"na Ibrahim Nyanda
🏆 Shindano la Insha ya Methali

“Ni kwa nini kijiji chetu hakina maendeleo ukilinganisha na vijiji vingine vinavyotuzunguka? Vijana wengi kutoka vijiji vingine wa umri wetu wamesoma na wengine wana kazi zao za maana huko mjini. Pamoja na kwamba kuna shule kijijini kwetu lakini vijana hatufanyi vizuri shuleni na hata walimu wanapoajiriwa hawakai muda mrefu wanahama. Kuna nini hapa Bombambili?" Haya ni maswali ambayo kijana Akilimali alimwuliza rafiki yake Manase wakiwa machungani wakilisha ng’ombe. 

Mara baada ya swali hili Manase alionekana amezama katika wimbi kubwa la mawazo na mara baada ya kufikiri kwa muda alimgeukia rafiki yake Akilimali na kumtazama kwa kina kiaha akamwuliza, “Unaamini kuhusu ushirikina” Akilimali alijibu kwa kutikisa kichwa kuashiria kukubaliana na swali aliloulizwa na kisha akasema “Naamini kwani mara kadhaa nimekua nikiona watu wakienda kwa waganga na wengine wanapopitia magumu huamini wamerogwa, si unakumbuka juzi bibi Andunje tulivyoambiwa kuwa amekutwa juu ya paa la mzee Masanja uchi wa mnyama akiwanga, sasa mpaka hapo naachaje kuamini mshikaji wangu” 

Manase alimwangalia Akilimali kwa makini kisha akamwambia, "Nataka nikueleze siri moja ambayo huwezi amini……. hivi unajua kama mama yako na dada yako ni wachawi?” Akilimali alibaki ameduwaa mithili ya mjusi aloyebanwa na mlango halafu akiwa amefura kwa hasira akamwambia Manase “Aisee mwanangu usianze kuniletea habari zako za udwanzi hapa, tena koma kabisa kumwambia mama yangu mchawi vinginevyo ntakuja kukufanyia kitu mbaya hutokuja kuamini macho yako, ohoooo!!” 

Manase alimtuliza rafiki ake Akilimali halafu akamwambia, “Ngoja niwarudishe ng’ombe jirani afu nikupe mchapo mzima ulivyo, najua utanielewa we punguza jaziba kwanza” 

Mara baada ya kurudisha mifugo jirani Manase akaanza kumweleza Akilimali, “Rafiki angu nataka nikupe siri hii ambayo nimekaa nayo kwa muda mrefu, chochote unachokiona hapa hata kutokuwepo kwa naendeleo kijijini ni kwa sababu ya ushirikina, kila siku mama yako na dada yako huwa ninawaona wakija nyumbani wamepanda fisi wakimpitia mama kwenda kuwanga…..” Manase alitulia kidogo halafu akaendelea 

“Huwezi kuamini kwani hata mimj nilikua siamini mpaka nilipopakwa dawa na kuwaona, nitakupa hiyo dawa utapaka machoni na utakuja kunipa majibu kesho.” 

Mara baada ya mlo wa usiku Akilimali alikua ameketi akiota moto nje ya nyumba yao ya udongo iliyoezekwa kwa nyasi wakati huo mama yake na dada yake wakiwa ndani na yeye akiwa na baba yake pale nje. Alipaka ile dawa kama alivyoelekezwa na baada ya dakika kumi alimwona dada yake na mama yake wamepanda juu ya fisi mithili ya pikipiki tayari kwa safari ya kwenda kuwanga. 

“Nisamehe sana rafiki angu, ilikua ni hasira tu” aliongea maneno haya Akilimali huku akilengwa na machozi, 

“Mimi nilijua, sasa unavyoona kijijj chetu hakiendelei hata mama yako pia na dada yako wanahusika, inaumiza sana kila mwanakijiji anayetaka kuleta maendeleo anaishia kufa, lazima kuna siku watakuja kuumbuka kama ilivyokua kwa bibi Andunje” 

“Nina uhakika hata baba yako hajui kama mama yako na dada yako ni wachawi na kila siku huwa wanaenda kuwanga na ninyi kuwaachia mauzauza mkijua wapo, nenda kampake baba yako hiyo dawa alafu utanipa majibu” alieleza Manase 

Jioni kwa siri Akilimali alimweleza baba yake kuwa dada yake na mama yake ni wachawi kitu ambacho alipinga vikali. 

“Mama leo baba anatuona, angalia anvyotutumbulia macho” dada yake na Akilimali alimwabia mama yake wakiwa juu ya fisi kama ilivyo ada wakati baba yake na kaka yake wakiwa nje wanaota moto kama ilivyo kawaida yao. 

“Sidhani kama anatuona, hebu geuza fisi tuwe kama tunawaelekea wao” ailisema mana yake na Akilimali.

Akilimali anasema hiyo ndiyo ilikua siku ya mwisho kumwona baba yake kwani baada ya kuona fisi aliyewabeba mke wake na binti yake alitimua mbio kama anashundana mashindano ya mbio za mita mia. Ama kweli usilolijua ni kama usiku wa giza, Akilimali alibaki haamini kama kwa muda wote huo ameishi na mama yake na dada yake bila kujua kuwa ni wachawi. 

