Official Eric Samuel -Asante Mungu

Does privilege affect our perceptions of violence against African women ?

By Fungai Machirori

A friend and I begin a Twitter chat.

I have picked up from her most recent tweets that she has been violated; a man has touched her inappropriately in a public space and has laughed back at her.

“I hope you won't say this is sexual harassment,” he states.

I apologise to her; a helpless apology because, as she reassures me, it is not my fault. I know this, but I also know the difficulty of what she is going through; the violation itself, the speaking up against it. And so still, I am sorry. I am sorry that all of this responsibility - of guilt and self-blame - falls on her shoulders within a patriarchal society that will still find fault with her speaking up.

My friend is privileged, as am I. Well-educated, well-spoken, accomplished, young, articulate and autonomous. Society so often constructs violence like something that doesn’t happen to women like her or me. We won’t get slapped by a drunk sexist in an upmarket bar, or hit by a boyfriend in the car we’ve bought with our own hard-earned cash, or raped by the husband we’ve desperately wanted to leave for months, or even years.

Things like that are constructed as only happening to women who don’t have ‘power’; women who are cast within our dominant (and flawed) narratives as being unable to speak or stand up for themselves.

In a paper written in 2004, feminist activist Everjoice Win makes the following observation;

“... the middle class woman is completely silenced and erased from the images of development and rights work. She is constantly reminded that development is about eradicating poverty and therefore it focuses on those defined as “the poor” (read as resource-poor). Therefore her story and her experiences are not part of the narrative. In essence, this means women’s lives are put on a kind of league table and it is those that qualify which get addressed. If the non-poor woman dares give herself as an example, she is reminded that she is too distant from the lives of the women out there to matter.”

And so development narratives become exclusionary and prescriptive; in fact it is almost seen as self-indulgent for a woman of privilege and relative freedom within society to air her grievances publicly. She is, after all, seen as being many positions ahead of her more disenfranchised peers on the hierarchical league table of good fortunes.

And such perception has an impact on many fronts.

In contexts across the continent where reporting mechanisms for abuse are generally weak, appearing to have agency deemed high enough to avoid such violence in the first place has an effect on the kind of service one receives. These underlying sentiments may manifest through service providers engaging in judgemental interrogation and/ or counselling, or making inferences around a victim’s financial capacity to pay a bribe or some such other incentive to get helped.  It must be borne in mind, too, that these service providers are often working in under-resourced contexts with modest remuneration; therefore, what is perceived to be privilege may vary widely but still yield negative responses such as offense and resentment.

This then brings into question the level of professionalism of such service provision and, further, if an all-inclusive rights-based approach is being employed. A type of service provision that empathises with some victims but subtly blames or exploits others is a travesty of social justice.

Development remains largely centred around getting more women into positions of agency through education, employment and elevated status. Ironically, though - once they get there, women become periphery to the more mainstream focus of development on ‘grassroots women’. Perhaps even more worrying is that their critiques of patriarchal power become subtly deligitimised because of their movement from this periphery to the mainstream.

This failure to understand the pervasive nature of patriarchy means that conversations like the one my friend and I had are difficult and taxing. We should be able to stand up for ourselves, we get told. Through our acquisition of all our head knowledge and experiences, we should – by now – be able to save ourselves.

As society, we need to have ongoing and nuanced conversations about development and agency, especially when this pertains to women. Having access to quality education or some of the ‘finer things in life’ does not translate to a life free of violence or patriarchy. Violence in its many guises and forms is deeply entrenched within our cultures and we need to talk more about how it continually mutates as women practice more agency. In turn, there is a special onus on service providers for violence against women to remain conscious of judgements and biases that may serve as barriers to equitable access for all.

Privilege will neither protect nor save us - as women - from violence.

This blog post is part of a series of online conversations facilitated by the Gender Based Violence Prevention Network on a world #WithoutPatriarchy. Join us in these conversations via Twitter (@GBVNet) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GBVPrevNetwork/ )

Mwl Julius Kambarage Nyerere

Unity will not make us rich, but it can make it difficult for Africa and the African peoples to be disregarded and humiliated. And it will, therefore, increase the effectiveness of the decisions we make and try to implement for our development. My generation led Africa to political freedom.

 The current generation of leaders and peoples of Africa must pick up the flickering torch of African freedom, refuel it with their enthusiasm and determination, and carry it forward.

THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT GENDER INEQUALITY

two years ago

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby takes place in a new, interesting, exciting time in American history. It take place right after women received their right to vote, their right to work, and they gained freedom that they never experienced before. Women started working in jobs only men would work and started doing a whole lot of other things that made them more independent. Unfortunately these changes didn’t have a big impact on the characters in the Fitzgerald’s novel, sure the women seem freer by being able to vote and having jobs, but during several scenes, we see women being controlled by men, submissive, and obedient.  The men in the novel seem to be overpowered, controlling, and dishonest especially towards the women. Nearly a hundred years later, gender equality and the roles of women in today’s society still seem to be a serious issue. Society has improved itself from the times of the novel, for example in today’s world there are hundreds of powerful figures who are female, but gender roles and gender inequality still exists in America. Some people still believe that gender roles should not be changed, for example Spiderman star Kristen Dunst stated in U.S. Magazine that “We all have to get our own jobs and make our own money, but staying at home, nurturing, being a mother, cooking – it’s a valuable thing my mom created.” She stated her opinion and believes that the gender role of females staying at home and taking care of the children should not be changed, and no doubt she received a lot of criticism by saying that. Gender roles and inequality is one of the main issues we see in The Great Gatsby, and it’s still one of the main issues our society faces today.

            Throughout The Great Gatsby, we witness many scenes when females are mistreated and even sometimes beat by the dominant male characters. In chapter two, we see a violent encounter between Mrs. Wilson and Tom Buchanan as they get into a serious argument when Mrs. Wilson yells “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson, ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –‘Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (Fitzgerald 37) This scene shows how women were mistreated and how Tom wants to be the dominant one by hitting Mrs. Wilson, who is a lower-class lady, which also signifies the mistreatment of the lower-class. The mistreatment of women in the novel can be related to this article found in the NY Times which talks about the gender gap at the top museums. According to the article “Women run just a quarter of the biggest art museums in the United States and Canada, and they earn about a third less than their male counterparts.” There are many more cases where women and men have the same career but the women are unequally treated. The gender roles and inequality we see in the novel still are a major issue our society faces every day.

