Ustawi wa kiuchumi huenea na huwafikia raia wote wa nchi au eneo. Nchi haiwezi kufaidika bila raia wake wote kufaidika kwa namna moja au nyingine, kama vile baharini, maji yakijaa boti zote zitapanda, wimbi linalokuja litainua boti zote ziwe mitumbwi, jahazi, meli au mashua.

Msemo huo hutumiwa kumaanisha makundi yote yalinufaika kutokana na mabadiliko ya hali, hasa utitiri wa rasilimali, hata kama inaonekana kama zinawafikia matajiri wachache pekee. Nimesikia wafanyakazi wakiona wenzao wamepokea bonasi au kamisheni kubwa wanasema, "A rising tide lists all boats," ikimaanisha mauzo yakipanda, mapato ya kampuni yataongezeka na fursa kwa kampuni, na kwa hivyo, kwa wafanyikazi wote pia. Katika kesi hii, ni wazi wimbi halizinui boti zote kwa usawa au kiasi kilekile.

Wakosoaji wa methali hii wanaweza kulalamika kwamba methali hii inatumika pia ili kuhalalisha mpango au makubaliano yoyote hata kama yatawanufaisha wachache tu. Lakini kwa kawaida msemo huo husemwa  na viongozi kwa matumaini au kama pongezi.

Methali hiyo mara nyingi huhusishwa na John F. Kennedy rais wa Marekani, ambaye aliiitumia katika hotuba yake, mwaka wa 1963 akijitetea baada ya baada ya kukosolewa juu ya ujenzi wa bwawa ulitumia pesa nyingi sana (matumizi ya fujo). Mwandishi wa hotuba za Kennedy (aliyeitwa Ted Sorensen) alifichua kwamba Rais Kennedy alitumia methali hii baada ya kuisoma katika jarida la "New England Council."

Msemo karibu na huu ni "to grow the pie" yaani "kukuza keki" ambayo inamaanisha, kama keki ni kubwa zaidi, washiriki wote watapata keki zaidi hata kama uwiano/asilimia haibadiliki.

Je, unakubali kwamba ustawi mpana wa kiuchumi huwafikia wote?

na Magreth Lazaro Mafie 🇹🇿
🏆 Shindano la Insha ya Methali 
🥉 Mshindi wa Tatu

Ni mara ngapi umesikia Mchumia juani hulia kivulini? Hii ni methali ya kiswahili (kibantu) yenye maana ya kuwatia moyo watu katika shughuli mbalimbali wanazozifanya Kila siku wawe na Imani kuwa ipo siku watayafurahia matunda ya kazi yao. 

Methali hii huwapa watu nguvu, bidii, moyo, ujasiri, tumaini na weledi katika kufanya kazi. Mfanyakazi huamini kuwa baada ya kazi ngumu zenye surubu basi huleta mavuno mazuri yenye kumfanya astareheke kivulini akila matunda ya kazi yake. Shairi lifuatalo linaonesha kwa namna gani mchumia juani huwa katika majukumu ya Kila siku.

Bwana mmoja alikuwa mkulima. Maisha yake yote alitumia katika kilimo. Hivyo kupendeza kwake kulikuwa mara chache. Watu kijijini kwake walimuita mkulima stadi. Alijenga nyumba kwa kuuza sehemu ya mazao yake, alisomesha wanae kwa kilimo.

Bwana huyu alikuwa mtu mwenye bidii alijifunza siku zote kanuni za mkulima bora, hivyo kadri muda unavyokwenda mashamba yake alivuna mazao mengi. Watu wengi walistaajabu sana kuona mabadiliko makubwa ndani ya familia yake. Aliwekeza vitu vingi kijijini kwake, mashamba, nyumba, maduka na mifugo mingi vilitoka shambani.

Watu wengi walikuja kujichukulia hekima kwa mkulima stadi. Siku zote aliwaambia "Mchumia juani, hulia kivulini. Jembe limeniheshimisha kijijini Mimi na familia yangu. Maisha yangu sasa yanakwenda barabara kwa hakika niko kivulini nafurahia matunda ya kazi yangu ya juani. Mimi leo kijana wa mkulima huyo stadi najivunia malezi, uwajibikaji wake kwa sababu kazi za juani leo zimetufanya tupumzike na kula kivulini. Kwa hakika maana ya mchumia juani inaonekana kwa vitendo. Bidii yako ndilo jua lako na kivuli ndiyo matunda ya bidii yako.

Hadithi hii inashibishwa na hadithi ilee ya "Mabala the Farmer" yaani Mabala Mkulima iliyoandikwa na Richard S. Mabala(1989). 

Mabala alikuwa mfanyakazi bandarini Kisha akapunguzwa hivyo akachagua kurudi kijijini Morogoro. Mabala alikuwa mzembe,mlevi na mbishi. Mabala alikwenda shambani na galoni ya pombe alikunywa na kulala, alipoamka alimwongelesha mkewe lakni hakujibiwa zaidi ya  sauti ya jembe tik-tok, tik-tok .

