Others share the same fears. A sack of cassava for fees Nyaku says her only source of livelihood has been a five-acre piece o ffarmland. "
We grow cassava, millet and groundnuts for sale. Part of the money goes into paying school fees and buying scholastic materials," she narrates. Sometimes, the school authorities allow Nyaku to settle school dues in kind.A 40-50kg sack of cassava flour is equivalent to one term's dues. The children also sell mangoes to raise school fees.
However, sometimes they are sent away from school due to lack of school fees, which has affected their performance. "We want to study so that we can have a better life and also be able to carefor those in need as Maama Nyaku has done for us," said Bosco Adriko.
In Ullepi sub-county Nyaku is known for her big heart. The sub-county chief,Elijah Matua, said orphans and vulnerable people are a big challenge to thelocal authorities. "We have been trying to cater for these groups of people in our budget, but the lack of resources has impeded our efforts to implement the plans," Matua noted.
He commended Nyaku for taking care of the orphans despite her minimal income. "It takes a big heart to love and share with the needy and Nyaku is a good example.
"Beverley Nambozo Sengiyunva
In charge of Communication and NetworkingThe East African Sub-regional Support Initiative for The Advancement ofWomen (EASSI)
Plot 87 Bukoto-Ntinda Road
P. O. BOX 24965,
Kampala Uganda
Tel: 256-414-285163, 285194
Fax: 256-414-285306E-mail: nambozo
< title="mailto:e@eassi.org" href="mailto:e%40eassi.org">e@eassi.org> @eassi.orgeassi@eassi.org
Friday, February 29, 2008
HOW TO FIGHT ROGUE DEBT COLLECTORS
By Jen HaleyCNN
(CNN) -- If you've faced a financial catastrophe -- an illness or job layoff -- and you've fallen behind on some bills, you're well aware that debt collectors are eager to collect those payments.
Some debt collectors are crossing the line into illegality according to some consumer groups.
But some collectors go over the line, threatening to have the person arrested, making improper bank withdrawals, intimidating people and making harassing phone calls.
In one case a collector threatened to call a woman's place of work "until she lost her job," according to the National Consumer Law Center.
In another case, a collector threatened to send the police to the person's workplace to arrest them, said Joe Ridout of Consumer Action.
The Better Business Bureau received a complaint about a debt collector contacting someone's grandmother four-to-five times a day, using threats like, "if she dies, then her life insurance can pay this debt off."
John Fugate, a Texas consumer attorney relates a story about a rogue debt collector. The debt collector told the "9-year-old child of my college friend, who is the victim of identity theft, that they were going to take her mommy away forever."
Complaints about debt collection agencies are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission said they received more complaints against debt collectors than against any other industry for at least the past three years. And for the past five years, complaints are up about 43 percent according to the Better Business Bureau.
Some of the most common complaints from consumers include collectors using vulgar language, trying to collect more than they're owed, sharing the consumer's debt information with friends and family or trying to collect extra fees, like late fees or court costs.
That's not to say all debt collectors are resorting to these illegal tactics. ACA International is one of the largest credit and collection industry trade groups and it maintains a code of ethics that prohibits this kind of behavior.
And ethical debt collectors are necessary. According to a study cited by the company, the collection industry saved the average American household $351 in 2005. That is how much money households would have spent if businesses were forced to raise prices to cover bad debt. The bottom line here is that if you owe money, you should make every effort to pay off the debt.
But you still need to know your rights. "Most people are not aware of their rights. And unfortunately debt collectors take advantage of that fact," says Joe Ridout of Consumer Action.
Here's some expert advice on how to fight back against unethical collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that debt collectors treat you fairly. This doesn't mean you won't have to pay your legitimate debt. But here are some basic rights:
A debt collector cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree.
You cannot be contacted at work if the collector knows your employer disapproves.
If you don't want to hear from a debt collector, write a letter telling them to stop. By law, they have to. Remember, the debt won't go away and you can still be sued.
The debt collector can contact your attorney -- if you have one. If not, your friends and family can be asked about how to get in touch with you.
A debt collector can't misrepresent the amount of your debt.
A debt collector also cannot use profane or threatening language
Debt collectors can't say that they will put a lien on your property or file a lawsuit unless the agency really means to do that and it's legal.
Collectors can't legally claim federal benefits, such as Social Security or your retirement accounts, like your IRA or 401(k).
Once you're contacted by phone, you have the right to get a notice that outlines your debt, whom you owe money to, and what action to take if you don't owe the money. Keep in mind that a debt collector can collect a debt owed by an ex-spouse. If the debt was incurred while you married, you may be liable for the debt after a divorce even if the divorce papers state your spouse is responsible for paying off the debt.