In the novel, we see a lot of inequality towards women and scenes with gender roles, where women were expected to act a certain way or do certain things. For example in chapter four the narrator explains a scene when Daisy got drunk instead of acting ladylike, “I was a bridesmaid. I came into her room half and hour before the bridal dinner, and found her lying on her bad as lovely as the June night in her flowered dress – as drunk as a monkey. She had a bottle of Sauterne in one hand and a letter in the other. … I was scared, I can tell you; I’d never seen a girl like that before.” (Fitzgerald 76.) This scene shows how Daisy gets drunk and how the narrator is shocked to see Daisy, a lady, in a state like this. Daisy just received a letter from Gatsby which explains why she was crying, but to get drunk like she did wasn't okay, but if it was a man to that, it might have been a different story. It’s unfair for someone to be expected to do something just cause of their gender, if someone wants to follow their passion whether or not society expects them of doing it or not, he/she should still do it. For example, the article What It’s like to Be a Girl Who Codes, the author explains her experiences being the only girl in coding because girls aren't usually expected to go into computer sciences or engineering majors. She states “In the tech world, people looked at you funny if you were not a male. This, too, was normal.” Even though some of the smartest engineers and researchers are girls, society still expects men to be engineers and into programming.

Expectations and gender roles play a big part of The Great Gatsby as well as today’s society. In the novel, Tom Buchanan talks about the expectations of Jordan Baker to her family and he states “She’s a nice girl.… They oughtn’t to let her run around the country this way. . . . She’s going to spend lots of week-ends out here this summer. I think the home influence will be very good for her.” (Fitzgerald 18-19) Jordan already has expectations she has to follow. Today, we have these expectations as well, but some of them are changing. For example the ABC news article For Young Boys, Is Pink the New Blue, the author explains that “For generations the view has held strong that while girls must dress in pink to be girls, boys can't do anything with pink, lest they turn into girls.” This expectation seems to be changing as more and more fathers are willing to let their sons dress freely and wear what color they want, instead of following the expectations set dozens of years ago.

Gender roles and equality seemed to be a problem during the time The Great Gatsby was written, and unfortunately today, this problem seems to still be lingering. Today, the problem doesn't seem to be as bad, but it still happens in many occasions. It is unfair for someone to be judged or treated by their gender, it doesn't make sense for women to not get paid as much just for being females, it’s truly backwards thinking.

THE TRUTH ABOUT EQUALITY

by Nika Anschuetz  America, Feminism | 1  |     

The old adage goes, “Men are from Mars; women are from Venus.” Another says men and women are like apples and oranges. The research is clear: there are differences both cognitive and physical between men and women. If we’re different, than why do spend so much time comparing ourselves as if we were the same?

Equality is overused by both political parties. Political leaders aim to sway voters by using the term “equality.” Gender equality, income equality, and racial equality have all been political talking points. Equality is the state of being equal. If something is equal it is often interchangeable or of the same value. For example, 4 + 4 = 8, which means two fours could “replace” the number 8 without any ramifications. People aren’t interchangeable. Science proves that we are all unique but share similarities. There are obvious differences between men and women. Simply put, we’re beautifully different.

Suzanne Venker writes, “Being equal in worth, or value, is not the same as being identical, interchangeable beings. Men and women may be capable of doing many of the same things, but that doesn’t mean they want to…This doesn’t mean men can’t take care of babies or women can’t play sports. It just means each gender has its own energy that flows in a specific direction.”

A study done at the University of Pennsylvania, found that “male brains appeared to be wired front to back, with few connections bridging the two hemispheres. However, in females, the pathways criss-crossed between left and right.” The study also found that the stereotypes we associate with men and women have some scientific backing. Men are biologically wired more for perception and coordinated actions, and women’s for social skills and memory, making them better equipped for multitasking.

Generally, women choose careers that ultimately pay less than their male counterparts. Women choose careers like secretaries, teachers, counselors, nurses, and accountants.  Women can most certainly choose to be lawyers, physicians, and computer scientists. On the other hand, men have a natural skill set for technology, law enforcement, construction, and politics. We are not constrained to societal norms, but we have to recognize gender career trends due to biological nature.  I’m not being discriminatory; it’s just the way we are wired.

Chrissie Dhanagom comments, “Sometimes there are jobs that lend themselves to one gender or another. There may be people who are exceptions to that rule, but the standards for such a role must be maintained. We cannot change what works best just for a small minority. It is irresponsible. As a woman there are things that my genetic make up and brain chemistry prevent me from doing well.”

There are certain stereotypes associated with men and women. It’s important to note that stereotypes aren’t the same as prejudices. A prejudice is judging a group by their worst example. A stereotype is a typical or average behavior in a culture. Stereotypes are recognized patterns in society. There are certain things that will always be. Laissez-faire, let them be.

No one will ever win the battle of the sexes. Men and women are not equal because they aren’t truly comparable. Men and women have different skill sets; that is okay. Instead of trying to create a genderless society, we need to celebrate 

The Gender Pay Gap is a Complete Myth

According to all the media headlines about a new White House report, there's still a big pay gap between men and women in America. The report found that women earn 75 cents for every dollar men make. Sounds pretty conclusive, doesn't it? Well, it's not. It's misleading.

According to highly acclaimed career expert and best-selling author, Marty Nemko, "The data is clear that for the same work men and women are paid roughly the same. The media need to look beyond the claims of feminist organizations."

On a radio talk show, Nemko clearly and forcefully debunked that ultimate myth - that women make less than men - by explaining why, when you compare apples to apples, it simply isn't true. Even the White House report: Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being explains why. Simply put, men choose higher-paying jobs.

