UTANDAWAZI NA MALEZI

Na. Mdee Mwanahiza

Picha kwa hisani ya mtandao

Kamusi ya Kiswahili sanifu toleo la pili (2010) imeelezea maana ya utandawazi kua ni mfumo wa uhisiano wa kimataifa katika nyanja mbalimbali kama vile biashara, uchumi au siasa uliowezeshwa na maendeleo ya teknolojia ya habari yanayofanya mataifa kuwasiliana kiurahisi

Malezi ni njia ya ukuzaji wa mtoto kwa kutarajiwa kufuata tabia na mwenendo unaostahiki, makuzi na mafunzo.kwa watoto na vijana wanaokua katika jamii husika. Kwa ujumla utandawazi ni hali ya mabadiliko katika nyanja mbalimbali za kimaisha ya mwanadamu kama vile Uchumi, Siasa Jamii na Utamaduni na kuwa katika hali ya mfanano mmoja duniani kote. Mabadiliko haya yamechangiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa na kukua na kuenea kwa sayansi na teknolojia ambayo imesambaa kwa kiasi kikubwa sana na kugusa karibu kila sekta ya maisha ya mwanadamu.

1:1 CHANGAMOTO KATIKA MALEZI

Kutokana na kukua na kuenea kwa utandawazi kumeathiri suala zima la malezi na kupelekea watu hasa watoto na vijana kukosa mwelekeo bora wa kimaisha kutokana na kulega kwa wakala wa malezi.

1:2 WAKALA WA MALEZI

Wakala wa malezi ni vyombo vinavyofanya kazi kwa niaba ya jamii husika katika kuhakikisha kwamba watoto na vijana wanapata malezi na mafunzo mema yanayoendana na jamii hiyo kama vile heshima, nidhamu, staidi mbalimbali za kimaisha ili waweze kujiandaa na maisha yao ya baadae na kuweza kushiriki katika shughuli mbalimbali za uzalishaji bila kupotoka na mambo mabaya yasiyostahiki katika jamii.

Hapo awali wakala wa malezi walikua ni familia, shule na dini pamoja na jamii yote kwa ujumla. Lakini kutokana na jamii kuzidi kukua na kuongezeka katika masuala ya uzalishaji, biashara na kupelekea kukua kwa miji kumesababisha kuongezeka kwa wakala wengine wa malezi kama vile vyombo vya habari hasa runinga, tovuti na simu za mkononi, magazeti na majarida mbalimbali. Makundi rika ambayo yanatokana na kukua na kuenea kwa sayansi na teknologia nayo yamekua ni miongoni mwa wakala wa malezi.. Hivyo kwa pamoja tunaweza kusema kisosholojia kwamba kuna wakala watano wa malezi ambao ni Familia,Dini ,Shule, Vyombo vya habari pamoja na makundi rika.

Wakala hawa wa malezi kila mmoja ana nafasi yake katika suala zima la kutoa malezi kwa vijana na watoto wa jamii husika. Kutokana na kipaumbele cha jamii hiyo kwa vijana na watoto.

1:3 FAMILIA

Kisosholojia familia ni muunganiko wa Baba, Mama na Watoto pamoja na ndugu wengine wa karibu. Kimsingi familia ndiyo muhimili mkubwa katika jamii yoyote ile. Mtoto anapozaliwa huanza kupata malezi kutoka kwa Baba na Mama yake pamoja na ndugu wengine wanaoizunguka jamii hiyo ili aweze kukua kwa kufuata mila na desturi za kimaisha katika jamii yake. Mtoto hufunzwa mambo muhimu kama vile heshima,Utii, adabu na nidhamu mbele ya wazazi wake na watu wengine nje ya familia yake pia hufundishwa stadi mbalimbali za Kimaisha na kujiingiza katika shughuli mbalimbali za uzalishaji mali ndani na nje ya familia.

