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Shujaa Katika Afrika: Kiswahili title that is fighting menace of malaria
2007-08-25 09:06:05
By Pigmi Maori
About a week ago President Jakaya Kikwete launched a Kiswahili title Shujaa Katika Africa by Sir Jayantilal Andy Chande, the version which was translated from the original book `A Knight in Africa: Journey from Bukene` published in 2005, that has been launched in many countries before.
Never before have there been such a launch of a book with fanfare and attended by high profile dignitaries.
It was a launch of a book which managed to bring together Tanzanian’s four presidents together in one occasion.
Besides President Kikwete who launched the title, former Presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa were all present.
Former Prime Minister Joseph Sinde Warioba and former African Union Secretary General Dr Salim Ahmed Salim were among the guests who showed their big presence.
Launching the book, the President thanked Chande for three things. One is for inviting him to launch the book on the author’s life and his great contribution to the economy. “This is great honour to me and I say thank you,” the President noted.
Second, is what the President called the author’s nationalistic decision-to translate the title into Kiswahili, a thing he said would enable many Tanzanians and other people who speak the language to have the opportunity of reading it, and thus to benefit from the great wealth of education and experience recorded therein.
In the third score, the President congratulated Chande for his contribution to the development of the country’s economy.
“You are an exceptional nationalist. You have for many years served our country in extreme honesty, and you have done so without complaining or even getting tired.
You are even now, continuing to serve our nation in several positions, despite your advanced age.
We are greatly thankful to you for your exemplary service to our country and our people,” said President Kikwete.
Speaking specifically about book writing the President congratulated the author for his decision to write the book about his life.
“We all know that writing a book is not an easy task. It demands courage, keenness, discipline and great ability. Writing this book which details your life for a span of more than 77 years shows the extent of the ability you have. Not many people do have such ability. We congratulate you very much,” he said.
Finally, the President took the opportunity to call upon every Tanzanian to develop the culture of writing books about their lives, urging them to remember that the life of every citizen was part of the history of the county.
He was not the only one who showered the praises on the author.
From Canada-where the book was published, its Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, did not show his presence physically, but sent a strong message, which was read by the country’s ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Andrew Mc Alister-who more or less acted as the Master of Ceremony at the launch.
Besides congratulating him for the Kiswahili title, Harper said: “I would also like to take this opportunity to commend you for your commitment to philanthropic initiatives in the region.
Your humanitarian work over the past several decades has had a positive impact on countless programmes, most notably Tanzania’s fight to eradicate malaria. Moreover, I thank you for your efforts in fostering the productive bilateral relationship that Canada and Tanzania now share.”
Prime Minister Harpers was not the only one who sent congratulatory messages from Canada. With him was a message from Member of Parliament and the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Committee, Deepak Obhrain.
Obhrain had this to say: “Acknowledged a remarkable addition to African literature, A Knight in Africa sheds light on the monumental developments prior to and after, the birth of an independent Tanzania. Sir Chande has seen it all-he has lived through Tanzania’s history and his wise words tell a meaningful and poignant tale.”
He went on to say: “I congratulate the author for his remarkable insight and his unprejudiced, yet personal, assessment of historical occurrences, which showcase Tanzania in all its glory and in all its drawbacks.”
Like President Kikwete, he said the launch of the Kiswahili edition will give many more Tanzanians access to the book and, “in my view they will be the richer for it.”
For his part the outgoing Canadian ambassador Mc Alister said the book had been commissioned in several countries earlier, but added that he was of the feeling that it would also be read in Kiswahili.
“The history of any country is the heart and pillar of that country. This Chande book therefore adds to the list of important historical events in the development of this honourable country of Tanzania,” he said.
“It is my hope that this book will propel new initiatives to all Tanzanian leaders, particularly those present today, to consider and list all important events they recall in connection with the historical development acceptable to Tanzania,” he said.
The Kiswahili and English titles were earlier launched in Kenya, Uganda and in other countries, but they did not attract as many people and high profile dignitaries the kind of what was witnessed in Dar es Salaam.
Perhaps the question at this point is why the title attracted many people and high profile dignitaries during its launch in Dar es Salaam.
When former Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye launched the English version last year at Sea Cliff Hotel in the city, it attracted many people, but not many high profile dignitaries attended.
The main reason probably why this time the launch was well attended was because of the objective of the book itself. According to the author the title is intended to fund the fight against malaria.
Chande says the English version of which 5,000 copies have already been sold, the proceeds have been supplemented by USD100, 000 from Rotary clubs of Island and Royal Manor of Portland, England and USD10, 000 from the Rotary Foundation of USA to enable distribution of 360,000 insecticide treated mosquito nets.
Malaria is world killer number one and it devours the lives of more than 1 million humans every year.
This means therefore that the proceeds of the book serve a very crucial area in the country’s socio-economic milieus besides the fact that its content also teaches much about economic (corporate) business management.
But perhaps the big attendance had also to do with the Kiswahili version itself-many Tanzanians being speakers of the language, they saw it necessary to identify themselves, not only with the occasion itself, but more probably with their mother tongue.
And this was more so, particularly when given the fact that the title is written by a Tanzanian of Asian origin, a thing that many people find to be rare in their Kiswahili culture.
When Professor Issa G. Shvji wrote his magnum opus ‘Class Struggles in Tanzania’ in the seventies, the title became so famous and was liked by readers, specifically in view of the fact that it was associated with the Marxist debates that prevailed at the time at the University of Dar es Salaam and others.
Though the title was also by a Tanzanian of Asian origin, its launch, did not attract as many people the kind Chande`s `Shujaa Katika Afrika` did, though it also addresses the problems of the bureaucratic bourgeoisie and management of the economy.
The difference is that while Shivji wrote his without ever working for or with the bureaucracy, Chande’s has more to do with someone who was at first running his own show outside of the bureaucracy, incorporated at some stage, worked in it and then wrote about the system he has been in and is working with. The latter’s is also a biography, while the former’s is an analysis of classes.
Also gainful in the title is not only about the life of Chande and his family from India where his father Keshavji came. But more it has to do with how Indian families, entrench in trades that are inherited by families throughout their lives.
Also more important about the title is how Tanzanians of Asia origin start business when they are young and grow with it to old age before they bequeath the same to the younger generations.
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