Here are 8 reasons why the widely accepted and reported concept that women are paid less than men is a myth. The timing couldn't be better - today'sInternational Women's Day 2011. What better time to empower women with the truth instead of treating them like victims. And, in case you're wondering, Nemko's source of information is primarily the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - rock solid.

Why the Gender Pay Gap is a Complete Myth

Men are far more likely to choose careers that are more dangerous, so they naturally pay more. Top 10 most dangerous jobs (from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics): Fishers, loggers, aircraft pilots, farmers and ranchers, roofers, iron and steel workers, refuse and recyclable material collectors, industrial machinery installation and repair, truck drivers, construction laborers. They're all male-dominated jobs.

Men are far more likely to work in higher-paying fields and occupations (by choice). According to the White House report, "In 2009, only 7 percent of female professionals were employed in the relatively high paying computer and engineering fields, compared with 38 percent of male professionals." Professional women, on the other hand, are far more prevalent "in the relatively low-paying education and health care occupations."

Men are far more likely to take work in uncomfortable, isolated, and undesirable locations that pay more.Men work longer hours than women do. The average fulltime working man works 6 hours per week or 15 percentlonger than the average fulltime working woman.

Men are more likely to take jobs that require work on weekends and evenings and therefore pay more.

Even within the same career category, men are more likely to pursue high-stress and higher-paid areas of specialization. For example, within the medical profession, men gravitate to relatively high-stress and high-paying areas of specialization, like surgery, while women are more likely to pursue relatively lower-paid areas of specialization like pediatrician or dentist.

Despite all of the above, unmarried women who've never had a child actually earn more than unmarried men, according to Nemko and data compiled from the Census Bureau.

Women business owners make less than half of what male business owners make, which, since they have no boss, means it's independent of discrimination. The reason for the disparity, according to a Rochester Institute of Technology study, is that money is the primary motivator for 76% of men versus only 29% of women. Women place a higher premium on shorter work weeks, proximity to home, fulfillment, autonomy, and safety, according to Nemko.

It's hard to argue with Nemko's position which, simply put, is this: When women make the same career choices as men, they earn the same amount as men. As far as I'm concerned, this is one myth that has been officially and completely busted. Maybe you should celebrate International Women's Day 2011 by empowering women with the truth instead of treating them like victims ... which they're not.

Update 3/18/11: A reader was kind enought to send me a link to "An Analysis of Reasons for the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women" prepared, under contract, for the U.S. Department of Labor in 1/09:

"This study leads to the unambiguous conclusion that the differences in the compensation of men and women are the result of a multitude of factors and that the raw wage gap should not be used as the basis to justify corrective action. Indeed, there may be nothing to correct. The differences in raw wages may be almost entirely the result of the individual choices being made by both male and female workers."

Update 4/16/11: There Is No Male-Female Wage Gap - Carrie Lukas, The Wall Street Journal.

If you agree or disagree with that, we'd love to hear it.

NDOTO YAKO INAWEZEKANA

Lazima suala la kufanya mambo kwa ubora wa hali ya juu uwe sehemu ya maisha yetu na watu wengi sana huwa hawatumii muda wao mwingi kufanya mambo kwa ubora wa hali ya juu.Watu wengi wameshindwa kufikia hatima za maidha yao kwa sababu ya kushindwa kuwa bora sana kwa kile ambacho wanakifanya.

Ili ufikie kilele cha mafanikio yako ni lazima uwe mtu ambaye umeamua kufanya mambo kwa ubora wa hali ya juu sana bila kuchoka.Hivi umeshawahi kumtaja mtu mahali watu wakaanza kusema “Hapana,huyo hafai kabisa”.Swali ni kuwa je,wewe ukitajwa mahali kwa ajili ya jambo fulani watu watasemaje?.Siku zote watu hupenda kutoa fursa kwa wale ambao huwa wanafanya mambo kwa ufanisi na ubora wa hali ya juu bila kujali wanafanya biashara,wanafanya kazi za taaluma zao ama za kutumia nguvu.

Ni rahisi sana kujua kama unafanya mambo kwa ubora ama la?Hivi nikikuambia kuwa nitakupa milioni tano leo kama utafanya kazi unayofanya sasa vizuri zaidi ya ulivyowahi kuifanya,je utafanya kwa ziada ama utafanya kama siku zote?Bila shaka ni kuwa utaongeza nguvu,akili na maarifa ya ziada katika kuifanya kazi yako.Kitu ambacho watu wengi hawajui ni kwamba fursa nyingi wamezizuia maishani mwao kwa kufanya mambo bila ubora.Kuna watu kila kazi utakayowapa lazima uirudie kuifanya mara mbili kwani wataifanya kwa kiwango cha hali ya chini tu.Kama wewe ni mtu wa namna hii basi ujue unajizibia mafanikio yako mwenyewe.

Kuna mambo Mawili unatakiwa kuyazingatia kama kweli unataka kufanikiwa kwa kufanya mambo kwa ubora wa hali ya juu:

Moja ni kufanya maamuzi kuwa wewe utakuwa mtu wa kufanya mambo kwa ubora bila kujali mazingira,malipo ama jambo lolote lile.Ili uweze kufanikiwa katika hili ni lazima uwe mtu ambaye ukiwa na jukumu la kufanya katika maisha yako ulifanye kwa asilimia 100.Kutofanya mambo kwa ubora ni mazoea tu wala sio kukosa uwezo.Hivi haujawahi kuona watu wanavaa hovyohovyo si kwa sababu hawana hela ila ni kwa sababu hawajazoea kufanya mambo kwa ubora.

Amua kuanzia leo kuwa chochote ambacho kitapita katika mikono yako basi ijulikane hivyo kwa sababu ya ubora wa kazi ambayo utakuwa umeifanya.Hebu jaribu kujichunguza leo-Kuna maeneo gani ya maisha yako ambayo watu wamekuwa wakilalamika kuwa haufanyi vizuri?Ukishayagundua hebu chukua hatua ya kuyarekebisha kwa kuanza kufanya mambo kwa ubora wa hali ya juu.Moja kati ya changamoto inayoweza kuzuia mafanikio yako ni ile hali ya watu kuhitimisha kuwa wewe ni mtu wa namna fulani;pengine huwa wanasema-“Yule kwa kawaida ni mchelewaji”.Kama kuna eneo la maisha yako watu kuna “ukawaida wako” wanausema basi namna nzuri sio kubishana nao bali ni kuanza kufanya tofauti na wanachosema hadi watakapoanza kukuona tofauti.