Takribani miongo mitatu imepita tangu tulipopata mafanikio ya sayansi na teknologia ambayo yamekua ni chachu ya mageuzi katika familia zetu na maisha ya jamii nzima kwa ujumla. Mageuzi haya yameziathiri sana familia zetu katika suala zima la malezi, hi imesababisha baba na mama kuwaacha watoto wao wadogo na kwenda kufanya kazi za Ofisini mbali na nyumbani kwa siku nzima na kuwaacha watoto na walezi wengine..Hapo awali mwanamke ndiye aliyekua mlezi mkubwa wa familia wakati baba alikua anatoka nyumbani na kumuacha mama na kwenda kutafuta riziki kwa ajili ya familia yote. Mabadiliko haya ya baba na mama wote kwenda kutafuta riziki mbali na familia yao yameleta mmomonyoko wa maadili kwa watoto kwa kiasi kikubwa na kupelekea familia nyingi kusambaratika. wazazi wenyewe kwa wenyewe kulaumiana mwishowe tunaona wazazi wanaanza kupeana talaka.

Wazazi kuachana imekua ni jambo la kawaida katika karne hii ya utandawazi ambako kumepelekea athari mbalimbali katika familia kama vile.

i) Watoto kukosa malezi ya wazazi sahihi

ii) Ongezeko la familia za mzazi mmoja

iii) Ndoa za mikataba

iv) Kuongezeka kwa Umasikini katika ngazi ya kaya na Taifa kwa ujumla.

Kutokana na huu utandawazi tumeona wazazi hawawanyonyeshi watoto wao kwa wakati muafaka unaoshauriwa na wataalamu wa afya ili aweze kuendelea na majukumu yake ya kazini alipoajiriwa au kujiajiri. Hii inapelekea watoto na vijana kupoteza uwezo wao wa kufikiri na kushuka kwa kinga na hivyo kupelekea kupatwa na maradhi ya mara kwa mara na kushindwa kuwa wabunifu wanapokua wakubwa.

Na pia kutokana na huu utandawazi wazazi wanaona kua suala la kulea ni sawa na kupoteza muda wao kwani wana majukumu bora na mazuri kwao wao wenyewe na wala sio kwa watoto wao na kuona kwamba kulea ni kupoteza. bora wawe bize makazini. Hii .inachangia watoto kukosa mwongozo wa maisha yao na kushindwa kutatua matatizo yanayowakabili mbele yao na kushindwa kuendeleza vipaji vyao vya asili kwa ajili ya ;.

i) Kutokujua lugha zao za asili

ii) Kushindwa kumiliki miili yao

iii) Kutokufahamu taratibu na sheria za kijamii

iv) Kutojua mila na tamaduni zao

v) Kutokua na huruma kwa ndugu zao

vi) Uvunjifu wa maadili na kupoteza kabisa malengo ya kimaisha.

Utandawazi huu umeweza kusambaratisha familia zetu moja kwa moja ambapo hapo awali mtoto alikua ni mali ya jamiinzima, anaongozwa na kujirekebisha. Huu utandawazi umesababisha watoto kujitegemea na kujilea wenyewe pasipo kujua mwenendo mzima wa maadili ya jamii zao na matokeo yake ni kama vile.

i) Vijana kutosaidiana na kuthaminiana wao wenyewe.

ii) Kukosa umoja na mshikamano kama ndugu wa moja.

iii) Vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe ndani ya jamii moja.

vi) Umimi, Udini, Ukabila na Ukanda vimeyatawala maisha yetu

1:4 MAKUNDI RIKA

Rika ni watu ambao wana umri unaokaribiana na kulingana. Kundi rika anaweza kuwa rafiki ,yako jirani yako au hata mwanafunzi mwenzako. Watu wa kundirika wana uwanda mpana wa mazungumzo tofauti na mazungumzo katika familia au jamii kwa ujumla. Makundi rika ya zamani yaliongozwa na mafunzo ya jamii ya jando na unyago. Walifundishwa namna ya kuishi katika hali ya usawa, upendo, uvumilivu na maarifa mbalimbali ili waweze kukabiliana na changamoto za kimaisha pindi watakapokua na familia zao wenyewe ili nao waweze kuwalea watoto wao katika misingi hiyo hiyo yenye tija kubwa katika maisha yao. Kulingana na mabadiliko ya kimaisha yaliyoletwa na utandawazi yameharibu maana halisi ya mafunzo ya jando na unyago kwa vijana katika jamii nyingi za kiafrika ikiwemo Tanzania.

