UBORESHAJI LUGHA NCHINI WATEGEMEA SANA WANAHABARI NA UJUZI WA FASIHI -1

Mzee Adam Shafi, mwandishi nguli aliyeanza shughuli zake kama mwanahabari zamani. Leo lazima kumsoma. Umahiri wake wa lugha hausemeki. Picha na F Macha, 2007.

Wiki iliyopita kulikuwa na mdahalo na majadiliano moto bungeni. Lugha ipi itumike kufundisha watoto wetu mashuleni? Tatizo hili si ngeni kwa nchi zinazotumia zaidi ya lugha moja kimawasiliano. Wakati ninaishi Canada miaka iliyopita niliepuka matatizo kwa vile kitongoji nilichoshukia kiliongea zaidi Kifaransa. Nilikuwa nimekwenda kusoma  mwaka mmoja. Kawaida Mtanzania unapofika  nchi isiyozungumza Kiingereza- hubidi utumie wastani wa mwaka mmoja kujifunza lugha. Haya yamewasibu wanafunzi waliokwenda Urusi, Ujerumani, China, Cuba nk.

Mwandishi nikifanya shughuli ya kutengeneza bustani, Canada, mwaka 1995...picha na S Vanessa.

Canada inazo lugha mbili : Kiingereza na Kifaransa.  Bahati  yangu wakati nikifanya kazi magazeti ya Uhuru na Mzalendo,  nilijifunza Kifaransa na ingawa ujuzi wa lugha hiyo si mzuri kama Kiingereza, ilinisadia sana masomoni.

MORNING CHAT WITH A FABULOUS, FRAIL ENGLISH OLD LADY

A good day becomes evident in the morning...so the Swahili proverb goes.

It was ice cold but the sun was shining. That means much to folks living in the Northern Hemisphere.  I had rushed to the bakery to get fresh bread. Now hold on. In East Africa eating bread is not that preferred as Maandazi, Vitumbua or Sambusa.

Maandazi - pic from Taste of Tanzania

Bread is the queen of light meals and breakfast in places like London.

I had just purchased a fresh loaf- still hot and soft and smelt so tantalizing that I  needed all will power to stop, slit a chunk and well...eating while rushing is not healthy, they say. Speaking of health, I had to pop into a pharmacy to buy something. This needed further will power because there was a queue. Next pharmacy was a further ten minute walk. So I decided to join the line. Gave my order, paid, bingo; told to wait.

“How long is it going to take?”

The sales clerk gave me a certain disapproving stare.

“Only  joking, sorry.” I quickly said. The annoying and menacing queue spoke volumes. 

WAALIMU NA WAHADHIRI WANALO JUKUMU KUBWA KUENDELEZA ELIMU AFRIKA

Kufuatana na kampuni maarufu ya huduma za uhasibu, Ernst na Young, yenye makao makuu London, kuanzia mwaka 2,000 hadi 2015,  Afrika iko katika maendeleo makubwa  kiuchumi. Ingawa sisi wenyewe tunajihisi hali mbaya, ulimwengu mzima unalitegemea bara  kwa mali asili na hali ya hewa.

Na hayakuanza leo. Baada ya mkutano maarufu wa Berlin ,  1884- chini ya uenyekiti wa Mfalme Otto Von Bismarck- wakoloni walikuja, wakaondoka.  Watawala wenyeji wakaendeleza uzi ule ule wa kikoloni: kupora; wakishirikiana na wakubwa; wakihadaa kwa maneno maneno na bunduki. Dunia nzima inatushangaa vipi, sisi matajiri wa mali ghafi, bado tunategemea misaada; vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe, magaidi wanaua hadi wanafunzi na watoto : Nigeria. Wanawake wanabakwa, Kongo, Sudan na Jamhuri ya Afrika ya Kati.  Kwa maskini asiye na mali au nguvu za kisiasa, elimu tu ndiyo ubwabwa uliosalia.  

Asili mia ndogo sana wanafikia shahada ya mwanzo  (Bachelors) au  Diploma; na  kidogo zaidi kuendelea shahada ya kati (Masters), uzamili.

Kama Francis Magomeni(jina la bandia) aliyekuja kusoma shahada ya uzamili (uchumi), London, karibuni.

“Nataka niwe kama akina Profesa Lipumba, Profesa Palagamba Kabudi,  Profesa Muhongo. Si lazima niwe Waziri, lakini niwe fresh.  Nchi yetu yahitaji wataalamu.  Wakenya, Uganda, Burundi wanachukua kazi zote, kwa vile sisi hatujasoma.”

Hayati Nyerere. Mwanaelimu na mwalimu maarufu kuzidi wote katika historia ya Tanzania.

Picha ya Wikipedia....

A THING OR TWO ABOUT KENYAN ACTRESS LUPITA NYONG'O

 Lupita Nyong'o being interviewed by ABC presenter Jimmy Kimmel in January 2014...

One of the biggest talks across London and the Uzunguni world this past week has been the film “12 Years a Slave” by black British director, Steve McQueen. Among its award winning cast is an actress from neighbouring Kenya who is brightening the northern hemisphere like a full, sparkling moon.  She has not only been praised for her brilliant acting abilities, but her character, looks and taste of clothing.  The Western media is in love with her so much- that every other day something about her is been published. She is a breath of fresh air bubbling positive African news in the rich world. Just watch one of the numerous television interviews she did with Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, on You Tube, for example to see what I mean. When Hollywood star Leonard DiCaprio, stopped to kiss her on her cheek, photographers could not stop snapping. Yes. She is a star and an East African at that. But, hold on. Who is she? What …is she called? To start with her name is a mouthful.

Lupita  Nyong’o.

Lupita is easy, but Nyong’o- for non East Africans- is like teaching them to say “ng’ombe” (cow), ng’ang’ania (cling) or “ng’ambo” (other side)…how do you pronounce that?