He’s my brother reviewed

Deus Bugaywa

Binyavanga Wainaina’s He’s my bother story is very interesting, especially if you are a novelist like I am, it will be even more interesting if you are an east African.

It tells about African Hospitality in attending guests, in a Tanzanian way. The author tells his audience how Tanzanians are still maintaining the natural African generosity, that they perceive all people are equal and relative to one another.

He is telling us that for Tanzanians hospitality is exceptional that it can hardly be found anywhere in the continent especially in these era where all Africans are moving violently the Western way.

“In which other African airport can you get real assistance? I walk from one official to another, irate that my luggage seems to have disappeared. Everyone is hugely supportive and soon the entire airport seems to know that my luggage is missing and I am headed for a funeral. I am overwhelmed by assistance.” He narates.

In all he is trying to send the massage that Tanzania is one of the very few country that still maintains the African communal values of hospitality unlike her colleagues who “like to feel that we are a progressive people who have left all this communal African nonsense and acquired a hard-nosed get-with-the-programme attitude.”

In my opinion the author has done a god job to explain the true nature of Tanzanian, especially on the issue of Tribalism, as the experience he get at the open air traders space they went for dinner. Its true that in Tanzanians daily life no body bothers to ask a colleague his or her tribe, even if they meet for the first time.

Wainaina is Kenyan author born in Nakuru, get his early eduactaion in Kenya before going for further studies in Souther Africa at Transkei University. After his Study he nmoved to Cape Town where he is living and working as writer on tourism issues.

In 2002 he won the Caine Award for African literature, he is the founder of the Kwani magazine. He is now working on his novel The fallen World of Appearance.

The fourth day rolls on

Wadau wa mafunzo ya mtandao wakiendeleza shule ya mambo ya mawasiliano ya kisasa katika ukumbi wa chuo cha Benki Kuu Mwanza

Deus Bugaywa

Had it been a soccer match, one could easily say the internet workshop for media personnel and stakeholders in Lake Zone has reached a semi - final stage, as the fourth day proved to more interesting just as a real semi - final of archrivals could be.

The trainer Peik Johansson started the session by introducing the class to famous world news agencies and how to reach and use them as journalists. The Inter Press Services (IPS) news agency caught the interest of many as it happened to be different from the rest of the news agencies.

It was learned by the participants, through the facilitator, that unlike many big news agencies, the IPS uses local journalists to report what is happening in their locality which has the international touch.

This interested some of the participants to join the agencies as correspondents; it was luck for them that, Mark Gideon of Misa - Tan, promised to provide them with IPS form for those interested by being IPS stringer.

Linking the sources from ones blog was the subject that followed; participants were able to link the sources of what they put on their blog to make it easy for the readers to follow the origin source.

After the linking session, we arrived at the core of the training, the Journalistic research via internet, here journalists were taken back to there earlier years in journalism class, where they were reminded to always keep in mind the famous 5Ws (and the H of course), the who, what, when, where and why, while making internet searching.

As it should be expected from any best trainer, after an interesting and fruitful lecture, participants were give a home work, to use their internet searching skill by using international and local sources to write a short notes, explain or describe (depending on the need of a specific question) the Childhood of US president, albinos situation in Tanzania na the court cases, the Nesttle Boycott, the WTC Building 7, climate change and effects to Mt. Kilimanjaro and give opinion on Wainaina’s short story “He si my brother” .

The final will be tomorrow where the training will be brought to a close, where participants will be equip with the skill of how to upload pictures to their bolgs.

The workshop continues

The workshop continues
Deus Bugaywa
The internet workshop for lake zone communicators has continued for the third day today where secrets of the modern world means of communication keeps unfolding to the participants.

After the review of the previous day session participants, the today’s session started by visiting different media web sites in order to provide trainees with the knowledge on how to open web sites in search of information and other materials of their interest.