Makundi rika ya sasa hayana mafunzo yoyote ya kimaadili kwa wakubwa na wadogo zao, yametawaliwa na jaziba, hasira, chuki majivuno na dharau kutunushiana misuli mizozo isiyokua na tija kwao, fujo subira imepotea kabisa. Umaarufu ndio ngao ya maisha yao, kudai haki bila kufanya kazi, hawajui wajibu wao sio kwa wao wenyewe kwa familia zao wala kwa jamii zao. Mwelekeo potevu kwa makundi rika haya ni kutokana na utandawazi ambao umepelekea kulega na kupotea kwa mafunzo yetu ya asili ya jando na unyago na kutekwa kwa kiasi kikubwa na tamaduni za kimagharibi hivyo kujishughulisha zaidi na mambo ya kuiga na kushindwa kufanya mambo yao ya ubunifu na kusahau kabisa tamaduni zao katika suala zima la malezi na kujishughulisha na mambo ambayo hayana tija katika maisha yao.

1:5 TAASISI ZA ELIMU

Taasisi za elimu zinajishughulisha na malezi na mafunzo kwa niaba ya jamii husika. Husaidia vijana na watoto kupata mafunzo na stadi mbalimbali za maisha, taaluma na ujuzi ili waweze kukabiliana na changamoto mbalimbali za kimaisha pindi wanapohitimu mafunzo yao.

Taasisi hizi huongozwa na sera na mafunzo mbalimbali ambapo wakati mwingine hubadilika kutokana na huu utandawazi tulionao hivi sasa. Utandawazi huu kwa kiasi kikubwa umechangia kuwa na mabadiliko katika sekta ya elimu kama vile mabadiliko ya mara kwa mara katika mitaala yetu ya masomo na kusababisha kubadilika kwa mwenendo mzima wa utoaji elimu katika jamii husika. Kwa mfano hapa kwetu Tanzania kuongezeka kwa mtaala na teknolojia ya habari na mawasiliano (Teknohama) ambapo imepelekea watoto na vijana kuweza kutumia tovuti mbalimbali ambapo zingine hazina maadili kwa umri wao na hivyo kuwapelekea kuiga na kufanya vitendo ambavyo havina maadili katika jamii yetu.

Kwa upande mwingine vijana hawa ndiyo wanakua waalimu wa shule hapo baadae ambapo inapeleka ukosefu wa maadili shuleni kwani tayari wameshajifunza mambo tofauti ambayo yameathiri saikolojia zao na hivyo kuwafanya wanafunzi ambao ni watoto kuiga mienendo mibaya ya walimu wao na kupelekea utovu wa nidhamu kwa wanafunzi dhidi ya waalimu wao na kusababisha wanafunzi kutowasikiliza waalimu wao na hivyo kupelekea kuwa na matokeo mabaya katika masomo yao, kupata mimba wakiwa bado shuleni, matumizi ya simu darasani huku mwalimu akiwa anafundisha na kufuta ile dhana ya hapo awali kwamba mwanafunzi ni sawa na mtoto wa mwalimu lakini kutokana na utandawazi mwanafunzi anamwona mwalimu kama rafiki yake wa mtaani tu.

1:6 DINI

Dini ni mojawapo ya wakala wa malezi katika jamii toka jadi mpaka sasa. Dini zinatoa mafundisho mbalimbali ya kimwili na kiroho kwa watu wote hasa hasa watoto na vijana ili waweze kuwa na tabia na mienendo mema katika jamii kama vile namna kuabudu, kuheshimu wakubwa, nidhamu katika kazi na huduma nyingine za kimalezi katika jamii.