Jambo la pili ili kuishi katika kiwango cha ubora ni ile hali ya kila wakati kujiuliza mbinu mpya na bora zaidi ya kufanya ambacho unafanya kwa sasa hivi.Usikubali kufanya mambo kwa mazoea bila kutumia muda wa kujiuliza namna bor aya kufanya unachofanya kwa sasa.Mafanikio hutokana na kutumia muda wako kuboresha kile ambacho unakifanya.

Siku moja nilisikia habari ya mwanamke mmoja ambaye alikuwa kila siku siku akikaanga samaki huwa lazima amkate nusu kwanza.Sasa siku moja mtoto wake akamuuliza-“Mama hivi kwa nini kila siku unamkata samaki nusu,kwa nini haumkaangi akiwa mzima?”-Yule mama akasema “Hivi ndivyo bibi yako huwa anafanya siku zote na tangu nimezaliwa hatujawahi kukaanga samaki mzima”.Basi yule mtoto wa udadisi akaenda kwa bibi yake akamuuliza pia swali lile lile na akaambiwa-“Mimi nilimkuta mama yangu huwa anafanya hivi na miaka yote sijawahi kufanya tofauti”.Basi baada ya hapo mtoto aliamua kwenda kwa bibi yake akamuuliza tena swali hilohilo-naye akamwambia-“Mimi nilikuwa nakata samani nusu kwa sababu sufuria langu la kukaangia lilikuwa dogo samnaki mzima hakuweza kutosha”.Kumbe miaka yote hiyo watu wamekuwa wakifanya kitu ambacho hakina umuhimu na hawajui kuwa wangeweza kufanya kwa ubora zaidi.

Ndivyo ilivyo katika maisha-Kuna watu wengi sana ambao hufanya mambo kwa mazoea tu na hawajawahi kujiuliza kama wanachofanya kuna umuhimu wa kuendelea hivyo ama wanaweza kubadilisha kitu.Acha na tabia ya kufanya biashara kwa mazoea,acha tabia ya kufanya kazi kwa mazoea-Kila wakati jiulize,hivi kuna njia gani bora ya kufanya hiki nifanyacho?

Leo hebu jaribu kutumia dakika chache kufikiria ni njia gani bora unaweza kuzitumia ili kufanya kwa ubora zaidi kile ambacho unakifanya sasa.Kumbuka kuwan kama ukiamua kutumia muda kufikiria kidogo tu utapata njia bora zaidi kuliko unayotumia sasa.Fikiria njia bora ya kufanya biashara yako na usitumie uzoefu,fikiria njia bora ya kufanya kazi yako na usitumie uzoefu.

Kumbuka kuwa ndoto yako inawezekana,

HII NDIO JAMII YA WASUKUMA

MAANA YA NENO WASUKUMA Wasukuma ni mkusnyiko wa makundi madogomadogo kutoka maeneo jirani , na kwamba kundi kubwa zaidi likiwa limetoka Kusini mwa eneo hili la mkoa wa Mwanza.Jina hili limetokana na neno SUKUMA maana yake wa lugha ya Kisukuma na Kinyamwezi KASKAZINI, yaani moja wapo wa ya pande nne a dunia yetu. Wanyamwezi ambao lugha yao inafanana sana na Kisukuma hutuita sisi tulio Kaskazini mwao "Bhasukuma" yaani watu wa KASKAZINI. Nasi huwaita "Bhadakama" yaani watu wa KUSINI.

Tangu siku zote, wasukuma na wanyamwezi walijulikana kuwa wao ni "Bhantu" na kutokana na neno hilo kumekuja kujulikana kundi linaloitwa WABANTU. Kundi hili mara zote limetambulikana kwa lugha wanayozungumza ya KIBANTU. Hivyo, Wanyamwezi, Wakimbu hadi Wabemba walioko Zambia ni kundi kubwa la wabantu kufuatia lugha wanazozungumza.
Taarifa zingine kuhusu chimbuko la wasukuma kutoka kwenye mtandao wa internet…kwenye anwani hii.www.mwanzacommunity.com.org

MAJINA YA WASUKUMA

1. Masanja Mawenge 2.N'kwabi N'gwanakilala 3.Rupondije Inuka 4.Mabula Nkwimba 5.Nyeunge Maneno 6.Budodi Nzobhe ya Siketi JidulamabambasiN'gwanangwa Masabhuda, Masumbuko, Wangaluke, Nchimika, Ng'wana Malundi, shindike Bunani Jidalu, Jidiku ikong'oro, Igunani Matanda, Isungangwanda Kidalu,

6: Sawaka Ng'wana gandila, Itendegu Jibinza, Shija, Mabura, Kasase, Nzungu, Midelo, Lufulo Ndama Nyangwaka Ndili, Lisolilo Ligasu, Kaswalala Buyonzi, Nyanzobe Mayunga, Ngw'ana Nh'wani, Jodoki Mpembele, Ngwizukulu jilala, nyanzala ng'wandu, mwanasabuni lushanga, manyilizu shiganga, kabadi madilisha, mashenene masagida, chenge saguda, pula kiheka, tabu lukelesha, ngasa ingombe, masanja malale, malila lushumbu, luhende mwanansale, Ngosha Magonya, Manyanza, Jongh'ela, Nkulukulu, Ngw'alali, Ngh'ungulu, Zanzui, Sanagu, Shushu.

Katika picha mwenye koti jeusi ndiye mzee mwenye miaka 114 ajulikanaye kama Mzee mtalimbo. Ni mganga wa kienyeji ana wake 7 watoto 14 na wajukuu 82. Mtoto wake wa kwanza ana mika 72.