This was followed by the e mailing skills whereby trainee were equipped with the skills on how to use the internet as a perfect tool for communication both leisure and official, some of the official and friendly e mail were displayed to enable the class undersdtand the subject well.

The class was able to go through some websites which offer useful e - mail rules, some of these sites are http://email.about.com and www.systemarchitecture.org which, member of the class find them very useful.

Other interesting topic for the third day session was the plagiarism where the class was asked to visit the Copyright and neighboring rights act of 1999 at to learn more about plagiarism and copyrights.

In the evening session the class had the assignments of how to get specific information on the web sites, the subject which was very interesting. Though some of the searching proved to be a bit difficult to go through.

The trainer warned the class not to immediately trust any website instead they have to to reliable ones and see to it that they get the information from the original source.

The training is proving to be very useful for the participants as Calvin Jilala put it on the “We found that internet has brought about a multiplied number of information potential sources. Mr Peik took us through global source of news, whereby he explained about how to search for facts or background, search for the people and facts editing, security copy and grammar-remote access (even if your soft copy tool has misbehaved you can always go back to the copy in an e-mail to recover it)”.

The training is expected to continue on the forth day tomorrow before it come to an end on Friday where one of the Tanzania’s famous blogger, Majid Mjengwa will join Mr. Johansson as a guest trainer.

the second day

By Deus Bugaywa

The Internet Training for Lake Zone Journalists has entered its second day whereby trainees are tremendously gaining pace in the use of the technology that has changed the world.
The training which is organized by MISA Tanzania chapter in collaboration with the Finnish Foundation for Media and Communication and Development (VIKES) has been a major stepping stone towards modern journalism for many press men and women in the lake zone.
The second day has seen all participant taken through the main world web that has changed the world, they learned on how to e shopping works, maps, information and image searching has been made easier by the new technology.
Apart from familiarizing with the most popular world wide websites, the trainer Peik Johansson demonstrated for the class on how to create a blog, the subject which was of interest to almost all participants.
At the end of the blog making lesson all participant were able to make their own blog, it was a dream come true to many journalists in zone where very few of them were blog visitors let alone having their own.
Of the very interesting webs was the you tube, where a video clip of street footballer captured the attention of many in the class, the other interesting site was the Wikipedia where they were able to adit some Swahili worlds in the web.
However Mr. Johansson warned the trainee not to trust all is seen in the web until they confirm them on the original sources.
“To me this is a very big achievement because even if we have not yet completed the the tarinning I feel more confident to search for information as much as possible” observed George Ramadhan one of the participant who is very impressed with the training.

Karibu 2009

Karibu 2009!