If you've been contacted by a debt collector, but you don't think you owe a debt, you must write a return letter stating that the debt is not yours within 30 days. Once a collector receives your letter, they should send you proof of the debt, such as a copy of the bill. Don't be coerced into paying a debt you don't owe. If you do pay just to get rid of the debt collectors, it's an admission of guilt, and it will have a negative impact on your credit score.
Keep in mind that some debt has an expiration date. There is a limit to how long collectors can legally collect your debt. Generally this limit - called the statute of limitations - can range from three to 15 years according to Ridout. Check with your state's attorney general's office to find out the limit in your state. You can find out who to contact at www.naag.org.
Sometimes debt collectors will try to collect on this old debt called zombie debt because it never goes away. Make sure you don't accept a new credit offer from a creditor you never repaid. Once that creditor renews your credit relationship, the clock starts ticking all over again on your state's statute of limitations.
If you think you've been treated unfairly by a debt collector, take action. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP or go to www.ftc.gov. You should also contact your state attorney general's office.
You also have the right to sue a debt collector in state or federal court within a year of the date the law is violated. A victory will allow you to recover money for the damages you suffered plus an additional amount up to $1,000. A group may also sue a collector and for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector's net worth, whichever is less.
And the federal government plays by slightly different rules. In 1996, Congress passed the Debt Collection Improvement Act which allows the government to take a portion of federal retirement, federal salary and Social Security benefit checks to cover non-tax debts owed to the government.
There are some debts that you can't get rid of. If you don't pay your federal student loans for example, debt collectors can garnish your Social Security wages and prevent you from renewing any state licenses according to Mark Kantrowitz of Finaid.org. Debt collectors can even dip into your tax refund. Other debts like past-due child support and federal tax liens tend to stick with you.
By Jen HaleyCNN
(CNN) -- If you've faced a financial catastrophe -- an illness or job layoff -- and you've fallen behind on some bills, you're well aware that debt collectors are eager to collect those payments.
Some debt collectors are crossing the line into illegality according to some consumer groups.
But some collectors go over the line, threatening to have the person arrested, making improper bank withdrawals, intimidating people and making harassing phone calls.
In one case a collector threatened to call a woman's place of work "until she lost her job," according to the National Consumer Law Center.
In another case, a collector threatened to send the police to the person's workplace to arrest them, said Joe Ridout of Consumer Action.
The Better Business Bureau received a complaint about a debt collector contacting someone's grandmother four-to-five times a day, using threats like, "if she dies, then her life insurance can pay this debt off."
John Fugate, a Texas consumer attorney relates a story about a rogue debt collector. The debt collector told the "9-year-old child of my college friend, who is the victim of identity theft, that they were going to take her mommy away forever."
Complaints about debt collection agencies are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission said they received more complaints against debt collectors than against any other industry for at least the past three years. And for the past five years, complaints are up about 43 percent according to the Better Business Bureau.
Some of the most common complaints from consumers include collectors using vulgar language, trying to collect more than they're owed, sharing the consumer's debt information with friends and family or trying to collect extra fees, like late fees or court costs.
That's not to say all debt collectors are resorting to these illegal tactics. ACA International is one of the largest credit and collection industry trade groups and it maintains a code of ethics that prohibits this kind of behavior.
And ethical debt collectors are necessary. According to a study cited by the company, the collection industry saved the average American household $351 in 2005. That is how much money households would have spent if businesses were forced to raise prices to cover bad debt. The bottom line here is that if you owe money, you should make every effort to pay off the debt.
But you still need to know your rights. "Most people are not aware of their rights. And unfortunately debt collectors take advantage of that fact," says Joe Ridout of Consumer Action.
Here's some expert advice on how to fight back against unethical collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that debt collectors treat you fairly. This doesn't mean you won't have to pay your legitimate debt. But here are some basic rights:
A debt collector cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree.
You cannot be contacted at work if the collector knows your employer disapproves.
If you don't want to hear from a debt collector, write a letter telling them to stop. By law, they have to. Remember, the debt won't go away and you can still be sued.
The debt collector can contact your attorney -- if you have one. If not, your friends and family can be asked about how to get in touch with you.
A debt collector can't misrepresent the amount of your debt.
A debt collector also cannot use profane or threatening language
Debt collectors can't say that they will put a lien on your property or file a lawsuit unless the agency really means to do that and it's legal.
Collectors can't legally claim federal benefits, such as Social Security or your retirement accounts, like your IRA or 401(k).
Once you're contacted by phone, you have the right to get a notice that outlines your debt, whom you owe money to, and what action to take if you don't owe the money. Keep in mind that a debt collector can collect a debt owed by an ex-spouse. If the debt was incurred while you married, you may be liable for the debt after a divorce even if the divorce papers state your spouse is responsible for paying off the debt.