Utandawazi umeibua taasisi mbalimbali za kidini ambazo zimekua na mitazamo tofauti tofauti kuhusiana na suala zima la Kimungu na kimalezi katika jamii kama vile kuamini kuwa maombi yanaweza kumsaidia mtu awe na hali nzuri na ustawi wa kijamii katika maisha yake bila kufanya kazi. Hali hii imewafanya watu wengi kuacha kufanyakazi za kijamaa za uzalishajimali na malezi kwenye familia zao na kwenda kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya mahubiri na kukaa huko kwa muda mrefu huku wakiwa na imani kwamba watafanikiwa kimaisha kwa njia ya mahubiri na kumkemea shetani kama ndiye adui mkubwa wa hali ngumu ya maisha yao. Viongozi wa madhebu haya wameshindwa kuwafunza watu mbinu mbalimbali za kupambana na hali ngumu ya maisha kama vile kujituma bila kukata tama na kua waadilifu na waaminifu katikakazi mbalimbali za maendeleo katika jamii zao. Kwa mfano kwa sasa kuna vipindi vingi sana vya maombi na mahubiri kwa njia ya runinga kama vile Saa ya Maajabu.Tutashinda, Joshua Tv, Emanuel Tv ,ukiangalia vile vipindi kuna watu wengi wamehudhuria na sisi wengine huku nje tumekuwa watazamaji hivyo wote kwa pamoja tunaibiwa muda wetu badala ya kwenda kujishughulisha na shughuli zingine za uzalishajimali. Pia kuna baadhi makanisa yanaidhinisha kufunga ndoa za jinsia moja. Huu ni upotoshaji wa maadili kwa viongozi wa dini dhidi ya wafuasi wao wanaowaamini kama sehemu ya malezi kwao na jamii kwa ujumla.

1:7 VYOMBO VYA HABARI

Vyombo vya habari ni pamoja na runinga, tovuti ,magazeti , simu za mkononi na majarida mbalimbali. Vyombo hivyo ni sehemu mojawapo ya malezi na mafundisho kwa watu wa jamii mbalimbali, huelimisha, huburudisha na vilevile huonya kwa kupitia vipindi mbalimbali vinavyooneshwa kwenye runinga kama vile taarifa za habari vipindi vya uzalishaji mali, miradi mbalimbali vipindi vizuri vya watoto na elimu,.kwenye magazeti huandikwa habari na makala mbalimbali. Husaidia kuibua matatizo mbalimbali yanayoikabili jamii yetu kuonya na kukosoa viongozi wetu kuanzia ngazi ya kaya. hadi Taifa kwa ujumla.

Kwa upande mwingine vyombo hivi vimeweza kupotosha watoto na vijana ambao hawana muongozo mzuri katika matumizi ya vyombo hivi. Kuna mambo mengine yanaoneshwa na kuandikwa katika vyombo vya habari ambavyo havina maadili mazuri katika jamii yetu. Watoto na vijana wasiokua na muongozo ndio waathirika wakubwa kwani hutumia muda wao mwingi kuangalia na kusoma mambo haya kama vile picha za ngono kwenye filamu na tovuti, kusoma majarida ya udaku na kimapenzi, kuangalia tamthilia na vichekesho mbalimbali kama vile Vichekesho vya Hinye Gwedegwede ambvyao kwa sasa imepigwa marufuku. Hali hii imechangia uvunjifu wa maadili kwa kiasi kikubwa sana kwa watoto na vijana wa Taifa letu.

Utandawazi umepelekea vijana kuiga tabia na mienendo mibaya kama vile hisia za kimapenzi na utumiaji wa madawa ya kulevya na kujiingiza katika vitendo vya uhalifu. Hii ni kutokana na kuoneshwa kwa filamu za kiuhalifu na ngumi katika runinga zetu ambayo inapunguza ubunifu na kuendeleza vitendo vya uigaji na vijana kushindwa kujiingiza kwenye shughuli za uzalishaji mali na hatimaye kuwa wahalifu na kushindwa kufanya mambo yenye manufaa katika jamii.

NINI KIFANYIKE ILI KUKABILIANA NA CHANGAMOTO HIZI

• Wazazi watambue umuhimu na wajibu wao katika suala zima la malezi kwa watoto wao kwani wao ndio walezi wa kwanza katika jamii yoyote ile.Kwani wazazi ndio muhimili mkuu katika familia na taifa kwa ujumla,hivyo waoombwa wayajue na kuyatafakari upya majukumu yao kama wazazi ili waende sambamba na mabadiliko ya kisayansi na kiteknolojia pamoja na changamoto zake katika malezi ya familia na taifa kwa ujumla.

• Walimu inawapasa kutambua kwamba wanafunzi wa sasa ni mayatima,wengine hulelewa na baba au mama tu pia wengine wanatoka katika familia zenye migogoro,hivo wanahitaji msaada wao si wa kielimu tu bali hata wa kimalezi ili nao waelewe misingi ya maisha ya jamii zao pindi wanapohitimu masomo yao.Nahii itawasaidi kupambana na hali mbaya za maisha yao ya huko majumbani mwao na kuweza kuishi kwa kufuata mila na tamaduni za jamii zao.

