[wanabidii] Salamu Za Siku Yangu Ya Kuzaliwa; " Only If Maggid Was A Girl!"

" Only if Ezinma was a boy! ( Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart)

Ndugu zangu,

Leo ni siku yangu ya kuzaliwa. Nawashukuru wote mlionitumia salamu za kunitakia heri, pia nyote mnaoendelea kunitakia heri. Ahsanteni sana.

Wahenga walisema; Mtoto umleavyo ndivyo akuavyo. Nitasimulia kidogo ya utoto wangu; Wazazi wangu wamechangia sana kunifanya niwe hivi nilivyo sasa. Kwa baba yangu, watoto wote tulikuwa sawa, hata dada zangu walikuwa muhimu kwake.

Tofauti na Okwonkwo kwenye Things Fall Apart ambaye hakuridhika kwa kumpata mwana aitwaye Nwoye ambaye alifanana kitabia na baba yake Okonkwo. Huyu Okonkwo hakumpenda baba yake, Unoka. Na binti yake Ezinma alikuwa na sifa ya uhodari , mweye akili sana pia. Hata hivyo, Okwonkwo hakufurahia, maana alikuwa msichana!

Ndio, nimekuwa hivi nilivyo kutokana na malezi niliyoyapata pia. Mathalan, mama yangu alifanya kazi Idara ya Kupiga Chapa ya Serikali- Government Press. Alifahamu haraka yale niliyoyapenda tangu utotoni.

Ni picha na machapisho. Hivyo, kila aliporudi kutoka kazini aliniletea picha na baadae hata vitabu vya machapisho. Si ajabu kuwa nimekuwa mwandishi na mpiga picha pia.

Nilijua kusoma na kuandika hata kabla sijaanza darasa la kwanza.
Na ilifika mahali mama aliniletea hata vitabu vya bajeti za Wizara kabla ya hata kusomwa Bungeni. Lakini alinisisitiza, kuwa nisiwaambie watu wengine nilichosoma mpaka kiwasilishwe Bungeni kwanza!

Niwachekeshe, sikulijua jina langu ' Maggid' mpaka nilikaribia kuanza darasa la kwanza. Maana, nilipozaliwa, Machi 11, 1966 ndugu walikuja kumwona mtoto ( Mimi). Na dada wa mama ( Mama mkubwa) aliniangalia na kutamka; " Huyu ni Mjengwa". Kwamba nilifanana sana na baba yangu.

Tangu hapo nikaitwa ' Mjengwa'. Lakini jina rasmi kwenye cheti changu cha kuzaliwa ni ' Maggid'. Maana, baba yangu, pamoja na kuwa alikuwa ni Mkristo kwa jina la ' John Mjengwa) alikuwa na mfanyakazi mwenzake, rafiki yake wa karibu sana raia wa Misri.

Nilipozaliwa mimi alimjulisha rafiki yake; " I have got a baby boy!"
Naye akamwambia; " Call him Maggid!" Basi, ikawa hivyo.

Ikafika wakati nikamwuliza baba yangu; " Nakaribia kuanza shule, sasa shuleni nitaitwa 'Mjengwa Mjengwa'. Baba akaniangalia na kunijibu akitabasamu; " Wewe jina lako ni Maggid!".

Hakika, hata nilipoanza darasa la kwanza, wenzangu darasani walinishangaa sana, maana, kila mwalimu alipoita jina langu, ilinichukua sekunde kadhaa kabla ya kujibu ' Nipo!'. Sikulizoea jina hilo. Leo napenda zaidi kuitwa ' Maggid' kuliko ' Mjengwa'! Na shuleni kila siku ya ukaguzi sikupona. Nilichapwa bakora kwa vile nilikuwa na nywele za kipilipili!

Kubwa kabisa ni kuwa, nimelelewa katika mazingira ya kuheshimu wanadamu wenzangu bila kujali tofauti zetu; iwe za kidini au kikabila. Hata wazazi wangu walikuwa wa imani tofauti; Uislamu na Ukristo. Na pale Ilala nilikokulia watoto wote tulicheza pamoja bila kuziangalia tofauti zetu za kikabila na kidini. Tulichanganyika.

Hata hii leo, huwa nasikitishwa sana na tabia za baadhi yetu kuendekeza tofauti zetu za kidini, kikabila na hata kirangi, badala ya kuangalia mambo ambayo wanadamu tunafanana nayo. Na ni mengi sana kuliko tofauti zetu.

Ahsanteni Sana.
Maggid,
Iringa
http://mjengwablog.co.tz

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