Hii ni nyumba ya mzee mtalimbo ndani pia ni maazi ya nyuki ambao ni mali yake.

 

Nahisi hapa ni mke na mume katika safari ya kwenda shambani. Kuwajibika kwani bila kulima hakuna kula.

Umuhimu wa kuwa na Marafiki katika Maisha yako ya Kila siku !!

Ni watu wachache wanaofahamu umuhimu wa kuwa na rafiki katika maisha yao. Wengi kati yao wanajikuta katika makundi ya watu bila kujua faida ya kuwa na ushirikiano na wengine.

Uelewa mdogo wa wazazi/walezi umewafikisha katika hatua ya kuwazuia watoto wao kutembelewa na marafiki zao nyumbani na hivyo kuamua kuwafungia ndani ya geti kila wanapotoka shule kwa hofu kuwa marafiki watawaharibu tabia watoto wao.

Inawezeakana wazazi wakawa sahihi endapo tu marafiki wanaoambatana na watoto wao ni wabaya, lakini mtoto kuwa na rafiki mwenye akili darasani, adabu na ufahamu mkubwa ni jambo muhimu ambalo linafaida nyingi katika kusaidia malezi yake.

Neno rafiki huwezi kulitofautisha na Upendo, kwa kuwa tafsiri inayopatikana katika Kamusi ya Kiswahili Sanifu inabainisha ni 'Kupendana na kuaminiana na mwingine'. Hivyo basi kumzuia mtoto asipendane na kuaminiana na mwenzake ni kumdumaza akili.

Uchunguzi unaonesha kuwa baadhi ya wazazi nao si rafiki wema kwa watoto wao kwa maana ile ya kamusi ya kupendana na kuaminiana. Lakini wengi wao wanaishi kwa desturi iliyotokana na uzazi tu. Upo ushahidi mwingi juu ya wazazi ambao wanaishi na watoto wao kama marafiki wabaya wakiwakosea adabu na kuwafundisha mambo ya kihuni.

Kama hilo halitoshi watoto hasa wanaosoma shule, mara nyingi wamekosa msaada wa kirafiki kutoka kwa wazazi wao kutokana na watu wanaoishi nao kuwa katika masumbufu ya dunia kupita kiasi au wakati mwingine ukali uliopindukia, jambao ambalo huwafanya watoto waishi ndani ya familia kama watumwa na hivyo kuwa na kiu ya kufarijiwa na watu wengine ambao ndiyo marafiki tunaozungumzia habari zao.

Kwa maana hiyo ili mwanafunzi/mwanadamu wa kawaida afikie kilele cha furaha, lazima awe na marafiki wa kupendana nao (simaanishi wapenzi wa kingono). Hawa ndiyo watakaomfariji atakapokuwa na msongo wa mawazo, watakaomfanya acheke, watakaomshauri, watakaomsukuma awe mtu mwema.

Ni wazi kwamba mtoto hawezi kufahamu mambo ya ulimwengu kwa kufungiwa ndani na mara nyingine kufanya hivyo ni kujaribu kuzuia jambo ambalo halizuiliki katika ulimwengu huu wa utandawazi.

ANZA SASA KUWA NA MARAFIKI.

THIS CHILD HAS AMAZING US LOL, children has a right to play and enjoy ..!!

VIJANA WAPEWE NAFASI YA KUONGOZA NAFASI MBALIMBALI SERIKALINI

ili kuongeza speed kubwa ya maendeleo , serikali yetu haina budi kuweka misingi na fursa mbali mbali kwa vijana wenye elimu husika kushika nafasi mbali mbali kwenye mfumo wa serikali ya Tanzania

Vijana ndio wenye ARI YA KUONA MAENDELEO YANAWASAIDIA WAO NA JAMII KWA UJUMLA hivyo basi kuwapa fursa kutawasabishia waendeleze speed kubwa ya uzalishaji kwa Taifa na jamii yao.
SMGEO
P.O. BOX 6444
MOROGORO
Tanzania
smgeo2015@gmail.com

NAFASI YA BABA KATIKA MALEZI NA MAENDELEO YA MTOTO !!

Kama ni kweli kuwa mtoto hawezi kuzaliwa bila ya baba na mama basi hawezi kukamilika bila ya baba na mama. Ni kweli tumesikia na kujifunza mengi kuhusu mama na nafasi yake kwa mtoto. Mama anao wajibu wake kama mama na ndio maana ni mama na hawezi kuwa baba. Mama anaweza kuyafanya mambo mengi kama baba lakini hawezi kuwa na ladha ya baba. Hivyo basi nafasi ya baba ni muhimu kwa malezi na makuzi ya mtoto. 

Na nafasi ya baba na umuhimu wake ni zaidi ya pesa anazotoa kwa matumizi ya familia na huduma kwa mtoto. Baba anayo nafasi kubwa sana kwa mtoto katika kukua kwake na hata maendeleo yake. Malezi na maendeleo ya mtoto aliyekosa baba huwa na mapungufu kwa mtoto kijamii,kisaikolojia,kibaolojia,kiakili, kiroho na hata kimaumbile.

kumbeba mtoto humjengea mtoto uwezo wa kujua wewe kama mzazi unaupendo kwake.

Bila baba maisha ya mtoto hukosa mengi ambaye humfanya mtoto kutokamilika. Mtoto bila baba hatakamilika hata awe na umri mkubwa kivipi. Na ikumbukwe kuwa sio kila mtu anayeonekana ni mtu mzima amekamilika kimakuzi na muda mwingine wengine hushindwa kuwa baba kwasababu hawakupata malezi ya baba, hivyo hawakukamilika. Baba ni ukamilifu wa mtoto. Kama mtoto hawezi kuzaliwa bila baba na mama basi hawezi kukamilika bila malezi ya baba na mama. Mtoto anamhitaji baba. Mwanaume anapokuwa baba dunia yake hubadilika, na yeye huwa zaidi ya mume wa mtu – kwasababu – anaingia katika wajibu wa kulea na kumwongoza mtoto.