• Viongozi wa dini waache tabia ya kumkemea shetani kana kwamba yeye ndiye chanzo cha matatizo na migogoro katika jamii zetu bali watumie nafasi zao kuwakeme wale ambao ni wafuasi wao katika kuwafunza zaidi masuala yanayotukabili kwa sasa na mienendo mema katika jamii ili nao weweze kuwaunza wanaowategemea na kumuomba mungu awape wepesi katika katika shunguli zao za kila siku na si kumkemea tu shetani.

• Serikali itilie mkazo na isimamie uuzaji wa filamu za ngono na urushaji wa vipindi ambavyo haviendani na maadili ya jamii yetu.isiangalie tu maslahi na haki za watunzi wa tunzi wa mambo haya bali wapige vita mambo ambayo yanaipotosha jamii.Wazazi nao wawaongoze watoto wao katika vipindi vyenye manufaa kwao na kwa jamii kwa ujumla.

• Wazazi na walezi wanatakiwa kuwafahamu kwa undani marafiki wa watoto wao.,na pia wajue walipo watoto wao na wanafanya nini.vilevile watumie muda wao mwingi wa kukaa na watoto waokuliko kuwaacha watumie muda wao mwingi kucheza na marafiki.Hii itawaepushi watoto kujiingiza katika mienendo mibaya.

HITIMISHO

Wakala hawa wa malezi huweza kujenga na pia kubomoa misingi ya jamii.hivyo vinahitaji ushirikiano wangu na wako katika malezi ya jamii ili kuleta maendeleo ya familia zetu na taifa kwa ujumla.

ASANTENI KWA USIKIVU WENU

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Tasnia Ya Muziki Mkombozi wa Vijana

    Tasnia ya Muziki

Mkombozi wa Vijana

Hiki ni kitabu ambacho kinatokana na utafiti uliofanywa kitaalam. Kitabu hiki kinaelezea tatizo la ajira nchini Tanzania. Ukosefu wa ajira ndo hasa tatizo linalowakabili vijana wa Tanzania.

Vijana wengi huko Tanzania wanajituma ili kuepukana na tatizo hili la ukosefu wa ajira. Vijana wa mijini huko Tanzania, wameingia katika tasnia ya Muziki, hususani katika muziki wa vijana al maarufu Bongo flava. Muziki huu unachukuliwa na vijana hao kama aina ya ajira na kwa hiyo basi ilitarajiwa kuwa kazi hii ingekuwa ni mkombozi kwao. Taarifa ambapo hazikuwa zimefanyiwa utafiti zilionyesha kuwa vijana hao hawakunufaika kama ambavyo ilifaa wanufaike. Hali hii kwa hakika ilionyesha ombwe la maelezo; ni kwa sababu ya kutaka kutoa maelezo ndo hasa utafiti ulifanyika ili kuelezea kilichojiri.

Katika ukurasa huu tutakuwa na mfululizo kukielezea kitabu ambazo kinatoa mchango wa namna ya kukabiliana na tatizo hili la ukosefu wa ajira kwa vijana wetu hapa Tanzania.

Ufufuko

Ufufuko unamaanisha matumaini!

Kutokana na ufufuko kifo kilipoteza nguvu zake zote; hivyo basi kifo hakina tena nguvu mbele ya maisha!

Mtwara

Mtwara Mikindani: Hapa ni Mikindani katika jengo lililojengwa mwaka 1895.

Hapa ni juu kabisa ya mnara wa ulinzi. Ukiwa hapo unapata kuona eneo karibu la mji mdogo wote wa Mikindani.

