I haven't been in upbeat mood in the past fortnight, what with my niece Magret falling sick to extent of being admited and placed in ICU with life support machinery and transfusion. Thank God she's (as I write this post) already out of hospital and recuperating in Mamba Komakundi.
Countdown for Christmas has began, though. Saturday was Tanzania Mainland Independence 45th anniversary, and I found myself in Vingunguti hunting for a goat to buy. The art of bargaining for a goat deserves its own post, so I'll not delve deep into that now.
Sunday 10th--like the previous Sunday--was feverish with activitiy as Lutheran churches in different parts of Dar-es-Salaam were holding Confirmation ceremonies. This tsunami of extravaganza must have contributed a point of a percentage in global warming considering all gas for vehicles ferrying all stuff here and there; and the firewood and charcoal roasting all those goats. Most of us found ourselves in difficult situation as to whose party we'll attend and whose not.
I chose to give company to my cousin David, who was also my best childhood friend. His two boys, Mathew and Timothy were confirmed that day at the Kimara Temboni Lutheran Church (a building of ugly, square simpleness a cathedral should never be). The church site is adjacent to his own place, a magnificient dacha with beautifully landscaped undulating grounds. We went there and blew the afternoon with booze and food. Our nephew, Jimmy, also had his love child confirmed that day so it was a three-way blessing.
That was not the end of story though. David's brother Julius had prepared a grand dinner at a suburb club in Msasani called Anabella in honour of confirmation of his son, Obrey. The ceremony had taken place in the Azania Front Cathedral earlier during the day.
By the time I left at about midnight riding my bike, the action was just starting.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Power from Jet Engines?! I don't believe it.
I've been hearing so many stories about this to the point I'm starting to believe none is the truth. No one in their right mind could pull this stunt.
http://www.africa-interactive.net/index.php?PageID=2003
25 October 2006, by PowerNell. The East African comes with a critical analysis on the cabinet reshuffle of president Kikwete. In this article it is said, amongst others, that Richmond Development sold Tanesco "an unserviceable second-hand Boeing 707 engines purporting to be new power equipment" (The East African, 23 October, 2006). It gets crazier by the day.
Richmond linked to president?
Let me give you the full quote: "Richmond, it turned out, was after all briefcase outfit owned by Tanzanians who call the shots at State House. Initial investigations link Richmond Development (…) to an Arusha-based tycoon. He is said to have bankrolled Kikwete's presidential campaigns when his party appeared to be wavering. It also emerged the directors of the briefcase company had sold to the state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company's (Tanesco) an unserviceable second-hand Boeing 707 engines purporting to be new power equipment."
Richmond generators are arrived in the country
Other news is that the Richmond generators have arrived in the country. This raises many questions, and no one can formulate them better than Makwaia wa Kuhenga, a senior journalist of The Citizen. I quote: "Last weekend suddenly all the big television houses had deployed their cameramen to record the arrival of the long awaited generators from a seemingly non-existent US based company, Richmond Development Inc.
As I watched the event unfold on prime time news Saturday night over the weekend, I had mixed feelings of both disgust and contempt for my own profession. Contemptuous because I had the feel that someone somewhere was pulling a trick in news management; trying to cool down public tempers over the whole Richmond furore or perhaps to cool down public opinion that the company in question was around and very much in place and my collegues in the electronic media were consciously agreeing to be manipulated!
Disgusted because media people sometimes have no choice but to be there to record an event even though they may know that some powerful individuals are manipulating them. (…)This scenario made my mind even more curious: so the company exists after all? (…) How good are the machines anyway? Who has checked them and certified them as up to the required standard? Has the state made any upfront payment? How much?" (Source: The Citizen, 23 October, 2006).
See for the complete analysis: The East African, Ernest Mpinganjira, October 23, 2006: Kikwete Lives in Utopian World As Tanzanians Wallow in Problems
Friday, November 17, 2006
Accidental maturing of reproductive organs?
Sounds like a miracle that an eight-year-old conceived and actually gave birth to a healthy baby.People have come up in arms that whatever man did this should be done this or that.
I tend to look at it differently though: There is that mammalian instinct in all humans, and there is something like female species of homo sapiens being on heat and seeking a male using whatever means. That's quite natural: we've all been seeing them on National Geographic movies, isn't it?
That could have been the case here, something went wrong with life clock and gave her a reproductive maturity early on--not much different from someone going grey in their early teens: life clock ran amok.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Congo Democratic Republic
Congo DR recently held a run-off elections for top office. Incumbent Kabila was being challenged by Bemba, who had been his Vice-President. The first round of elections had Bemba trailing Kabila at a distance, but constitution dictated that the winner must obtain 50 pc of the ballots cast. Therefore run-off.
While voting was done and Electral commission was working frantically to complete the counting job and announce the winner, Bemba had been interviewed by prominent media houses and said he would accept results, whichever outcome. This was maybe a slip of tongue. As results continued pouring in it was clear that Kabila was going to be the winner.