Na katika familia wababa wengi huonekana kimwili zaidi, lakini moyoni wengi wao huwa hawapo - kwani wengi huwa mbali na watoto kiasi ambacho huonekana kama wasaidizi tu katika kumlea mtoto na kujisahau kuwa , mama hawezi kuwa badala ya baba na wao kama wakina baba wanao wajibu mkubwa zaidi, mbali na kuhudumia familia , pia wanahusika sana katika makuzi ya watoto wao kama wababa.
Baba ni ufunguo wa mtoto kupata ujasiri wa maisha, sio kwamba mama hawezi kuyafanya hivyo bali mama hufanya kwa nafasi yake, lakini ladha ya kibaba inapatikana kwa baba mwenyewe. Baba anahusika sana katika malezi na makuzi ya mtoto , hasa katika mambo yafuatayo;

a) Baba ni Nguzo ya Kujenga Mahusiano Mazuri na Mama wa watoto: Kipimo kikubwa cha ubaba si uwezo wa kifedha tu peke yake, si umbile na wala sauti yake bali ni uwezo wa kutengeneza mfumo mzuri wa mahusiano kati ya yeye na mke wake. Baba ni kichwa cha familia, ni mhusika mkuu anayetakiwa kutengeneza mfumo wa familia. Ni mhusika mkuu anayetakiwa kujenga nguzo za ndoa kama amani,upendo,maendeleo na uwajibikaji. Ndoa ina mengi lakini ni baba ndio mwenye mengi ya kuifanya ndoa ikae sawa. Kwa kuyafanya hayo huweza kujenga picha nzuri kwa watoto na hata katika kukua kwao.

b) Kuwa na muda mzuri na watoto: Akili ya mtoto mdogo hutafisiri na hutambua mapenzi kwa muda mtu anaochukiwa kuwa na mtoto huyo. Kwa bahati mbaya katika jamii yetu muda wa baba katika familia huwa ni mchache sana; hata kama dunia ipo busy kiasi gani baba anatakiwa kujua kuwa muda wake na familia ni wa maana sana katika maisha ya watoto. Watoto huweza kujifunza mengi sana kwa uwepo wake na baba pia anaweza kuyajua mengi ya watoto wake na hata kuyarekebisha au kuyaboresha.

c) Baba ni mlinzi na mhusika mkuu wa Familia:

 Baba ni kiungo muhimu katika familia, ni mhusika mkuu katika kuhudumia familia na hata ulinzi wa watoto. Kipimo cha mwanaume si uwezo wake wa kimwili bali ni uwezo wa kutoa huduma katika familia na hata kuwa mhusika mlinzi wa watoto katika usalama wao kimaadili na hata kitabia. Hata kama baba hana uwezo wa kifedha bado anayo nguvu ya kibaba katika hili. Si kwamba mama hawezi kuwalinda watoto,lakini hawezi kufanya kama baba, yatupasa wote tufahamu ya kuwa; hakuna mama kama baba na wala hakuna baba kama mama.

d) Baba ni mwalimu wa familia:

 Maisha yana mengi ya kujifunza, mtoto ni kiumbe asiye na kosa. Hupokea na kujifunza chochote atakachofundishwa. Ni wajibu wa baba kujua mtoto ajifunze nini katika maisha, ajue nini na aishi vipi. Baba amepitia mengi na katika hayo baba anaweza kuzungumza na mtoto katika lugha ya kawaida ili kumfunza mtoto katika hayo. Baba ni mwalimu wa maisha kwa mtoto. Baba ni zaidi ya kocha wa mpira katika maisha ya mtoto. Baba ni dunia ya mtoto.Hatima ya maisha ya mtoto katika makuzi,maisha,nidhamu na hata maadili ipo mikononi mwa baba. Baba ni mhusika mkuu na kisababishi kikubwa cha kwanini mtoto awe/ amekuwa jinsi alivyo. Baba ni ufunguo wa maisha ya mtoto.

e) Baba ni mfano wa kuigwa wa mtoto (role model) :

 Uhusiano wa baba na mtoto una maana kubwa sana. Baba ni chanzo cha kwanini mtoto hufeli au hufaulu , chanzo cha mtoto kujua au kutokujua. Maisha ya baba ni picha ya maisha ya baadaye ya mtoto. Tabia ya baba ya nje na ndani ya familia ni kioo cha mtoto. Yawapasa wakinana baba wote watambue kuwa: ‘Wao ni kioo cha familia, haswa kwa watoto’. Chochote kile anachofanya nje na ndani ya familia,vyovyote vile anavyoishi na watu wa nje na ndani ya familia na hata matumizi ya hela na kazi yake ndivyo anavyomjenga au kumbomoa mtoto.

Nahitimisha kwa kusema; kuwa baba si kuzaa tu , maana ingekuwa hivyo - hata wanyama wanazaa pia. Kuwa baba ni zaidi ya kuzaa; ni kuwa mhusika kwa kujua kabisa kuwa maisha ya mtoto yanaweza kutengenezwa au kuharibiwa kutokana na kuwepo au kutokuwepo kwa mwongozo kutoka kwa baba. Hivyo basi baba anayo nafasi kubwa sana katika malezi na maendeleo ya mtoto katika maisha yake, mtoto ambaye ndiye anayetegemewa kuijenga nchi yetu ya Tanzania.

Simameni basi wakina baba na mchukue nafasi zenu, wako wapi wakina baba ambao watasimama na mimi leo na kusema, tutashiriki kikamilifu katika malezi na makuzi, pia katika kulinda familia zetu na kuongoza watoto wetu kwa hekima, busara na upendo?

Tuwapende na kuwalinda watoto wetu.

SMGEO

Kutana na Mtanzania aliyetengeneza gari la kifahari kwa miezi mitatu !!

Picha za gari aina ya Kaparata lililotengenezwa na Mtanzania kutoka Gongo la Mboto, Dar es Salaam

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BY CHOICETZ ON JULY 10, 2016NEWS

Gari aina ya Kaparata lililobuniwa na kijana mtanzania kutoka Gongo la Mboto Dar es Slaam Jacob Louis Kaparata (38).