Some Useful Proverbs

The image by Google

1. Happiness is like perfume – You can not spray it on yourself without affecting the     one next to you

2. A man who has never submitted to anything will soon submit to a burial mat.

3. Judge not your beauty by the number of people who look at you but rather the number of people who smile at you

4. True happiness does not come from having everything I want but from wanting      everything I have.

5. A wound given by words is many times harder to cure than that given by the sword.

6. A fly that had nobody to advise it followed a corpse into a tomb.

7. On the day of the monkey’s death all the trees become slippery.

8. We do not only offend others by doing what is bad to them but also by our failure to      do what is good to them.

9. He who provides you with seeds is better than he who provides you with food.

10. It is those who visit the orchards who eat good fruits

11. A lost opportunity never returns

12. A short man is not a boy

13. When a stick bites your eye, it wants you to see

14. A tongue cannot pretend to be ignorant of what the teeth are chewing.

15. No matter how short you may be, you can see the sky.

Originally written by Muchunguzi Theobald in the PCJ VOICES, Volume 11, 2002
tmuchunguzi@yahoo.com

ARE HUMAN BEINGS REALLY BETTER THAN OTHER ANIMALS?

The Image by google

One day when I was in Tororo for my annual retreat, in one of the moments when I was meditating, I saw a cock chasing a hen for mating. It happened that one of my friends had seen the cock too. He said to me, “this cock is hopeless, it cannot even feel shy to chase the hen in front of us, it should have waited for us to go away at least” This is not only for birds (hens) but it is a habit of most animals. At Lavigerie house, I take care of animals; we have two pigs and a cat; when a she pig is in heat the male knows and they mate. When it is their proper time they do so regardless of my presence. This I guess is not an uncommon experience to many of us.

The experience that I get from birds and most irrational animals makes me, most of the time, say that we human beings are more advanced, intellectual wise, than other animals. In fact this is what even biology tells us, that man is superior to all other animals. I think this is very true and for so long this has been my conviction. But recently my conviction has been challenged so much by what I call inhuman deeds.

In our “modern world” it is an order of the day to hear about the issue of rape. I hear a lot about it and somehow many of us get used to hearing about it without doing anything to help the victims. Some may go to the extent of saying “it is normal” or “that is how life is.” And you know some even dare say that most women who are raped are responsible for that, for they “provoke” men. They provoke men? I have heard of old ladies some even of 80 being raped, and worse still , I have heard of babies of some few months being raped and yet some say that the victims provoke the “predators”?

Are we really better than the Tororo cock? September the eleventh is the day which will have a long life span in the memory of many people, not only Americans but almost everybody who came to know about it, not only people of good will but by people of “evil intentions” as well. One would have expected such an event, which has captured permanence in many peoples’ memory, to be of great benefit to many people. Instead, it is just the opposite. Even though the act is terribly evil according to moral standards, it is “good” to some people. It is good, of course, to the authors. I guess they look at the act as their masterpiece. “Some gentlemen” pretending to be passengers hijack the planes having many passengers, they take control of the planes and deliberately hit the planes against the twin towers; they know that the planes have many people on board and they know that the twin towers are buildings which have the capacity of having an enormous number of people at a time. They know beyond doubt that what they are doing will cause a big loss of human life and that they too will not escape death. But still they go on and do it…

In our modern “developed” world it is strange not to hear of a considerable loss of human life almost every day, and the agent in most cases is man himself. The events of September 11th, the suicidal attacks and many other causes of deaths of the same nature were and are being planned and carried out by an animal with the most developed brain – a rational animal. I wonder if by doing all such inhuman acts, even though they are rational, for they are “well” planned and “well” carried out, we still remain better than other animals!

Originally written by Martin Mandalu in the PCJ VOICES, Volume 11, April, 2002

SO BITTER ARE SEPARATIONS!

The Photo From a Missionary site

“...but Mandalu, why shouldn’t we have known each other deeper than we have done?” That was a question from a friend of mine known by the name of Tausi.

Previous to her question I had told her; it would have been better if we had not met and known each other. But why say this to a friend? If I said so, then it is because it was motivated by something serious. Yes, indeed it was pushed by the pain of separation.

So bitter is separation, it can be witnessed through our everyday experiences. The baby experience is very typical: an “infant.” When it has to detach from its best friend and best home for the past nine months, it feels the pain so much, indeed so bitter it is. But it can’t do much to express itself instead it resolves to crying. Yes so bitter it is.

I had to leave my friends for the first time when I was about five or six. I was still young but all the same I felt the pain for leaving them behind. The separation was caused by the move that my family had to make from one region to another in Tanzania. The decision followed a piece of advice from our family doctor, for my mum’s health was so poor because of the cooler weather in that region.