When at last the results were officially announced this week, who, but Bemba, held a press conference saying there was no way he was going to accept the results. I wasn't surprised, this is what I'd been expecting all along. Typical African elections. And in the land of the Ramble in the Jungle too! Someone will sing about it sometime, for the Congolese are so musical...
While voting was done and Electral commission was working frantically to complete the counting job and announce the winner, Bemba had been interviewed by prominent media houses and said he would accept results, whichever outcome. This was maybe a slip of tongue. As results continued pouring in it was clear that Kabila was going to be the winner.
When at last the results were officially announced this week, who, but Bemba, held a press conference saying there was no way he was going to accept the results. I wasn't surprised, this is what I'd been expecting all along. Typical African elections. And in the land of the Ramble in the Jungle too! Someone will sing about it sometime, for the Congolese are so musical...
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Fraud office is investigating £28m deal agreed by Blair
Revisited from way back in June 2003--BBC article at the bottom of this post. Since then several things have changed. Tanzania has a new president, and Blair has fallen from grace due to Baghdad hiccup...
The Times November 13, 2006
Fraud office is investigating £28m deal agreed by Blair
By Sam Coates
Members of the Cabinet were overruled by the Prime Minister when they queried a BAE Systems contract in Tanzania, writes our correspondent
Protesters dressed as Tony Blair and Sir Richard Evans suggest close
links between the two in 2004 (Nick Ray/The Times)
A CONTROVERSIAL deal personally approved by Tony Blair to send a
multimillion-pound air traffic control system to Africa is being
investigated for corruption, The Times can reveal.
The Serious Fraud Office and Ministry of Defence police are looking
into allegations that BAE Systems paid backhanders to the Tanzanian
Government for a £28 million military air traffic control system.
The Prime Minister overruled Gordon Brown and other Cabinet ministers
to approve the deal, despite warnings from the World Bank that it could
have bought a non-military system for a tenth of the price.
Investigators, who have been studying the deal for more than six
months, made a fact-finding visit to the House of Commons last
Wednesday. They were handed a dossier of evidence compiled by Norman
Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP who has played a key role questioning the
deal.
The news that a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation is under way
risks reopening one of the most divisive rows of the last Parliament,
which pitted the Chancellor and Clare Short, the former International
Development Secretary, against Jack Straw, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff
Hoon, who were in favour of the deal.
Friday, 14 June, 2002, 08:34 GMT 09:34 UK
Tanzania radar sale 'waste of cash'
A £28m military air traffic control system the UK Government wants to sell Tanzania is a complete waste of money, according to the World Bank. Sources have told the BBC the bank had branded the system old, inappropriate and unworkable in a United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) report commissioned by the bank. Tanzania could buy a civilian system for an eighth of the cost, it said. And the British system would not even cover all of the east African country's civil aviation needs, according to the report. Tanzania's President Mkapa has held urgent talks with Tony Blair about the findings, according to press reports. BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan said the report is highly critical and claims the technology is old and inappropriate. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think this brings into strong question the judgement of the prime minister and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. "International Development Secretary Clare Short made very clear in autumn last year that she was very unhappy with the deal. "And yet they pushed through this export licence in December last year, despite clear evidence the entire system was inappropriate." Manufacturers BAE Systems have accused the report of making false cost comparisons. But Liberal Democrat international development spokesman Norman Lamb has conducted his own investigation. Objections He told The Guardian newspaper: "A modern civilian air traffic control system can cost as little as £3.5m. "The Department of Trade and Industry, with the apparent support of the prime minister, has colluded with British Aerospace and Barclays Bank in foisting an expensive and unnecessary arms deal on the desperately poor people of Tanzania. "It is no surprise the Tanzanian Government have reacted with horror." Barclays Bank said they do not comment on individual loans but any loan they do make has to conform with export licensing laws. Mr Blair over-ruled objections from Cabinet colleagues, including Chancellor Gordon Brown, to grant an export license for the product last December. Ms Short had argued that such an advanced system was unnecessary and the cash could be better spent. In March she ordered the delay of a £9.7m aid payment to Tanzania pending the results of the report.
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Thursday, November 09, 2006
Whew Ditto, Rummy make a commot
High-profile Tanzanian politician ended his career dramatically when he shot dead a bus driver who'd caused a dent on his car. Naturally he has tendered his resignation as Regional Commissioner for Tabora.
Unbelievable that such occurrence should take place in Dar-es-Salaam where a sound of gunshot is a rare thing to hear.
US Defence Secretary Rumsfield is a man the whole world knew in detail from media coverages and proceeded to dislike him with intensity. Yet he hung on until it was no longer possible; when Democrats took the House from Republicans (he must have contributed to this defeat) and knew the sack was coming. So he bowed out to go eat pancakes and coffee in his cozy home while young Americans are having rough times in Iraq unnecessarily.
Meanwhile GWB who has just undergone transformation from a man to a lame duck, he'll be forced to toe the logic line. It wasn't possible this time to pull a fast one on ballots.