Akizungumza wakati wa maonyesho ya sabasaba jijini Dar es Salaam, Kaparata ameeleza kuwa alitumia vifaa vingi vinavyopatikana hapa nchi kuunda gari hilo na kuwa miongoni mwa vitu hivyo vingine alivitengeneza mwenyewe na vingine alichukua vya aina nyingine ya magari.

Chassis nimeitengeneza kwa kutumia square pipe, bodi nimelisuka kwa kutumia brake pipes zinazotumika kutengenezea vitanda na nikatumia mabati ya gauge 18 ambayo yanatumika kutengenezea mageti,” alisema Kaparata.

Injini, diff, gear box na matairi, vyote ni vya gari aina ya Suzuki Carry. Na nimelitengeneza kwa muda wa miezi mitatu na limenigharimu kiasi cha TZS 12,850,000.

 Kijana Jacob Louis ‘Kaparata’ (38) akimwelekeza mmiliki wa blogu ya Taifa Kwanza! jinsi alivyolitengeneza gari lake la kifahari aina ya ‘Kaparata’ kwa kipindi cha miezi mitatu tu.
Jacob Louis ‘Kaparata’ akiingia kwenye gari lake alilolitengeneza mwenyewe kwa miezi mitatu.

Wananchi wakipigana vikumbo kulishangaa gari la ‘Kaparata’ katika viwanja vya maonyesho ya Biashara ya Kimataifa (Saba Saba) jijini Dar es Salaam.

Alisema kuwa amekutana na changamoto nyingi kwenye kutengeneza gari hilo hasa suala la ufundi ambapo mara nyingine alikuwa akipeleka bati au bomba likunjwe kwa vipimo alivyotaka yeye lakini fundi anakosea hivyo inamlazimu kutupa na kuanza upya.

Changamoto nyingine ilikuwa ni kukatishwa tamaa ambapo watu walikuwa wakimwambia kuwa hawezi na kuwa suala la kutengeneza magari awaachie wazungu.

Mbali na ugunduzi huu wa kuvutia, Kaparata anafanya kazi SIDO Vingunguti ambapo anatengeneza mashine za kutotole vifaranga. Na alisema kuwa akiamua kutengeneza gari jingine, ndani ya mwezi mmoja atakuwa amekamilisha.

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Jacob Louis akiingia kwenye gari lake kuliwasha kuonyesha kwamba linafanya kazi barabara.

KWA Jacob Louis ‘Kaparata’ (38) mkazi wa Gongo la Mboto jijini Dar es Salaam, kutokusoma shule hakujamzuia kuonyesha kipaji chake cha ubunifu baada ya kufanikiwa kutengeneza gari la kifahari aina ya ‘Kaparata’ ambalo limeacha gumzo kwa wageni wanaoshiriki maonyesho ya biashara ya kimataifa – Saba Saba.

Kaparata, baba wa watoto watatu ambaye hakuwahi kuliona darasa lolote, ameweza kutengeneza gari la ‘kifahari’ alilolipa jina la Kaparata ambalo kwa hakika wengi wamevutiwa nalo na wengine kutamani kulinunua.

“Kwani linauzwa kiasi gani? Hili linafaa sana kwenda nalo shamba,” alisema mwananchi mmoja. Mwingine akasema: “Hili ni zuri kama gari aina ya Jeep, la kutokea na familia kwenda kupunga upepo.”

Naam. Walikuwa ni wananchi waliotembelea Banda la SIDO ambako ndiko alikoliegesha gari hilo kwa maonyesho pamoja na bidhaa zake nyingine, kwa kuwa yeye ni miongoni mwa vijana wanaonufaika na fursa za Shirika hilo la Viwanda Vidogo ambalo linawakusanya wajasiriamali na wabunifu pamoja ili kuonyesha kazi zao.

Yeye anafanyia shughuli zake katika eneo la SIDO Vingunguti na hata gari hilo ndiko lilikotengenezewa.

“Sikubahatika kusoma hata darasa moja kutokana na matatizo ya kifamilia, huu ni utundu wangu ambao nimekuwa nao tangu nikiwa mdogo. Nilianza kutengeneza magari ya kuchezea kwa kutumia mabati, lakini daima ndoto zangu zilikuwa kutengeneza gari langu mwenyewe, nashukuru Mungu ndoto hizo zimetimia,” anasema Jacob ambaye alizaliwa Mpanda mkoani Katavi kabla ya kuhamia Kigoma ambako baba yake Mzee Louis Jacob alikuwa dereva katika Mamlaka ya Pamba.

Akiwa mtoto wa saba kati ya watoto nane, Jacob anasema kwamba ni wawili tu kati yao waliowahi kuingia katika vyumba vya madarasa ambao ni dada yake wa pili kuzaliwa ambaye aliishia darasa la nne na kaka yake wa tatu kuzaliwa aliyemaliza darasa la saba.

Anasema, baada ya wazazi wao kutengana mwaka 1993, mama yao aliamua kuwachukua yeye na ndugu zake na kurudi Mpanda ambako maisha yaliendelea kuwa magumu mno.

“Elimu ya zamani, hasa ya darasa la sababu, haikuweza kumfikisha popote hata yule kaka yangu, kwa hiyo tulijikita katika shughuli za shamba tu,” anaeleza.

Hata hivyo, anasema kwamba licha ya kutoingia darasani, hivi sasa anajua kusoma baada ya kufundishwa kusoma a, e, i, o, u na mpwawe Sarah William mwaka 1993 na yeye akaziunganisha herufi hizo.

Utengenezaji wa gari

Jacob anaeleza kwamba, gari la ‘Kaparata’ enye muundo tofauti na gari lolote duniani, amelitengeneza kwa kipindi cha miezi mitatu tu kabla ya maonyesho ya mwaka huu ya Saba Saba ambapo limemgharimu kiasi cha Shs. 12,850,000.

“Nilipokuwa mdogo nilikuwa mtundu sana nikitengeneza magari na vitu mbalimbali kwa kuiga nilivyoviona, ndipo watoto wenzangu wakanipachika jina la ‘Kaparata’, ambalo nimezowea na kuamua kuiita kampuni yangu kwa jina hilo.