My second separation, which I remember, was when I finished my primary level of education, ready to join the secondary school level. Here I had to separate with my friends and yes, it was indeed bitter, I think it was so because I knew I would never see again many of those friends, and yes, I have not met most of them again.

Kirinya prison is a place where I go for my apostolate; I work with the prisoners who have not attended their trials yet. Some stay there for two or even three years, they get so much used to the place and the other guys that they find in the prison. Somehow, that becomes their home for the period that they have to stay in the prison, they make friends. When their time to go home comes, they have to go, I suppose under normal circumstances none of them would want to stay back, and yet the pain of separation is still there. In one incident, a prisoner was telling me “Ssebo, I have been her for three years, these fellows have become my brothers, but back home I have a family, I feel like staying behind but I just can’t help”

This morning, when I was contemplating on the subject, I learned that the intensity of bitterness in my separations has been increasing in direct proportion to the increase of my age and the increase of commitments in life. In the same contemplation, there came the idea of the coming separation, separation from friends of the PCJ. At first I did not want it to come to my conscious and so I was suppressing it. But I realized that suppressing it won’t do me any good, instead I should better let it come out and learn how to deal with it.

When I think of the many friends that I have and that when I conceive the idea of separation, that is,when the time for me to leave comes I will have to separate from them, then I feel so sad. In the course of my stay at the PCJ and Uganda at large, for about three years now, I have been able to meet with many people and so make friends from both the PCJ and outside the institution. I have come across friends from Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Cameroon, Burundi, Benin, DRC, Sudan, UK, Holland, Belgium, Ireland, USA, Italy, Spain, France, and many more. And yet I may never meet most of them again. Yes, this is what indeed makes me sense the coming pain so bitter…yes, so bitter it is. Separations are painful and yet inevitable. I know that relationships are very important for our proper growth and yet separations are so important for that proper growth as well.

When I was five, our family had to separate from many friends that we had in the first town. But it was because of “a higher good,” that is for the health of one of the family members we all had to leave behind our friends. Should we have clung to our friendship while one of the members in the family was suffering? No, we had to leave.

Should those guys in the prison remain with their friends and forget about their families back home? I do not think so. They must go and let life continue. Furthermore, separations have big benefits to us even though they are bitter. If a baby in the womb decided to remain in there (if that were possible), then it would not have developed, as it does when it comes out of the womb. The same applies to a pupil. If she or he decides to remain at the primary school level (for the sake of staying with the friends, whom I guess they too will have to move on) then the development of formal education and other disciplines would not be possible. Thanks to our faculty of memory that we can forget our past temporarily or even permanently, and so are able to live properly and make more friends again.

Indeed separations are so painful but so inevitable and important.

Originally written by Martin Mandalu in the PCJ VOICES, Volume 11, April, 2002

AND WHAT SHALL WE SAY?

The image is taken from the Loop of Life

Some old people die without seeing their grandchildren,
Some farmers die before harvesting the product of their hard labour,
Some students die before seating for their exams,
Others die without seeing their results.

When some mourn, others rejoice.
When some die, others are born.
When some pass their exams, others fail.
Some gain when others lose.

In fact that is how life should be…
Before having two, one should have one.
Those who have more should give those who have none.
Those who have none should look for one.

This is how life is…
If you choose celibacy then you forgo marriage,
If you opt for marriage then celibacy is left out.
If you choose to become a pilot then you might need to forget becoming a doctor.
If you choose to sleep, then you will have to forget running.

When you go for celibacy, then you automatically miss a wife or husband.
When you go for your best half, then you can be sure of having somebody at your side.
When you are married then, you are in most cases going to become daddy / mum.
When you go for celibacy, you will miss it so much but you will at least become uncle/aunt.

When a baby is born as a male, he is forced to become a man.
When a baby is born as a female, she is forced to become a woman.
Yes, you are either a woman or a man.
You are either married or unmarried.
Yes, nature has no mercy on us.


Martin Mandalu   Originally written in The PCJ VOICE, Volume 11, April, 2002

ON PAYING THE PRICE!!!

Photo taken from a mental strength website

We know that whoever is, exists and that if one is of sound mind and of good physical health then she/ he has to major a particular career in life so as to support his/ her life and even other’s lives.