Unbelievable that such occurrence should take place in Dar-es-Salaam where a sound of gunshot is a rare thing to hear.
US Defence Secretary Rumsfield is a man the whole world knew in detail from media coverages and proceeded to dislike him with intensity. Yet he hung on until it was no longer possible; when Democrats took the House from Republicans (he must have contributed to this defeat) and knew the sack was coming. So he bowed out to go eat pancakes and coffee in his cozy home while young Americans are having rough times in Iraq unnecessarily.
Meanwhile GWB who has just undergone transformation from a man to a lame duck, he'll be forced to toe the logic line. It wasn't possible this time to pull a fast one on ballots.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Plain stupid: Malawian reaction from Madonna's adoption bid
I'm sure all of us must have heard the story by now.
Madonna, the American super-star, with what I see as wholly
well-meaning gesture, sought to adopt a year-old malawian boy, Banda.
The boy was in an ophanage. It's not as if Madonna is desperate for a
child--she and her husband have two kids already.
The reaction of human rights groups and press surprised everyone,
especially Madonna and her husband. I am not at all surprised. That is
typical African way of doing things. Grab any subject as long as you
can get some popularity, attract media attention, and have something
to report as one of your major annual activities.
The amount of money the human rights watchdogs are spending as legal
fees to fight the madonna case could have helped other kids still in
Malawian ophanages--Madonna had been right all along when she sang, "A man can tell a thousand lies", although I'd express it as, "A thousand men can tell a lie": that's what so called press and human rights critics are doing in exchange for cheap popularity.
Dear Madonna, have heart, thousands of us are rallying right behind you!
Madonna, the American super-star, with what I see as wholly
well-meaning gesture, sought to adopt a year-old malawian boy, Banda.
The boy was in an ophanage. It's not as if Madonna is desperate for a
child--she and her husband have two kids already.
The reaction of human rights groups and press surprised everyone,
especially Madonna and her husband. I am not at all surprised. That is
typical African way of doing things. Grab any subject as long as you
can get some popularity, attract media attention, and have something
to report as one of your major annual activities.
The amount of money the human rights watchdogs are spending as legal
fees to fight the madonna case could have helped other kids still in
Malawian ophanages--Madonna had been right all along when she sang, "A man can tell a thousand lies", although I'd express it as, "A thousand men can tell a lie": that's what so called press and human rights critics are doing in exchange for cheap popularity.
Dear Madonna, have heart, thousands of us are rallying right behind you!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Lost and Found
My previous post was a lament of having been shut out of my loaded yahoo account. I'm glad that the rescue came in a way I couldn't believe.
I have had this hotmail account that I usually ceased to use for emails on account of 2 MB storage being too little. (They have improved the situation a bit now, they give 25 MB).
Recently I was introduced to a cool IM client called meebo.com, where one never needed to install any program for any of the popular IM such as yahoo, msn, aol and icq. I found this quite practical, therefore signed up, pulled my buddies from some IMs including msn. Out of curiosity I tried to sign into my hotmail account. It had been put in mothballs, therefore was re-activated.
Yesterday in desperation I looked into the newly-revived hotmail account, and, dang me if there wasn't a yahoo message sitting in the inbox, carrying a spare password! So that had been my alternate account.
Few lessons from this experience
ONE: don't dump an email address you've had for ages. It may save your noseskin sometime. It did mine.
TWO: registration time question should be answered truthfully, otherwise after year if the answer given was bogus, you ain't going to be resupplied a lost password.
THREE: If you own groups (yahoogroups, googlegroups etc) appoint one or more members to be moderators. It will not be doing justice to Internet communications if group cannot commence with activities just because only one person was holding the keys to run things
FOUR: Review your profiles every now and then: When it's February 29 (once every 4 years) or on your birthday, or, even better, during the long christmas public holidays (once per year). Some routine can also be built into yahoo calendar or google calendar to pop up reminder maybe after every six months.
If you find this post handy, publicise it. No rights reserved.
In a Yahoo! fix
I don't know how it happened, but I'm stuck. My yahoo mail login refuses to acknowledge my login password, claiming it's invalid. I've had the account for as long as 8 years, all without a hassle.
When I try to go for password recovery, the bot nicely leads me through stages: birth date, security word etc. Then there is a choice to make between two alternatives - EITHER receive a new temporary password in alternate email address OR to answer a question as once answered long ago during subscription.
Now here comes a problem: when I choose to receive a new temp password on alternate email I receive none in a number of email addresses that I'm keeping. In the course of 8 years I've also disposed (or lost) a number of email addresses, (lycos.com, hotpop.com, libero.it, hotmail.com, avu.org etc etc) it's likely the alternate email belong ot one of those.
When it comes to answer to simple question "what was your first school?" the true and only answer I give is not accepted. Reason is most likely that I didn't answer truth during subscription.
I'm still trying although I'll miss a wealth of information saved in that account if I never get to recover it. And, er, I have been using that as my yahoo id in all services including geocities, groups and IM. I am an owner/moderator in a number of y!groups. I guess I just have to get it back.