Kwa kiingereza tunasema "One man's trash is another man's treasure," maana yake, kilichotupwa na mtu mmoja, kinaweza kutumikia mwingine na kuwa na thamani kwake.

Msemo huu hutumika ili kueleza jinsi mapendeleo ya watu hutofautiana, ama kuonyesha matumaini kwamba wanadamu ni wabunifu katika masuala ya kupanga upya au kuchakata vitu vilivyotupwa na wengine.

Kwa mfano, mjasiriamali Gibson Kiwago, mwanzilishi wa WAGA Tanzania, anachakata betri za laptop ili kuleta umeme kwa nyumba na maduka. Jifunze zaidi kuhusu E-Waste (Orodha ya Kusoma)!

Dhana kwamba thamani ya kitu hutegemea mtazamo wako ipo tangu zamani. Chimbuko cha msemo huu ni methali ya Kiingereza iliyotumika karne ya 17:

Je umewahi kuona thamani katika kitu kilichotupwa na mwengine?

by Ibrahim Nyanda
🏆 Proverb Essay Contest

"Why is it that our village is not developed compared to other villages around us? Many young people our age from other villages have studied, and some have found their meaningful jobs in the city. Although there's a school in our village, we young people aren't doing well in school. When teachers are hired, they don’t stay long, they leave. What is there here in Bombambili?” These were the questions that the young man Akilimali asked his friend Manase while they were grazing the cattle. 

After this question, Manese seemed immersed in a great wave of thoughts ,and after considering for a while, he turned to his friend, looked at him deeply and asked him, “Do you believe in witchcraft?” Akilimali answered by nodding his head in agreement and said, “I believe, because I’ve often seen people going to witch doctors, and when they go through difficulties, they believe they've been bewitched. Don’t you remember the other day when we were told that Granny Andunje was found on the roof of old man Masanja stark naked, practicing witchcraft at night. So after that, how can I not believe, my friend?”

Manase looked at Akilimali carefully and then said to him “I want to tell you a secret that you won’t believe... Do you know your mother and your sister are witches?” Akilimali remained dumbfounded like a lizard caught in a door, and then, swelling with anger, he told Manase “Woah, hey kid, don’t start bringing me this nonsense, you stop calling my mom a witch or I’ll show you something you won’t believe with your eyes, ohoooo!!” 

Manase calmed his friend Akilimali, then told him “Wait for me to return the cows to the neighbor, then I’ll tell you the whole story. I know you’ll understand, you just chill out. “

As soon as he has returned the livestock, Manase began telling Akilimali, “My friend, I want to tell you a secret that I’ve kept for a long time. Everything you see here -- even the lack of development in the village -- it’s because of witchcraft. Every day I see your mom and your sister riding a hyaena. They pass by my mom's house, going to bewitch people...”  Manase paused a little, then continued

"You can’t believe it-- even I didn’t believe it until I was anointed with a special potion and saw them. I’ll give you this potion tonight. Apply it in your eyes and you’ll give me an answer tomorrow.”

After dinner, Akilimali was warming himself by the fire with his dad, outside their mud house thatched with grass, while his mom and sister were inside. He applied the potion as directed... and after ten minutes he saw his sister and his mom riding the hyena like a motorcycle, ready to embark on their voyage to bewitch people!

“Forgive me my friend, it was just anger.” Akilimali spoke these words choking back tears. 

“I knew it. Now you see our village is not developing and even your own mom and sister are involved. Every villager who wants to bring development ends up dead. One day they'll end up like Granny Andunje."

“I’m sure even your dad doesn’t know that your mom and sister are witches, and every day they go out to bewitch people and leave you two a magic trick to make you think they’re around. Go put that potion in your dad's eyes, then you’ll give me an answer” explained Manase. 

That evening, secretly, Akilimali explained to his dad that his sister and his mom were witches, a thing which his dad vehemently denied. 

“Mom, today Dad is watching us; look how he is staring at us,” Akilimali’s sister told their mom, riding the hyena as before, as their dad and brother were outside warming themselves as they usually did.

“I don’t think he sees us; turn the hyena so it looks like we’re heading towards them,” Akilimali’s mom said.

Akilimali says that was the last day he saw his father, because after seeing the hyena carrying his wife and daughter, he bolted like he was running the hundred-meter dash. Indeed, what you don’t know is like the darkness of the night, Akilimali was left in disbelief that all this time he lived with his mom and sister not knowing they were witches.

Watu wengi wanaogopa kuuliza maswali kwa sababu wanahofia kuonwa mjinga. Lakini kuuliza maswali ni njia bora ya kujifunza kutoka kwa wengine. 

Pia kuuliza maswali husaidia wenzako. Je umewahi kusita kuuliza swali kwani ulidhani wengine wameshaelewa... lakini baadaye uligundua hawakuelewa pia? 

Kiingereza