Category:Tanzania Stories

Chirangi, Musuto (Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania), The Example of our Hero in Diaspora

Anecdotal evidence suggests that quite a number of Tanzanian Mennonites (actual data unknown) reside temporarily or permanently outside Tanzania. This is a result of different push and pull factors, including economic considerations, a desire for further studies, a call to special missions, or family visits and reunification, etc. Despite some efforts once reported by one Tanzanian Mennonite, Bishop J. Nyakyema, there isn't much significant strategic undertaking that has been carried to either unite or motivate all this human capital, who we might refer to as the Tanzanian Mennonites in Diaspora (TMDs), either by themselves or by the Church (Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania). All in all, TMDs are potential human resources with diverse capabilities who, if organized and tapped, could make a substantial contribution to the development of the church. In as much as our Church leadership ought to recognize and encourage their participation, the prime driving force lies first on the TMD's, themselves. They will need to emulate most, if not all, of the 10 major principles of their fellow examples in the then Diaspora, Nehemiah (s/o Hachaliah. Nehemiah passionately felt and shared the burden of his people. “…Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" he cried out. (Nehemiah 2:3)

Below, I would like to elucidate the 10 major principles of Nehemiah's counsel to those in disaspora in our lingua franca (Swahili) so as to be understood by the majority targeted audience of this site.

                                                                                     Mfano wa Shujaa wetu Mwana-Diaspora.

Misingi 10 Alizotumia Mwana Diaspora Shujaa, Nehemia.

1. Kuwa na mawasiliano endelevu na nyumbani kujua si tu habari za kifamilia lakini pia maisha ya jamii na maendeleo yao kwa ujumla.
2. Kuwa na mzigo na matatizo yaliyoko nyumbani.
3. Kumshirikisha Mola katika mipango na mafanikio yetu.
4. Kutumia fursa na rasilimali tulizo nazo kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya jamii yetu
5. Kufanya tathinini za kisayansi za matatizo / mahitaji yetu halisi na kuweka mipango kazi na mikakati.
6. Kuhamasisha wengine na kugawana majukumu ikiwezekana kwa kujali vipaji / uzoefu / uwezo wetu.
7. Kushiriana pamoja kutekeleza mipango kazi.
8. Kutokuyumbishwa wala kukatishwa tamaa na wanaotubeza na au wanaotaka kutuondoa katika maono na mwelekeo wetu wa ki-maendeleo.
9. Kuonyesha ushujaa, kujilinda na kupambana na maadui wetu wa ndani na nje.
10. Kusimamia haki, maadili na kuwajali wahitaji zaidi.

Kanuni hizi nimezidondoa nilipomkumbuka kiongozi - shujaa mmoja katika Agano la kale, aliyeitwa Nehemia.

TAFADHALI KAMA HUJAWAHI SOMA AU KUTAFAKARI KWA UNDANI KITABU CHA NEHEMIA WAKATI NDIO SASA!  Kwa kifupi tu ili kukupa hamu ya kusoma,

1. Nehemia alikuwa mshika kombe (the Cup- bearer) wa Mfalme wa Uajemi. Pamoja na kuwa katika maisha mazuri huko ughaibuni na katika hiyo kazi ya watu wachache sana katika 'special branch', aliwasiliana na watu wake nyumbani, akapata habari kuwa kuta za Yerusalemu & malango yake vimebomolewa na kuchomwa moto.
2. Alibeba mzigo wa taabu zilizokuwa zinawakabili watu wa nyumbani Jerusalem, akahuzunika na kuomboleza sana.
3. Akamwomba Mola juu ya jambo hilo
4. Akatumia nafasi yake kumwendea Mfalme ambaye alimpa ruhusa na kumpa usalama na pia vitendea kazi vya kuanzia kazi ya ujenzi. (Sisi tunatumiaje vipawa na nafasi tulizo nazo kuendeleza jamii zetu?)
5. Alipofika kabla ya kuanza kazi alifanya tathmini ya kiwango cha uharibifu na kazi iliyotakiwa kufanywa na kupanga kazi.
6. Akahamasisha wenzake na kuwaambia kuwa wajenge pamoja. Kazi iligawanywa vyema kufuata uzoefu/ uwezo. Mfano Makuhani walipewa kushughulia mlango waliouzoea na kuufahamu – mlango wa kondoo!
7. Watu walishirikiana, wakachapa kazi mchana na usiku
8. Kuliibuka akina Sanbalati, Tobia na wenzao wakawabeza na kutaka kuwaondoa kazini, lakini Nehemia alisisitiza kuwa hawezi kuacha kazi.
9. Maadui walipopanga njama, ulinzi mkali uliwekwa na wakapambana nao. (Ni aibu sisi leo tunakatishwa tamaa wala hatupambani na maadui wetu katika maendeleo!)
10. Nehemia alisimamia haki kama kuwasaidia maskini n.k na pia akawawajibisha wakiukaji ili kulinda maadili yaliyokubalika.