I've obtained another yahoo login from mothballs in a scenario thatI suspect has something to do with loss of my popular login. Years after attempting to create a simple makundi(at)yahoo.com account (unsuccessfully), I received email message from alternate email address requesting me to verify it. I did with several unsuccessful attempts of passwords, sending request for lost pwd recovery of makundi y! ID. This morning, pronto, my most obvious (call it obsolete) password sprung makundi ID without much ado.
Websurfers who crawl this blog, post ideas...
Monday, October 16, 2006
Tanzania Phase Four Government Ten Months on
Our rather new phase 4 Government is some 10 months old now. Since coming to power, there has been a major upheaval of institutions for security and internal affairs. Crime rate which shot staggeringly high at the entry of the phase 4 was dealt with and one could say it's been put under control.
However, the country has experienced one of the worst electrical power crises with outages for hours everyday.
On Sunday 15 oct 06, there was a first major cabinet reshuffle (but without any new appointment), whereby 10 ministers and 8 deputy ministers were moved to different ministries. Methinks this is warning flare to the old guys: deliver or vacate. The ministers who had to be moved around include that of Industries, Trade and Markets (and his Deputy), Minister for Energy and Minerals, Minister for Water, Minister for Natural resources, to name a few.
I'm keen to see what comes out of this move for our country which is still one of the poorest in the world.
--
Q. What's this phase four thing?
A. First- president Julius Nyerere 1964-1990, Second- President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, 1985-1995; Third- President Benjamin Mkapa, 1995-2005; Fourth, President Jakaya Kiwete, 2005-now.
However, the country has experienced one of the worst electrical power crises with outages for hours everyday.
On Sunday 15 oct 06, there was a first major cabinet reshuffle (but without any new appointment), whereby 10 ministers and 8 deputy ministers were moved to different ministries. Methinks this is warning flare to the old guys: deliver or vacate. The ministers who had to be moved around include that of Industries, Trade and Markets (and his Deputy), Minister for Energy and Minerals, Minister for Water, Minister for Natural resources, to name a few.
I'm keen to see what comes out of this move for our country which is still one of the poorest in the world.
--
Q. What's this phase four thing?
A. First- president Julius Nyerere 1964-1990, Second- President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, 1985-1995; Third- President Benjamin Mkapa, 1995-2005; Fourth, President Jakaya Kiwete, 2005-now.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Squatter businesses
During new year day this year, I'd taken some photos at the popular Dar shopping complex referred to as "international" due to proximity of the International School of Tanganyika Upper School. I posted some on this blog (see archive).
The place was intact, business brisk, until 30 September 2006. That was the lapse of 6-month grace period given by Prime Minister for squatter traders to pull down their shacks and relocate in designated alternative trading places.
Now, these "Internatioal" businesses were not mere shacks. They included hardware shops, beauty saloons, green grocers and, especially, bars. Ruffly 500 persons were employed by these businesses, and about that number were "parasites" such as cabbies, shoeshine johnnies, fishmongers and the whole lot of man and women who trekked with various mechandise from ripe fruits to cellphone charger to imitation jewelry to Makonde artcraft.
No-one expected such a thing would ever come to be carried out. Nevertheless when the day came there was nothing like running battles on the streets, instead individuals were busy removing and relocating their valuables and taking apart the buildings.
In the space of 48 hours, about 50 different businesses ceased to exist. Engaging average of 3 persons, that was flushing some 150 breadearners to the street: that is without counting the parasites whose businesses went down under as well.
It was also, needless to say very much to the inconvenience of thousands who live and work in the Msasani Peninsula area. I felt sooo sad about the episode, I was sure there could have been an amicable arrangement--indeed such a proposal was contained in my paper presented in the National Science and Technology Conference held in Dar es Salaam just months before (I'll make links to my papers available here sometime soon). The inspiration for me to write on such a subject was my experience in China whereby in the busy shopping districts there were smallholder providers of services such as catering, but support systems for maintained sanitation and cleanliness such as drain and potable water supply had been installed in those places by the city (it was in Beijing in December 2004).
I am still optimistic something ought to be done. Anyone visiting this place who has some ideas, please punch your comments in...
The place was intact, business brisk, until 30 September 2006. That was the lapse of 6-month grace period given by Prime Minister for squatter traders to pull down their shacks and relocate in designated alternative trading places.
Now, these "Internatioal" businesses were not mere shacks. They included hardware shops, beauty saloons, green grocers and, especially, bars. Ruffly 500 persons were employed by these businesses, and about that number were "parasites" such as cabbies, shoeshine johnnies, fishmongers and the whole lot of man and women who trekked with various mechandise from ripe fruits to cellphone charger to imitation jewelry to Makonde artcraft.
No-one expected such a thing would ever come to be carried out. Nevertheless when the day came there was nothing like running battles on the streets, instead individuals were busy removing and relocating their valuables and taking apart the buildings.
