How does where a person lives impact on how s/he lives?

Naomba and tunaomba

Quite a lot has been said about the polite inclination or predisposition of the people of Tanzania. The brotherhood spirit still lives on. As a person who recently moved to Dar es Salaam, I have found the city dwellers incredibly polite especially in their consistent use of the words, naomba and tunaomba. These are said countless times. In a restaurant, if music is very loud for example, the customer instead of screaming like it happens elsewhere in East Africa, he will call the waitress and say,  “Is it in order if you found out from the manager if it is in order for him to find out from the person in charge of the music if it is in order for him to reduce the volume.” One day, while at the bank, one customer walked up to another customer and said, “Naomba kalamu.” (I am begging for a pen.) But after using it, he somehow forgot to give it back to the owner. Astonishingly, the owner of the pen graciously said, “Naomba kalamu zangu.” (I am begging for my pen.) Why must one beg for what is rightfully his? As an illustration of how where one lives impacts on how he lives, I have taken on the words naomba, and tunaomba to start almost every sentence I speak here in Dar. Dear reader, “Naomba niishie hapa.” (I beg to stop here.)

Africa's Energy Problems

The power failures in Uganda and in many African countries is not a new phenomenon. It is a common thing to find people even in churches thanking God because they had sustained only two power disruptions in the previous week. This eloquent testimonies, unlike in the developed world,  are one finds characteristic of people in Africa. They feel it is a favour to have what they must have.

Recently, generators have found their way to many verandas. It is the volumes of noise and air pollution that this big and small machines produce that is of great concern. Their contribution to climate change is not debatable. The question that lingers in many people's minds is: Why can't Africa think of investing in solar energy? The abundant sunshine can be a source of clean energy to propel a continent that is mindful of posterity forward. However, living in darkness due to erratic power supplies impacts on the way a student lives. The challenge of having to live with the noise generated by generators is undeniably immense.

Dar es Salaam Beaches

Dar es Salaam Beaches

Many people reckon that God sometimes makes meat available to people who have no teeth. This could be true if one observes the attitude of Dar es Salaam dwellers towards their beaches at the coast of the Indian Ocean . Going to the beach to swim or just reclining on the white sand seems not to be a pleasurable experience for people in Dar. A casual visit of the Cocoa Public Beach is enough for one to see that people from outside Dar es Salaam or those from countries other than Tanzania are the ones watching the birds and the beautiful sun set over the calm ocean. One wonders whether it is the sometimes foul smell that the wind blows from the water or may be the Dar dwellers are just ungrateful for such and endowment.