Kitabu Kimeingia Kwenye Maktaba ya Peace Corps

Kitabu changu, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, kimeingia kwenye maktaba ya Peace Corps iliyoko Washington DC. Mkurugenzi ameniandikia, na sehemu ya ujumbe ni hii:

We will add it to the Peace Corps library where our staff and visitors can enjoy it.

I look forward to reading more of it as I find the topic to be very relevant and important to our work. I have already begun reading it, and it has reminded me of my own experiences in Togo, West Africa. As I was reading, I was struck by the section on eye contact. I really love the verses you included from the poem by Sufi poet Ibn ‘Arabi about the veiled woman and eye contact, and I got a good chuckle at your stories of misunderstandings—as I, as well surely all of us, have had many such experiences and misunderstandings.

Kauli za mkurugenzi za kukumbuka aliyoona Afrika na kufananisha na yaliyomo kitabuni, zinafanana na kauli za waMarekani wengine waliosoma kitabu hiki baada ya kuishi Afrika. Afrika kwenyewe, kwa sasa, kitabu kinapatikana Tanzania na Kenya. Tanzania kinapatikana kutoka duka la Soma Book Cafe, lililoko Dar es Salaam, na pia duka liitwalo A Novel Idea, lililoko Dar es Salaam na Arusha. Kenya kinapatikana katika duka la Bookstop katika Yaya Center Mall, Nairobi.

Someni kwa Furaha

Wiki kadhaa zilizopita, nikiwa Madison, katika mkutano wa Peace Corps, niliingia katika maktaba ya Chuo Kikuu cha Wisconsin-Madison. Nilifurahi kuingia katika maktaba hii, ambayo niliizoea wakati nasoma katika chuo hicho, 1980-86.

Niliangalia vitabu vya ki-Swahili, ambavyo ni vingi katika maktaba hii, nikavutiwa na vitabu vya Someni Kwa Furaha, tulivyosoma tulipokuwa shule ya msingi.

Nilijikumbusha kuhusu Bulicheka na mke wake Lizabeta, Wagagagigikoko na mfalme wao, Makari Hodari, Kalumekenge, na Pauli mwenye mikono michafu.

Tulibahatika, enzi za utoto wetu, kuwa na vitabu vya kusisimua, vilivyotupa motisha ya kusoma. Vitabu hivi viliandikwa kuzingatia umri wetu. Walimu walikuwa makini, katika kufundisha, kwa mbinu mbali mbali, kama vile nyimbo. Tuliimba alfabeti hadi orodha. Nawasifu na kuwashukuru waalimu wale.