In the space of 48 hours, about 50 different businesses ceased to exist. Engaging average of 3 persons, that was flushing some 150 breadearners to the street: that is without counting the parasites whose businesses went down under as well.
It was also, needless to say very much to the inconvenience of thousands who live and work in the Msasani Peninsula area. I felt sooo sad about the episode, I was sure there could have been an amicable arrangement--indeed such a proposal was contained in my paper presented in the National Science and Technology Conference held in Dar es Salaam just months before (I'll make links to my papers available here sometime soon). The inspiration for me to write on such a subject was my experience in China whereby in the busy shopping districts there were smallholder providers of services such as catering, but support systems for maintained sanitation and cleanliness such as drain and potable water supply had been installed in those places by the city (it was in Beijing in December 2004).
I am still optimistic something ought to be done. Anyone visiting this place who has some ideas, please punch your comments in...
Monday, October 02, 2006
Dori and Zach Wedding - some photos
http://doriandzach.weddings.comSome photos of the event of Sept 22 have been placed on the photo albums link of the wedding website. Here are some of them.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Mtanzania Amkumbuka Nyerere Kwa Hisia Nzito
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Healthy networking: Alumni online networks could be it!
Perhaps the most welcome meeting is that of coming across someone you schooled with sometime back. The further back the more exciting.
There has been efforts to form alumni associations here and there, but few really make anything out of it bcoz of diversity in several variables for would-be members.
It was therefore a good thing I stumbled across two websites that are dedicated to bringing people together, namely alumni.net and graduate.com . I promptly entered my profile and felt happy doing so because with increase in net use, someone who knows me is bound to stumble upon it--likely from search engine results.
Besides, I registered into relevant groups
- graduates of '74 komakundi primary school
- graduates of '78 mawenzi secondary school
- graduates of '81 kibaha high school
- graduates of '90 ahmadu bello university
Motto behind such posts: if you have it, flaunt it.
There has been efforts to form alumni associations here and there, but few really make anything out of it bcoz of diversity in several variables for would-be members.
It was therefore a good thing I stumbled across two websites that are dedicated to bringing people together, namely alumni.net and graduate.com . I promptly entered my profile and felt happy doing so because with increase in net use, someone who knows me is bound to stumble upon it--likely from search engine results.
Besides, I registered into relevant groups
- graduates of '74 komakundi primary school
- graduates of '78 mawenzi secondary school
- graduates of '81 kibaha high school
- graduates of '90 ahmadu bello university
Motto behind such posts: if you have it, flaunt it.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Forming opinion
In the course of day-to-day life, one comes across many types of individuals.
Different kinds of interaction do occur, from simple ("Xcuse me U got a lighter?") to a more extensive one ("This is Mr John Doe, your new CEO.")
In some cases someone would be uttering a monologue on a podium or pulpit, while in others it will be a passenger on adjacent seat in a 10-hour flight from Amsterdam to Beijing.
Musician may sing with a gravelly voice, such as those of Phil Driscol and Joe Cocker while others would croon with smooth sopranos such as Billie Holiday and Sandra.
You come across a man with stomach spilling over the waistline, or other with a weasel-like nose.
A normal person quickly forms opinion about any such interaction/encounter. Indeed it is a healthy thing--makes one feel real good thinking, "Gee, if that girl knew what I think of the dress she's wearing, she'd run home like a shot to hide or at least change into something else.."
That is, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THAT OPINION TO YOURSELF. Keep your opinion to yourself.
A few humans are blessed with a sixth sense that's like being able to read minds. This kind of individuals instinctively note the value entered into your head's registry about them (your opinion about them) and react in different ways. from scowling to smiling to offering a handshake. Nevertheless even with these weirdos, as long as you don't voice (or write or key) your opinion and keep it to yourself, no problem. If (s)he comes forth and asks, "So you are of the opinion that my ears look like rabbit's?", you face them, turn on the most clear-eyed, innocent look and gasp, "OGodNooo! Whatever made you think so??", and when they are out of earshot, chuckle with glee and go about your business.
© D. Makundi, 2006.
Different kinds of interaction do occur, from simple ("Xcuse me U got a lighter?") to a more extensive one ("This is Mr John Doe, your new CEO.")
In some cases someone would be uttering a monologue on a podium or pulpit, while in others it will be a passenger on adjacent seat in a 10-hour flight from Amsterdam to Beijing.
Musician may sing with a gravelly voice, such as those of Phil Driscol and Joe Cocker while others would croon with smooth sopranos such as Billie Holiday and Sandra.
You come across a man with stomach spilling over the waistline, or other with a weasel-like nose.
A normal person quickly forms opinion about any such interaction/encounter. Indeed it is a healthy thing--makes one feel real good thinking, "Gee, if that girl knew what I think of the dress she's wearing, she'd run home like a shot to hide or at least change into something else.."
That is, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THAT OPINION TO YOURSELF. Keep your opinion to yourself.