Hitimisho:

Yawezekana tukawa na maisha bora zaidi popote tulipo nje ya mji au nchi, inatubidi kubeba mzigo na kuhuzunika na hali yoyote mbaya (kama ipo) katika jamii zetu. Mbele ya Viongozi wetu au Mashirika yenye uwezo au yeyote mwenye uwezo wa kutusaidia kutatua tatizo lililopo, tunapaswa kusema kuwa,

“Tutakosaje kuwa na huzuni wakati mji/ nchi ya baba zetu na mama zetu una hali isiyoridhisha?”

Halafu tufanye kweli kwa tuchukuwa hatua 10 za kuleta maendeleo kama kiongozi wa mfano Nehemia alivyofanya.

__________________________________________________________________________________English _____________________________________________________

Example of Our Hero in Diaspora.

The 10 Princiles used by our hero in Diaspora, Nehemiah.

1. Have sustained comumunication back home to know not only about the family but also the lives of communities and their development in general
2. Feel the burden with the people back home 
3. Involve God in our plans and achievements.
4. Using our opportunities and resources for the development of our society
5. Making scientific assesment of the problems / needs of the actual work and putting plans and strategies.
6. Encourage others to share responsibilities with regard to possible skills / experience / our ability.
7. Collaborating to work together and implement plans.
8. Not getting discouraged by those who downplay our efforts and or those wo like to divert us from aou vision and direction to-development.
   
9. Show courage, defend and fight against our enemies inside and outside.
10. Stand for justice, ethics and care for the most needy.

I have extracted these principles, when I remembered our leader - a hero in the Old Testament, namely Nehemiah. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ OR PONDER THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH, THIS IS THE TIME!

In short, just to give you the desire to read,

1. Nehemiah was the Cup-bearer to the King of Persia. Despite being in good life in Diaspora and being in the service of very few people in the 'Special Branch', he contacted home, he heard that the walls of Jerusalem & the gates of were destroyed and burned.
2. He felt the burden with his people in Jerusalem, grieved and mourned too.
3. He prayed God about it
4. He used his position to consult the King who gave him permission, security an initial resources for construction work. (How do we utilize our talents and opportunities to develop our society?)
5. Before starting the work, he made an assessment of the level of damage and the required work and undertook the planning.
6. He did influence colleagues and tell them to build together. The work was divided well based on experience / ability. Example, Priests were assigned to work at the place they are used to and understand - the door of the sheep!
7. People worked day & night
8. There arose people like Sanbalati, Tobijah and others who despised them and wanted to distract them from the work, but Nehemiah insisted that he can not stop working.
9. Enemies set a conspiracy, there was a strong defense and they fought them. (It's a shame that today we are disappointed easily as we don't confront enemies for our development!)
10. Nehemiah stood for justice like helping the poor etc., he also put to task deviants to protect accepted ethics.

Conclusion:

We may be in a better position wherever we are outside our town or country, we have to bear the burden and grieve of ill situation (if any) in our communities. Before our leaders or organizations with the ability to help us solve the problem, we should say that,

"Why should'nt we be sad while the situation of the city / country of our fathers and mothers is unsatsifactory? " 

Lets then take the 10 steps of development as our leader Nehemiah did.