Shaaban Robert na Nyerere: Waandishi Muhimu kwa Kila m-Tanzania

Kwa miaka michache iliyopita, wakati nimejitosa katika kusoma maandishi ya Shaaban Robert, nimejiwa na mawazo mbali mbali ambayo naona ni muhimu. Kwa bahati nzuri, nimechapisha makala mbili juu ya Shaaban Robert, moja katika Encyclopedia of African Literature, na nyingine katika CHANGAMOTO: Insha za Jamii.

Napenda kunukuu machache niliyoandika katika Encyclopedia of African Literature:

Shaaban Robert displayed profound awareness of the human condition; he opposed injustice, championed freedom, and extolled the dignity of labour. He was sensitive to the condition of women. He wrote poems celebrating women, and a biography of Siti Binti Saad, the famous female taarab singer, recounting the meteoric rise to fame of this woman from a humble rural background in a male-dominated world which put incredible obstacles in her path. He was proud of his Swahili language and culture, which he understood very well, appropriated, and celebrated in and through his writings. However, he deeply respected other languages and cultures and appropriated whatever he could from them. If colonialism had not limited his educational opportunities, he would have explored this dimension to the fullest. He greatly admired world writers like Shakespeare, whose artistic mind he described as a great ocean whose waves touched the shores of the whole world....[Shaaban] Robert's poetic sensibility was deep and intertwined with his moral and ethical principles. Sensitive to the condition and plight of all creatures, he held that all things moved with the rhythm of poetry: the birds, streams, the sea, the wind and the thunderstorms, the seasons....His vision of a just society was part of the shaping of the dream for an egalitarian society, which became his country's policy. (p. 463)

Katika kusoma na kutafakari maandishi ya Shaaban Robert, ilifikia wakati nikajenga wazo kuwa kuna uwiano mzito baina ya mafundisho ya Shaaban Robert na yale ya Mwalimu Nyerere. Wakati Nyerere anaongelea sana masuala ya siasa, uchumi, nadharia mbali mbali kuhusu jamii na maendeleo yake, Shaaban Robert aliongelea masuala ya aina hiyo hiyo kwa kutuingiza katika hisia na mahusiano baina ya binadamu na binadamu mwenzake.

Kama Nyerere, Shaaban Robert alikuwa mchambuzi wa jamii na mwanafalsafa, lakini aliongelea masuala kwa kutumia wahusika maalum na matendo na masahibu yao, na hivi kutugusa moja kwa moja. Ningekuwa na madaraka ya kuamua masuala ya mfumo wa elimu Tanzania, ningehakikisha kuwa Shaaban Robert na Nyerere wamekuwa nguzo ya elimu ya kila m-Tanzania.

Kikombe cha Mwenyekiti Maggid

Kama sote tunavyojua, wa-Tanzania tuko kwenye awamu ya vikombe. Waganga wamejitokeza nchini mwetu, wakiwa na vikombe vya kuponyesha magonjwa mbali mbali. Wateja wengi wanatoa ushuhuda kuhusu uponyaji wao.

Nami napenda kutoa ushuhuda kuhusu kikombe cha Mwenyekiti Maggid Mjengwa.

Nianze kwa kusema kuwa Mwenyekiti Maggid ni mwalimu, mwandishi na mwanablogu. Hajawa mganga wa kienyeji. Isipokuwa, kikombe ameninywesha. Tega sikio nikuhadithie.

Mwaka 2009 mwanzoni, Mwenyekiti Maggid alianzisha gazeti la Kwanza Jamii, akaniomba niwe mchangiaji. Nilikubali. Sikutambua kuwa nilijipalia mkaa, maana nilijikuta nahangaika kuandika hizo makala na kuzituma kwa muda uliotakiwa.

Ilikuwa ni kazi ya kuumiza kichwa. Kwanza kabisa, wakati mwingine nilikuwa sijui niandike kuhusu nini. Huku siku na saa za kuwasilisha makala zinaendelea kusogea, nami bila kujua mada ya kuandikia, nilibaki nimekodoa macho na jasho linanitoka. Mara kwa mara Mwenyekiti Maggid alikuwa ananiletea ujumbe usiku kwenye saa sita za hapa Marekani ya kati, iwapo nilichelewa.

Tatizo jingine nililopambana nalo ni kuandika kwa ki-Swahili. Nilizoea kuandika kwa ki-Ingereza, lakini kuandika ki-Swahili sanifu ulikuwa ni mtihani wa kuumiza kichwa.

Sisi wa-Katoliki, katika falsafa ya dini yetu, tunatumia dhana ya kikombe kuelezea magumu ya maisha au mateso ambayo Mungu anatuletea tuyakabili. Ni kama tunavyotumia dhana ya msalaba. Mungu ana malengo yake anapotutwisha msalaba maishani.

Napenda niendelee kufafanua falsafa za kidini zinazohusiana na mada yangu. Babu wa Loliondo ametueleza tena na tena kuwa kikombe si kikombe tu bali ni suala la imani, na uwezo wa kutibu ni wa Mungu, si binadamu.

Mungu anaweza kumtumia binadamu yoyote kuleta ujumbe au uponyaji duniani. Kwa imani yangu, ndivyo ilivyokuwa kuhusiana na hiki kikombe cha Mwenyekiti Maggid. Naamini kilipangwa na Mungu. Matokeo ya magumu niliyopitia, ambayo nayaita kikombe cha Mwenyekiti Maggid, yamekuwa mazuri. Makala nilizoandika zilisomwa na bado zinasomwa na watu wengi.

Makala mojawapo, baada ya mimi kuitafsiri kwa ki-Ingereza, ikachapishwa huku Marekani, ilimvutia Chad Brobst, mhariri wa jarida la Monday Developments. Aliiomba, nami nikairekebisha kidogo, akaichapisha. Kila toleo la Monday Developments huteua makala moja kama makala ya mfano. Kwa mwezi Aprili, iliteuliwa makala yangu. Watu wengi sana duniani wataiona.

Vile vile, makala nilizoandika katika Kwanza Jamii nilizikusanya nikazichapisha kama kitabu, CHANGAMOTO, ambacho watu waliokisoma wamekipenda. Ninajivunia kitabu hiki kwa vile ni kitabu changu cha kwanza kwa ki-Swahili.

Nimeshawahi kuandika kuwa wito wa Mwenyekiti Maggid kunitaka niandike makala za ki-Swahili ulisaidia kuniondolea kasumba tuliyo nayo wasomi wengi, ya kutoweza au kutotaka kutumia ki-Swahli ipasavyo. Nilifanya bidii kujiongezea ufahamu wa ki-Swahili. Nilisoma vitabu vya mabingwa kama Shaaban Robert na kujijengea nidhamu ya matumizi ya lugha.

Sisiti kukiri kuwa kikombe alichoninywesha Mwenyekiti Maggid kimechangia kunitibu ugonjwa sugu unaowaathiri wasomi wengi, mbali ya kuwaneemesha walimwengu kama nilivyoelezea.