A few humans are blessed with a sixth sense that's like being able to read minds. This kind of individuals instinctively note the value entered into your head's registry about them (your opinion about them) and react in different ways. from scowling to smiling to offering a handshake. Nevertheless even with these weirdos, as long as you don't voice (or write or key) your opinion and keep it to yourself, no problem. If (s)he comes forth and asks, "So you are of the opinion that my ears look like rabbit's?", you face them, turn on the most clear-eyed, innocent look and gasp, "OGodNooo! Whatever made you think so??", and when they are out of earshot, chuckle with glee and go about your business.
© D. Makundi, 2006.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Emotional story of Matilde
Radio One Stereo, Dar-es-Salaam has a Monday feature program on children exposed to hard times for one reason or other. The program has a large following, judging by a number of people who dial in to contribute.
This morning (4 September 2006) the host Janet Mwenda-Talawa was interviewing a young girl whose only name I managed to catch was Matilde. I feel it my duty to list her story in summary on this blog: It may serve as a good snapshot to how things could easily go wrong where a guardian angel doesn't materialise on time.
The girl was born and grew up in Bukoba, an upcountry northern Tanzania region. She schooled there up to class 5 whereupon one of her parents' relatives visited and offered to take her along to Dar-es-Salaam where she would receive a better quality education compared to the rural setting that she was in at that time.
In Dar-es-Salaam the expectations were dashed. The person who'd made the promise used it as an excuse to get her to travel, then set upon giving her household chores. When she would enquire about her situation with respect to resuming school, she was told that it was unnecessary for her.
For three long years she stayed in this pattern. She would look so longingly when she passed schoolchildren, wearing uniforms, carrying schoolbags.
One day her godsend chance came forward--she got to meet a person named Evans who, after learning of her ordeal, told her about an institution called Friends of Don Bosco in Dar-es-Salaam, that was offering support for cases like hers. As she had no chance of being released from her apparent slavery, she opted for the only option available for her: receive tuition classes from Evans.
When asked what she was being taught, having cut her classes at the age of 15 three years back, she said it was actually her tutor testing her knowledge and capability so as to know the direction to take. How did she manage to sneak to these classes then? After the grown-ups had left the house for work every day, she would take kids to school, and then in two hours time fetch them back home. That two-hour window was the only time she dedicated to her training.
The tutor was far from unhappy with her progress. In one year time he told her she would attempt the Class Seven examination. So far everything had been hush-hush, not even neighbours knew what was taking place. It just came to light when she revealed that she was going to sit for Primary Education Examination. Her guardians thought of it as some kind of silly joke. My God, how blind these snobs are! I guess, alone, they must have rubbed their palms and laughed with mirth. But there she went and did the exam. She had gained a great deal in English Language, Math and General Studies, the three subjects that were determinant in passing.
The exam came to pass and she got selected to pursue secondary education. Her keepers were incredulous. They were sure she would be turned back home in one month or so: how would she cope? They therefore allowed her to attend a day secondary school so as to continue with house chores after classes.
For Matilde, days were short--what with putting up with school as well as housework. In no time at all the four years had raced by. The Form Four Examinations were here. She had reached here enjoying every moment of it, for, such was her thirst for education. It seems during the three-year limbo she was always dreaming of blackboard and oblong classrooms. She got whatever support from the Friends of Don Bosco, it is implied.
She smashed through the exams with gusto and landed unscathed with a 12-point Division One certificate. This time around heads lifted in wonder--are you sure that's her name up there, really? How could she? At this point, Matilde says, the indifference her guardians had been practicing towards her turned magically into affection. Smiles. Praises. (no apologies, though). "That's great, our child", and such stuff.
The rest is easy to figure. She got selected to join high school--this time Msalato, an upcountry boarding school, no less. The two years raced by and she came up with 8-point Division one. That was last year.
Epilogue
At the beginning of this month She has enrolled for Laws (LLB) degree programme at the University of Dar-es-Salaam.
This morning (4 September 2006) the host Janet Mwenda-Talawa was interviewing a young girl whose only name I managed to catch was Matilde. I feel it my duty to list her story in summary on this blog: It may serve as a good snapshot to how things could easily go wrong where a guardian angel doesn't materialise on time.
The girl was born and grew up in Bukoba, an upcountry northern Tanzania region. She schooled there up to class 5 whereupon one of her parents' relatives visited and offered to take her along to Dar-es-Salaam where she would receive a better quality education compared to the rural setting that she was in at that time.
In Dar-es-Salaam the expectations were dashed. The person who'd made the promise used it as an excuse to get her to travel, then set upon giving her household chores. When she would enquire about her situation with respect to resuming school, she was told that it was unnecessary for her.
For three long years she stayed in this pattern. She would look so longingly when she passed schoolchildren, wearing uniforms, carrying schoolbags.
One day her godsend chance came forward--she got to meet a person named Evans who, after learning of her ordeal, told her about an institution called Friends of Don Bosco in Dar-es-Salaam, that was offering support for cases like hers. As she had no chance of being released from her apparent slavery, she opted for the only option available for her: receive tuition classes from Evans.