“Tangu mdogo nilipenda kuangalia filamu na nilivutiwa na gari moja nililoliona kwenye filamu ya Delta Force ya Chuck Norris (The Flyer 72 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle) nikaapa kwamba lazima nije nitengeneze gari la aina hiyo,” anasema Kaparata.

Kaparata anasema kwamba, gari lake hilo limetumia vifaa vingi vinavyopatikana hapa nchini.

“Chassis nimeitengeneza kwa kutumia square pipe, bodi limelisuka kwa kutumia brake pipes zinazotumika kutengenezea vitanda na nikatumia mabati ya gauge 18 ambayo yanatumika kutengenezea mageti,” anafafanua.

Anaongeza: “Nilipomaliza kutengeneza chassis nikaenda kununua injini, diff, gear box na matairi, ambavyo vyote ni vya gari aina ya Suzuki Carry. Unajua Suzuki Carry ni fupi ina futi 10, lakini nilichokifanya ni kuongeza chassis hadi fupi 12. Injini ile ina nguvu sana ila kigari kile kimenyimwa bodi. Sasa gari yangu hii imeonekana kuwa na nguvu, ina kasi.”

Hata hivyo, anasema kwamba, alitumia muda wa wiki mbili kutengeneza chassis ambayo alihakikisha inanyooka na kukaa sawa kabla ya kuendelea na utundu mwingine.

“Hivi sasa nikitembea na gari yangu, hata kama tumeongozana na magari mengine ya kifahari, watu wataitazama gari yangu mitaani na wamevutiwa nayo huku wengine wakinitaka nitengeneze mengine niyauze,” anasema.

Anasema wakati anaanza kuitengeneza gari hiyo vifaa pekee alivyokuwa navyo ni drill machine, grander na welding machine – vifaa vitatu tu, ambapo mabati na vifaa vingine alivinunua.

Kwa kuwa yeye si fundi mchundo, mabati na vifaa vingine aliyapeleka kwa mafundi mchundo ambao walimkunjia kwa muundo na vipimo alivyovitaka yeye.

“Lakini nimeingia hasara kubwa kwa sababu wakati mwingine unampelekea mtu akukunjie bomba au bati, lakini anakosea, inabidi kulitupa na kutafuta jingine.

“Nilipokuwa nayabeba mabati kupeleka kwenye viwanda kwa ajili ya kukunja wengi waliniona kama mwendawazimu, wengine wakanikatisha tamaa na kusema magari wanatengeneza Wazungu miye Mswahili maskini wapi na wapi!” anasema.

Hata hivyo, anamshukuru mkewe Elizabeth William aliyemzalia watoto Beatrice (14), William (10) na Neema (2) ambaye alikuwa akimtia moyo kila wakati aendelee na ubunifu wake.

“Unajua hata kule kwenye viwanda nilikokuwa napeleka hawakuamini, kwa sababu nilipoyabeba mabati wengine walidhani nakwenda kutengeneza ndoo, lakini baada ya mabati hayo kukunjwa kama nilivyotaka, wote walishangaa,” anasema.

Ukilitazama gari hilo kwa mbali unaweza kudhani ni aina mpya ya Jeep ingawa muundo ni tofauti kabisa, na kama utalikaribia utashangaa kuona vikorombwezo vingi.

“Hiki kioo cha mbele ni cha Land Cruiser ila nimekata mashavu ya pembeni. Indicator ni za Bajaj aina ya TVS, shoo ni za vifaa mbalimbali vya magari. Nimeweka vent kama za Ranger za kuingizia hewa kwenye air cleaner na mengine kibao,” anasema.

Kaparata anasema kwamba, ubunifu ni gharama kubwa, lakini mahali alipofikia kwa sasa anajiona kama ni mhandisi aliyebobea ingawa kikwazo ni mtaji pamoja na kutambulika na mamlaka zinazohusika.

“Mheshimiwa Rais Magufuli amesema anataka kuona Tanzania yenye viwanda ambayo ndiyo nia pekee ya kutengeneza aira kwa sisi vijana, sasa mimi nimeamua kuanza bila kupata msaada wa mtu yeyote mpaka nimekamilisha, ninachokihitaji kwa sasa kwanza ni kutambuliwa na serikali kwa ubunifu wangu, halafu niweze kupatiwa mtaji na mazingira bora zaidi ya kufanyia kazi.

“Kama leo nitaamua kutengeneza gari nyingine kama hii, ninaamini ndani ya mwezi mmoja nitakuwa nimeitengeneza na itakuwa bora kuliko hii kwa sababu nimejifunza makossa yote wakati nahangaika na hii hapa,” anaongeza.

Amewezaje kumudu gharama?

Kaparata anasema kwamba, mpaka anakamilisha kutengeneza gari lake hakuchukua hata senti tano ya mtu bali ni fedha zake mwenyewe kutoka katika vyanzo vingine.

Anasema kwamba, wengi walimcheka na kusema kama anazo fedha za kuchezea bora akawape maskini kwa vile asingeweza kufanikiwa kutengeneza gari, lakini kwa kuwa alikuwa na ndoto zake akaamua kuyapuuza maneno yao na kukwangua kila akiba aliyokuwa nayo kutimiza hayo malengo.

“Mimi ninafanyia kazi zangu pale SIDO Vingunguti, zaidi natengeneza mashine za kutotolesha vifaranga ambazo kidogo kidogo ndizo zinazoniingizia fedha, hivyo hata fedha za kutengenezea gari hili zimetokana na kazi hizo,” anasema.

Anaongeza kwamba, licha ya kutokusoma, lakini utundu na ubunifu wake vinamwezesha kuendesha maisha yake na amekuwa tegemeo kubwa kwa ndugu zake wote.

Amewaasa vijana wengine waliosoma na hawana ajira pamoja na wale ambao hawakubahatika kupata elimu kutokukata tamaa, bali wanaweza kutumia vipaji na nguvu walizojaaliwa na Mwenyezi Mungu kufanya maendeleo.