Na Deus Bugaywa

Kila siku ni siku mpya, wahenga walisema, kwamba kwa mtu makini mwenye kujifunza kutokana na uzoefu na mwenye kutazama mbele leo ni siku tofauti kabisa na jana, hii ni siku nyingine inayokuja na changamoto zake. Hekima hii hata hivyo haimaanishi kwamba hakuna cha kujifunza kutokana na siku iliyokwisha.
Ni kutokana na kujifunza kutokana na makosa au mapungufu yaliyotangulia ndio maana siku inayoanza inakuwa ni mpya kwa maana kwamba yako makosa yaliyofanyika na mapungufu yalioonekana kwa hayo yakitumiwa vyema yanawez saidia leo kuondokana na makosa yale yale yaliyofanyika jana.
Kama taifa tunaanza mwaka mpya, ambao nina imani utakuwa wa kheri na neema kwa Tanzania kama tu tukijifunza kufuata kanuni ya historia kwamba ili tujue tulipo ni lazima tutazame tunakotoka, na ili tufahamu tuendeko ni muhimu sana kutazama tulikotoka na mahali tulipo sasa.
Mwaka huu utakuwa mpya kwa maana ya kuutofautisha na uliomalizika kama tu tutakubali kujifunza kutoka mwaka 2008. Mwaka wa jana umekuwa na mengi ya kujivunia lakini pia umekuwa na changamoto zake nyingi tu ambazo kama tukiamua kwa dhati, tunaweza kulikomboa taifa letu kutoka katika minyororo ya umaskini, ujinga na maradhi.
Mwaka jana umekuwa ni mwaka wa aina yake katika historia ya nchi hii, umeshuhudia kwa mara ya kwanza kuvunjwa kwa baraza la mwaziri kutokana na waziri Mkuu wa kujiuzulu kwa kashfa ya Richmond .
Katika hili liko somo moja muhimu sana kwetu kama taifa kwamba tunachokikosa hasa katika kutekeleza majukumu yetu mbali mbali ni dhamira ya dhati ya na uzalendo.
Hakuna ubishi kwamba kazi iliyofanya na kamati ya Mwakyembe na wenzake ni kielelezo na kipimo cha kujitoa kwa hali ya juu kwa kutetea hadhi na heshima ya Tanzania na Watanzania. Yako mambo mengi yanashindwa kufanyika kwa ukamilifu au hata hayafanyikki kabisa kwa sababu ya watu kutokuwa na moyo wa uzalendo kwa nchi yao .
Tumekuwa taifa la watu wa ajabu, ubinafsi umekuwa ndio mfumo wa kupigania maisha yetu, wako baadhi yetu, na ni wengi kweli, ambao hata kama akitakiwa kutimiza wajibu wake wa kawaida kabisa na anaolipwa kwa ajili hiyo hawezi mpaka kwanza ahakikishiwe kunufaika na kile anachotakiwa kukifanya.
Matokeo yake kila mtu sasa anapigana vita yake mwenyewe ili kuweza kuyafanya maisha yaende, hakuna mtu anakumbuka kwamba liko taifa ambamo ndio tunaishi na kwa vile hatuna nchini kwetu kwingine ni lazima tuhakikishe nchi yetu inakuwa salama katika hali zote.
Hakuna mtu siku hizi anahagaika na maslahi ya taifa hili, kila mtu anakufa na lwake kuhangaikia maslahi ya familia yake na vitegemezi vyake. Bahati mbaya sana ni kwamba harakati hizo za kujinufaisha binafsi zinafanyika kwa gharama ya kulibungua taifa.
Ziko dalili za wazi kabisa kwamba taifa hili sasa linajijenga taratibu lakini kwa uhakika kuwa tifa la matabaka. Hali hii nayo hakuna mtu anahangaika nayo watu wako ‘bize’ wakipigania maisha, hakuna anayekukosa usingizi kwa ajili ya mustakabali wa taifa hili.
Ubinafsi huu sasa umetufikisha katika hatua ambayo unaweza hata kusikia kinyaa kujiita binadamu. Ili kudhihirisha taifa hili na watu wake sasa wamejichoka na kushindwa kuheshimiana na kuthaminiana, tumefika hatua mbaya sana ya kipuuzi na kwa hakika ni ya kishenzi.
Kwamba sasa tumekosa ubinadamu kwa kiwango kisichoelezeka hata kufikia hatua ya kuona viungo vya binadamu mwenzako ni bidhaa ambayo unaweza kubadilishana kwa ajili ya kupata utajiri, huu ni ujuha na wendawazimu uliopindukia mipaka.