When asked what she was being taught, having cut her classes at the age of 15 three years back, she said it was actually her tutor testing her knowledge and capability so as to know the direction to take. How did she manage to sneak to these classes then? After the grown-ups had left the house for work every day, she would take kids to school, and then in two hours time fetch them back home. That two-hour window was the only time she dedicated to her training.
The tutor was far from unhappy with her progress. In one year time he told her she would attempt the Class Seven examination. So far everything had been hush-hush, not even neighbours knew what was taking place. It just came to light when she revealed that she was going to sit for Primary Education Examination. Her guardians thought of it as some kind of silly joke. My God, how blind these snobs are! I guess, alone, they must have rubbed their palms and laughed with mirth. But there she went and did the exam. She had gained a great deal in English Language, Math and General Studies, the three subjects that were determinant in passing.
The exam came to pass and she got selected to pursue secondary education. Her keepers were incredulous. They were sure she would be turned back home in one month or so: how would she cope? They therefore allowed her to attend a day secondary school so as to continue with house chores after classes.
For Matilde, days were short--what with putting up with school as well as housework. In no time at all the four years had raced by. The Form Four Examinations were here. She had reached here enjoying every moment of it, for, such was her thirst for education. It seems during the three-year limbo she was always dreaming of blackboard and oblong classrooms. She got whatever support from the Friends of Don Bosco, it is implied.
She smashed through the exams with gusto and landed unscathed with a 12-point Division One certificate. This time around heads lifted in wonder--are you sure that's her name up there, really? How could she? At this point, Matilde says, the indifference her guardians had been practicing towards her turned magically into affection. Smiles. Praises. (no apologies, though). "That's great, our child", and such stuff.
The rest is easy to figure. She got selected to join high school--this time Msalato, an upcountry boarding school, no less. The two years raced by and she came up with 8-point Division one. That was last year.
Epilogue
At the beginning of this month She has enrolled for Laws (LLB) degree programme at the University of Dar-es-Salaam.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
An eventful weekend
On Saturday 26 Aug nephew got married. Folks from all over Tz came to Dar to witness the occassion. My place was a-brimming with guests. On Sunday 27th, the normal stuff, faraway guests visiting relatives around Dar. In one such visit the car carrying my 2 sisters crashed into a railroad flyover and were both slightly injured. Those who were at the accident scene said that they were lucky to get out alive, as that very joint was notorious for similar accidents.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Unified Theory to make mankind one
These are supposedly from Dalai Lama. It was a chain letter but I edited out the preomises and threats bits and am making it available to whoever will visit the blog...
I N S T R U C T I O N S
F O R
L I F E
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
+ Respect for self,
+ Respect for others and
+ Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for
your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the
current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your
love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
I N S T R U C T I O N S
F O R
L I F E
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
+ Respect for self,
+ Respect for others and
+ Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for
your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the
current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your
love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Loss of a dear friend
i mourn young polite fella in his early 40s.
a man who never raised his voice
whom i could swear never raised argument with anyone
ever so optimistic,
smiling politely as he went about his business
ever so busy he hardly could find time to break for a roll
sunday, monday, holiday...
were all the same for Jo, when it came to work
woodworking was his hobby, occupation, pastime, employment
he was hardest worker, than anybody or anything around Msasani--
except, perhaps the tirdo termites,
termites so aggressive
they even attempt to eat PVC pipes!
machines would start grrrrrrrring early on during the day,
untill dusk when birds are taking to roost
he never turned any job down
all in good spirit
at any time t he had a score pending
most of them for little more than free
one wonders why one would set out
towards self-denial like this fella
if money was in way related to amount of toil
he woulda been a billionaire
i'm sure he was nowhere near a million
coz the end met him while worrying
on where to raise a hundred dollars
to pay for rented quarters he n family lived
yes, one wonders why one would set out
towards self-denial like this fella
could explain something about
scott, magellan, vasco dagama,
livingstone, mungo park and a score others
left their comfortable homes to explore the seas
some of them never to return home
likely these are made of same chemical compound
that this fella who passed on was made of
that we other mortals arent
so much self-induced slavery
curiously it would seem as if
he enjoyed seeing others around him eat his fruits
he so much laboured for
while he himself took peelings, if anything
otherwise how do you explain
a man sooo thin ever shabby embedded
in a family of well fed well dressed
he shunned public, with no reason to
being handsome and fit as he was
at least up till being bedridden
some weeks before giving it up
why why why would a grown man
succumb to readily curable malaria
just coz body weight couldnt stand it
although i ain't much of a poet
i felt i should put this up for the world
and moral is your family n friends whatever
but for chrissake don't lead slow suicidal life while doing it
mind your health so those individuals
you toil so much for
shall continue seeing you around for many days still
bye jo, friend, now in heaven--wonder if you read blogs up there...