Mabala alikuwa mbishi, alimwagilia sukari shambani alifikiri ni mbolea, lakni mwisho alibadilika na kuwa mkulima stadi akawa mchumia juani ili familia yake ije kulia kivulini. Je wewe unahisi Mabala ni mchumia juani? Ndani ya familia au kwenye jamii mkulima stadi anakupa picha gani?

Mwisho hadithi hii kutoka katika methali ya mchumia juani hulia kivulini hutuonyesha dira njema katika kila tunachokifanya katika maisha ya kila siku. Huku methali kama Subira yavuta kheri, Mgaa na Upwa hali wali mkavu zote hufanana kimaudhui, zipo katika kuipa jamii nguvu na matumaini kwa kila jambo lifanyikalo katika malengo.

by Rose Mwanri 🇹🇿 
🏆 Proverb Essay Contest 
🥈 Second Place Winner

A proverb is a metaphorical expression used in a community. Words in proverbs have additional meanings and proverbs have two sides. The first side gives an idea and the second side completes the idea. Akiba haiozi (Savings do not decay) is one of the Swahili proverbs that is widely used in African communities and by Kiswahili speakers globally, with the aim of reminding people about the importance of saving.

The purpose of this proverb is to encourage us as members of the community to prepare well for today's life as well as tomorrow so we are ready to face the various challenges of life.

This proverb shows us that it is normal for a human being to experience various emergencies in everyday life. For example, an illness, accident, or even death. When you have the savings that you have set aside, it will help you when you are faced with a sudden challenge that you did not expect.

Another benefit of saving is improving life. First of all, I advise we all have a regular savings plan to be able to improve our lives in general. The more we save, the more that savings can help us improve our housing and infrastructure within our communities. A good example is parents whose savings enable them to pay for school fees, supplies and even other expenses that may arise at the same time.

This proverb also reminds us that the more we save, the more we grow our treasury. As with the proverb that says "Haba and haba hujaza kibaba" (little by little fills up the measure). If you analyze these proverbs, they have the same meaning, and you will find that it is a great reminder about building a good fate for our community, now and later. [These proverbs] encourage us to invest every penny we get. We grow our treasury, because what we save is there for us.

Take the opportunity to ask yourself, how many times have you faced challenges and your savings kept the ship afloat? How many issues have arisen without notice that you used your savings to put things right? I believe we should all save regardless of whether our income is big or small. For example, you can start saving little by little from what you earn and in time your savings will add up to be big.

Also, this proverb helps to develop knowledge for individuals and communities, especially where there has been a difference in savings from one generation to another. In the past we are told that people used to store their savings by digging underground, putting under the bed or even other places that they believed were safe. Today, people do not use traditional methods to save their savings. When it comes to money, there are banks with stable and safe systems for storing money. In terms of crop saving, there are also safe ways to store crops, even for a long time, without spoiling. In fact, savings do not decay.

In Swahili, we say “Akiba haizoi” ("Savings don't rot"), “Haba na haba hujaza kibaba” (“Little by little fills up the measure") meaning that the savings may seem small but the more they increase, the bigger they become. On the contrary, we are told “Chovya chovya humaliza buyu la asali” (“Dip [by] dip finishes the jar of honey”), “Bandu bandu humaliza gogo” (“Chop [by] chop finishes the log.”) If we take from our savings little by little without a good reason, the day will come when we’re infuriated to see all the savings are gone without anything meaningful getting done. Let's remember “mali bila daftari huisha bila habari” ("Wealth without a notebook disappears without notice"). Let's look at an example of this poem that stresses us about saving.

  Savings are truly a treasure, they never betray,

  For us it’s very important, they carries us through times

  When we really have nothing, they stand sincerely,

  Let's all save, savings is a savior.

Truly, it’s clear that we should take care of the good things and the resources we have by saving, so that we can save ourselves when we are faced with surprising challenges in our present and future lives.

Have you ever seen a blacksmith at work? Or maybe an artisan shaping hot glass? It's pretty incredible to watch, right? (If not, visit Shanga Foundation in Arusha or check out video links below)
In our everyday experience, glass is hard, brittle and breakable, but glass is actually made by melting sand and shaping it like liquid.

Some things in life seem unchangeable; they just will not bend. If we use all our strength, they only shatter in our hands and hurt us. But a skillful craftsman can make brittle things soft and malleable by preparing them appropriately, and taking decisive action at the right moment.

This proverb is often used to mean that you should take action quickly when an opportunity arises, so that you don't miss it. See also: There is a tide

However, it's worth noting that in the play, this advice has pretty bad consequences for Brutus, who didn't exactly sail on to fortune after this speech (read more...)

Many cultures and languages have a proverb that is very similar to "Strike while the iron is hot." It seems likely that the proverb has multiple independent origins.