Doing something is one thing and of course we know that almost everybody has to do something. But doing that thing the way it is supposed to be done correctly and with full conviction, is something else.

Many of us are good at observing things being done, and since we just observe, many of us still do not care whether they are done properly or not. All that we know is that something is being done, but how is it being done? Many of us would say it is none of my business.

Ladies and gentleman everybody who is has to live but we cannot live a “good life” without doing a substantial work in life. And we should bear in mind that we have to be responsible for the fruit that our work will produce. If we want to be happy in life and want to have a “good life” then we need to opt for an honest kind of job. Although such a type of (an endeavour ) work does not necessarily make us prosper, we can be sure of an inner peace. But we should not forget that such type of work will make us have many “enemies.”

I assume many of us want to live a happy and not necessarily a prosperous life; then if that is the case let us make sure that we are ready to pay the price for that or better we forget about it I don’t want to say that I myself know how to do or go about it. But we can learn from many of our elder brothers and sisters who knew both the importance of what they were doing and that they had to pay the price for their choice.

Socrates a Greek philosopher was teaching the youth the truth about life, he new that it was so important, for he was sent by the gods to do that work. He was free to do it or not to. He did it even though he knew it would bring him a lot of misunderstanding and confusion, but still he persevered. We know he was condemned to death for what was called impiety and misleading of the youth.

We know the story of the Archbishop Romero; he decided to speak for the poor and the voiceless; he did so even though he knew it was dangerous and of course as many people had expected he was murdered.

Nelson Mandela as a young man fought against the minority rule of the whites in South Africa, the apartheid regime. He fought for equal rights of all people in his country. He knew what it meant to take such a stand. We know what happened to him; he had to spend a good number of years in prison (paying the price for his choice of work)

There are many examples of such people who consciously decide to undertake such type of “dangerous” work. My aim is not simply to enumerate them for the sake of narrating stories but to let you know that there are many people who have been able to pay the price of their choice of work and that we are not alone or the first ones.

Martin Mandalu

Originally written in LAVIGERIE DRUM 8th Issue May 2002

Gazeti na uzalendo barani!!!

Gazeti hili la huko nchini Ghana hufanya uchambuzi wa mambo mengi kwa undani na hasa kwa mlengo wa kizalendo. hapa barani Afrika.

http://ghanaian-chronicle.com/

Vijana na Ajira zenye Staha!

Katika kurasa zifuatazo tutajadili juu ya ajira zenye staha kwa vijana duniani kote. Tutaanza kufanya hivyo kuanzia na kazi za vijana wa Tanzania.

Vijana

Tunapoongelea wajenga dunia ni lazima kuangalia makundi ya watu. Kufanya hivyo hakumaanishi kuwa tunafanya ubaguzi. Kama ni lazima kuita kitu ubaguzi basi huu ni ule wenye nia na malengo mazuri.

Kwenye maendeleo binafsi huwapatia vijana nafasi  ya kipekee kabisa. Naamini kuwa kundi hili la wanadamu wana mengi ya kuchangia katika maendeleo ya jamii. Vijana wana nguvu, wana malengo mengi na mara nyingi makubwa na wengi wao wana ujasiri na uthubutu. Mambo haya muhimu yakijumuishwa na elimu inayowaelekeza vyema wana nafasi kubwa ya kufanya makubwa kwa jamii zao na kwa jamii ya wanadamu na dunia kwa ujumla wake.

Hali hii na hatua hii ya maisha, ukiacha ile ya utoto ambayo kila mwanadamu lazima aipitie, ujana ni hatua ya pili ambayo hupitiwa na wanadamu wengi zaidi kuliko ya utu uzima na ya uzee. Hatua ya utoto ndiyo ambayo wanadamu wote hupitia lakini hatua hii ni ya kupokea tu wala hakuna kutoa. Ni wazi kuwa watoto ni muhimu wapokee ili waweze kujengeka vyema na hatimaye wawe vijana, watu wazima na wazee wenye manufaa kwa dunia.

 Nakukaribisha kulielezea kundi hili la pili katika hatua za ubinadamu ili kuona mchango wake katika mapinduzi ya dunia.

Martin Mandalu