If you've been contacted by a debt collector, but you don't think you owe a debt, you must write a return letter stating that the debt is not yours within 30 days. Once a collector receives your letter, they should send you proof of the debt, such as a copy of the bill. Don't be coerced into paying a debt you don't owe. If you do pay just to get rid of the debt collectors, it's an admission of guilt, and it will have a negative impact on your credit score.
Keep in mind that some debt has an expiration date. There is a limit to how long collectors can legally collect your debt. Generally this limit - called the statute of limitations - can range from three to 15 years according to Ridout. Check with your state's attorney general's office to find out the limit in your state. You can find out who to contact at www.naag.org.
Sometimes debt collectors will try to collect on this old debt called zombie debt because it never goes away. Make sure you don't accept a new credit offer from a creditor you never repaid. Once that creditor renews your credit relationship, the clock starts ticking all over again on your state's statute of limitations.
If you think you've been treated unfairly by a debt collector, take action. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP or go to www.ftc.gov. You should also contact your state attorney general's office.
You also have the right to sue a debt collector in state or federal court within a year of the date the law is violated. A victory will allow you to recover money for the damages you suffered plus an additional amount up to $1,000. A group may also sue a collector and for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector's net worth, whichever is less.
And the federal government plays by slightly different rules. In 1996, Congress passed the Debt Collection Improvement Act which allows the government to take a portion of federal retirement, federal salary and Social Security benefit checks to cover non-tax debts owed to the government.
There are some debts that you can't get rid of. If you don't pay your federal student loans for example, debt collectors can garnish your Social Security wages and prevent you from renewing any state licenses according to Mark Kantrowitz of Finaid.org. Debt collectors can even dip into your tax refund. Other debts like past-due child support and federal tax liens tend to stick with you.
THIS WATER IS FREE
The Tap was opened/launched by the Kigogo Ward Councillor, M.H.R. Chengula
The Tap was opened/launched by the Kigogo Ward Councillor, M.H.R. Chengula
This was photographed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania by Muhidini Issa Michuzi
Thursday, February 21, 2008
In Africa villages were burned, its people were captured and then enslaved. In this case they were forced to work for the colonialists! Here is a photo of Nwembe Village in Kenya being burned! It was taken around 1915.
It pretty much represents how slaves were captured and shipped to new lands. Villages and crops were burned and those who could hid in the bush and often starved to death. Slavery was one of man's greatest atrocities.
A very interesting history of Tanzanians slave
Exodus of the Zigula (“Somali Bantu”) Max Dashu, Suppressed Histories Archives
Many scholars think that the ancestral Bantu cultures were matrilineal. Even today some cultures retain mother-right traditions, in the “matrilineal Bantu belt" of south-central Africa. (The term Bantu means, loosely "the people," like so many aboriginal names, putting a humanizing prefix before the being-radical Ntu; it long predates the racist usage of the apartheid government in South Africa.)
A little-known historical pocket from this cultural line was forcibly transported into northeastern Africa. Omani slave-traders based in the Sultanate of Zanzibar carried off people from Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi, and shipped many of them for sale in the slave markets of Somalia. Tens of thousands of these southern Africans ended up laboring on plantations in south Somalia.
The major groups are the Zigula (or Zigua) and Shanbara. Zigula oral history says they escaped slavery as a group and thus preserved their language. They scorn the Shanbara who no longer speak a Bantu language, only accented Somali.
This group claims descent from “five original brothers who belonged to east African groups such as the Yao, Makua, Nyasa, Nyamwesi and others.” [Declich: online] They became farmers of the Juba and Shebeli rivers in Somalia: Shabelle, Shidle, Makanne, Eyle, Elay Baydabo.
The great hero of Zigula oral history is Wanankhucha, a mganga diviner and prophetess. She organized the escape of large numbers of Zigula people from slavery and led them to freedom in the mid-1800s. They say that her visions and power as a diviner enabled her to guide her fleeing people out of danger. She is also credited with building unity of the emancipated people by “organising repeated performances of traditional Zigula songs.”
Their goal was to return to Tanzania, but Wanankhucha's group of refugees faced great dangers in their migration, including the possibility of being reenslaved on their way through Kenya. So they settled in the lower Juba valley in southern Somalia, after Wanankhucha decided that an earthquake there was a sign.
The so-called Bantu Somali were conquered by the Oromo and later by Somali pastoralists. Some Zigula farmers adopted pastoral people who intruded on their country, after a period of clashes. There were also foragers called Bon, and various low-caste groups, either despised professions or descendants of slaves. The slaves often lost their original family names, and were left with slaveholder’s names. The pattern was pastoralists styled as nobles, and farmers as slaves or ex-slaves, so that all farmers came to be considered “freed slaves.”