RIP
a man who never raised his voice
whom i could swear never raised argument with anyone
ever so optimistic,
smiling politely as he went about his business
ever so busy he hardly could find time to break for a roll
sunday, monday, holiday...
were all the same for Jo, when it came to work
woodworking was his hobby, occupation, pastime, employment
he was hardest worker, than anybody or anything around Msasani--
except, perhaps the tirdo termites,
termites so aggressive
they even attempt to eat PVC pipes!
machines would start grrrrrrrring early on during the day,
untill dusk when birds are taking to roost
he never turned any job down
all in good spirit
at any time t he had a score pending
most of them for little more than free
one wonders why one would set out
towards self-denial like this fella
if money was in way related to amount of toil
he woulda been a billionaire
i'm sure he was nowhere near a million
coz the end met him while worrying
on where to raise a hundred dollars
to pay for rented quarters he n family lived
yes, one wonders why one would set out
towards self-denial like this fella
could explain something about
scott, magellan, vasco dagama,
livingstone, mungo park and a score others
left their comfortable homes to explore the seas
some of them never to return home
likely these are made of same chemical compound
that this fella who passed on was made of
that we other mortals arent
so much self-induced slavery
curiously it would seem as if
he enjoyed seeing others around him eat his fruits
he so much laboured for
while he himself took peelings, if anything
otherwise how do you explain
a man sooo thin ever shabby embedded
in a family of well fed well dressed
he shunned public, with no reason to
being handsome and fit as he was
at least up till being bedridden
some weeks before giving it up
why why why would a grown man
succumb to readily curable malaria
just coz body weight couldnt stand it
although i ain't much of a poet
i felt i should put this up for the world
and moral is your family n friends whatever
but for chrissake don't lead slow suicidal life while doing it
mind your health so those individuals
you toil so much for
shall continue seeing you around for many days still
bye jo, friend, now in heaven--wonder if you read blogs up there...
RIP
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
New Year Day 2007 (2)
A rare photo (back to camera) of Kifimbo with Mbaga, the propriettor of RV Psub. The pub, along with several other shops in this locale famously referred to as "International" because of proximity to the International School of Tanvanyika, were pulled down with reason that they were constructed on a roadside area not allowed for that purpose.
A kid donning sunshades, playing with a toy giraffe. No, she isn't the one taking beer in the seemingly gigantic bottle in front of her
A kid donning sunshades, playing with a toy giraffe. No, she isn't the one taking beer in the seemingly gigantic bottle in front of her
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Internet and mobile communications in Tanzania - things are getting better
Two years ago one would hardly imagine what was coming with respect to information and communication technology.
- I'm writing this post while connected to a fixed wireless terminal with internet ported into the pc via a usb cable. The connection claims to be 230.4 kbps, although in reality it's not that. The CDMA wireless set is sold affordably at about 90 usd and with minimmu hassle.
- I do surf some webpages, including reading my yahoo and gmail mails anywhere on my nokia 6030 cellphone-a value-added subscriber perk by celtel tanzania
- Cellphones prices have hit the ground, with sets as low as 15 usd!
With all the other great things on the net such as google maps, blogs and p2p, I never cease to be amazed by the everchanging landscape of ict in Tanzania and the world.
Cherish the day...
- I'm writing this post while connected to a fixed wireless terminal with internet ported into the pc via a usb cable. The connection claims to be 230.4 kbps, although in reality it's not that. The CDMA wireless set is sold affordably at about 90 usd and with minimmu hassle.
- I do surf some webpages, including reading my yahoo and gmail mails anywhere on my nokia 6030 cellphone-a value-added subscriber perk by celtel tanzania
- Cellphones prices have hit the ground, with sets as low as 15 usd!
With all the other great things on the net such as google maps, blogs and p2p, I never cease to be amazed by the everchanging landscape of ict in Tanzania and the world.
Cherish the day...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Come year 2006, tall expectations
Tanzania in the end of 2005 held presidential and paliamentary elections. HE J.M. Kikwete, the CCM party presidential candidate won by landslide. CCM also won most parliament seats.
As of now we have an almost brand new cabinet: key ministries (Finance and Foreign) have women ministers, and there is quite a reasonable gender representation in the setup.
The year has come with old and new problems:- unemployment, armed robbery on the rise, famine in some parts of country, falling water level in hydro dams, rising petroleum prices ..... the list is long.
Tanzanians are keenly waiting for solutions and guidance of how to be guided to participate in problem-solving. It was not taken kindly, therefore, when one of the first statements of the new MPs was to ask for pay rise.
As of now we have an almost brand new cabinet: key ministries (Finance and Foreign) have women ministers, and there is quite a reasonable gender representation in the setup.
The year has come with old and new problems:- unemployment, armed robbery on the rise, famine in some parts of country, falling water level in hydro dams, rising petroleum prices ..... the list is long.
Tanzanians are keenly waiting for solutions and guidance of how to be guided to participate in problem-solving. It was not taken kindly, therefore, when one of the first statements of the new MPs was to ask for pay rise.
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