Haya yanatokea katikati ya jamii yetu na wako wanajamii ambao wanawajua kabisa wahusika lakini kwa sababu zinazojulikana na wao wenyewe tu, hawataki kujitoa kuwataja wahusika kwa ajili kulinusuru taifa hili na balaa hilo .
Kwa hiyo kama kuna somo moja tunalotakiwa tuiingie nalo kwa ajili ya utekelezaji wa maazimio ya mwaka 2009 ni kuanza kujenga uzalendo kwa ajili ya ustawi wa taifa letu. Ni lazima tutambue na kuukubali ukweli kwamba bila moyo wa kujitoa na hata wakati mwingine kuumia kwa ajili ya wengine hatuwezi kabisa kuufikia ukombozi wa taifa hili tunaoupigania.
Na kujitolea huku kunamhusu kila mwana wa taifa hili, kila anayeitwa Mtanzania na mwenye mapenzi mema na nchi hii ni lazima kwa hakika tuache kelele za kusubiri matatizo yatokee ndio tuanze kutafuta mchawi wakati mambo yalishaharibika.
Hakuna kitu kizuri ambacho unaweza kukipata ukiwa tu umetulia mahali au unasubiri wengine wakuletee, ni lazima tukubali kutimiza wajibu wetu kikamilifu. Tuaachane na utepetevu wa akili kudhani kwamba wako watu mahali fulani watakuja kutusaidia. Jinsi tunavyotaka nchi yetu iwe ni azima sisi wenyewe tuwajibike kuifaya iwe hivyo.
Rushwa na ufisadi uliotapakaa nchi hii msingi wake uko katika ubinafsi, mtumishi wa umma anafika mahali anasahau kwamba cheo hicho ni dhamana kwa hiyo anapaswa kufanya kazi manufaa ya aliyempatia dhamana hiyo.
Mwaka jana pia umetusaidia kutambua wawakilishi wetu ni watu wa aina gani, wabunge wetu ni watu muhimu na wadau wakubwa wa maendeleo ya taifa letu hasa kwa jukumu lao la kuithibiti serikali katika matumizi yake.
Uzoefu wa bunge la mwaka jana umetuonesha kwamba wakati tunaingia katika uchaguzi wa wabunge na wawakilishi wengine, yaani madiwani ni muhimu sana kuangalia aina ya mtu tunayemchagua kuliko chama. Tumeon jinsi baadhi ya wawakilishi wetu wanavyogeuka kuwa wasemaji wa serikali na wawakilishi wa vyama badala ya kuwawakilisha Watanzania wa majimbo yao .
Chama kinaweza kuwa kina sera nzuri na nzito sana za kimaendeleo lakini zikaishia katika kutamkwa tu kwenye mikutano ya kuomba kura, halafu mtu anayepewa jukumu la kuhakikisha sera hizo zinatekelezeka anakuwa hana uwezo huo.
Hili limejidhihirisha kwa uchache wa wabunge wa upinzani bungeni na baadhi ya wachache toka chama tawala, yako mambo ambayo katika hatua zake za awali yalionekna kama mchezo tu wa kuigiza kwa kupuuzwa na hata kukejeliwa na baadhi ya wawakilishi wetu lakini ambayo sasa yamegeuka kuwa masuala makubwa yenye uzito mkubwa kwa mustakabali wa nchi hii.
Kwa hiyo tunapomshukuru Mungu kutujalia kuuanza mwaka 2009 salama, tudhamirie basi kuhakikisha kwamba tunajitahid kila mmoja wetu kuweka mchago wetu chanya katika ujenzi wa Tanzania mpya ambayo kila mmoja wetu anaiotea ndoto.
Siyo bahati mbaya kwamba mimi na wewe tumebaki kuingia mwaka huu, wataalamu wa teolojia wanatuambia kwamba Mungu na makusudi maalum na kila mtu aliyemuumba, pengine kusudi lake kwako wewe Mtanzania uliyejaliwa kuwa hai mpaka wakati huu ni kuleta mabadiliko katika taifa hili.
Hakuna kinachoweza kushindikana kama tukiamua kwa dhati, kama mwaka jana tulishindwa hatuna sababu ya kulalamikia yaliyopita, kwani hayo si ndwele, sasa tugange yajayo. Na kwa kuwa kila siku ni siku mpya na hivyo mwaka huu ni mwingine tofauti na wa jana basi tuamue uwe mwaka wa ukombozi wetu katika kila uga wa jamii yetu, uwezo wa kusababisha mabadiliko tunao, kinachotakiwa ni kudhamiria tu.
Mungu ibariki Tanzania .
drbugaywa@yahoo.com 0734 449 421