All the non-elite groups got lumped together as Bantu. Italian colonialists reinforced this categorization and deepened it by forced labor conscription to their plantations, such as the Bertello farming contract. They refused to accept ethnic distinctions, outside of “pure Somalis.” “You are all Mushunguli Mayasid (Bantu).” (from a word meaning Zigula person) The Italians enlisted Somali pastoralists to round up people from farming groups to perform forced labor.
Colonization was heaped upon colonization, because the Italians also used gender divisions to defuse “Bantu” men’s resistance to their own exploitation as members of oppressed ethnic groups. “Men to be conscripted into forced labor were given the right to choose any woman they wanted as a wife, without her consent or that of her relatives.”
These men were freed from the obligation to pay bridewealth for the non-consensual wives, and fathers were threatened with conscription, for themselves or their sons, unless they surrendered their daughters. This strategy seems to have been effective, since, as people from the Juba region told Francesca Declich, “without the company of a woman most young men would have run away from conscription.
Exodus of the Zigula (“Somali Bantu”) Max Dashu, Suppressed Histories Archives
Many scholars think that the ancestral Bantu cultures were matrilineal. Even today some cultures retain mother-right traditions, in the “matrilineal Bantu belt" of south-central Africa. (The term Bantu means, loosely "the people," like so many aboriginal names, putting a humanizing prefix before the being-radical Ntu; it long predates the racist usage of the apartheid government in South Africa.)
A little-known historical pocket from this cultural line was forcibly transported into northeastern Africa. Omani slave-traders based in the Sultanate of Zanzibar carried off people from Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi, and shipped many of them for sale in the slave markets of Somalia. Tens of thousands of these southern Africans ended up laboring on plantations in south Somalia.
The major groups are the Zigula (or Zigua) and Shanbara. Zigula oral history says they escaped slavery as a group and thus preserved their language. They scorn the Shanbara who no longer speak a Bantu language, only accented Somali.
This group claims descent from “five original brothers who belonged to east African groups such as the Yao, Makua, Nyasa, Nyamwesi and others.” [Declich: online] They became farmers of the Juba and Shebeli rivers in Somalia: Shabelle, Shidle, Makanne, Eyle, Elay Baydabo.
The great hero of Zigula oral history is Wanankhucha, a mganga diviner and prophetess. She organized the escape of large numbers of Zigula people from slavery and led them to freedom in the mid-1800s. They say that her visions and power as a diviner enabled her to guide her fleeing people out of danger. She is also credited with building unity of the emancipated people by “organising repeated performances of traditional Zigula songs.”
Their goal was to return to Tanzania, but Wanankhucha's group of refugees faced great dangers in their migration, including the possibility of being reenslaved on their way through Kenya. So they settled in the lower Juba valley in southern Somalia, after Wanankhucha decided that an earthquake there was a sign.
The so-called Bantu Somali were conquered by the Oromo and later by Somali pastoralists. Some Zigula farmers adopted pastoral people who intruded on their country, after a period of clashes. There were also foragers called Bon, and various low-caste groups, either despised professions or descendants of slaves. The slaves often lost their original family names, and were left with slaveholder’s names. The pattern was pastoralists styled as nobles, and farmers as slaves or ex-slaves, so that all farmers came to be considered “freed slaves.”
All the non-elite groups got lumped together as Bantu. Italian colonialists reinforced this categorization and deepened it by forced labor conscription to their plantations, such as the Bertello farming contract. They refused to accept ethnic distinctions, outside of “pure Somalis.” “You are all Mushunguli Mayasid (Bantu).” (from a word meaning Zigula person) The Italians enlisted Somali pastoralists to round up people from farming groups to perform forced labor.
Colonization was heaped upon colonization, because the Italians also used gender divisions to defuse “Bantu” men’s resistance to their own exploitation as members of oppressed ethnic groups. “Men to be conscripted into forced labor were given the right to choose any woman they wanted as a wife, without her consent or that of her relatives.”
These men were freed from the obligation to pay bridewealth for the non-consensual wives, and fathers were threatened with conscription, for themselves or their sons, unless they surrendered their daughters. This strategy seems to have been effective, since, as people from the Juba region told Francesca Declich, “without the company of a woman most young men would have run away from conscription.
Friday, February 15, 2008
In Tanzania, East Africa wearing khanga cloth is part of our culture. We have khangas celebrating every event. This is a speacial design created for President Bush's visit to Tanzania this month 2/08.
The President will be welcomed by multitudes of Tanzanian women wearing these.
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