Maisha kwanza, kesi baadae!

Kama kawaida, nilikuwa napata masimulizi ya hapa na pale katika saluni – na nilisimuliwa jinsi mama daktari wa kujitolea mgiriki alivyofariki dunia, jijini Dar, chanzo na mtiririko wa matukio.

Hii ni simulizi na si habari iliyothibitishwa. Kwa kifupi mama huyu mgiriki alikuwa anatembea Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road na vibaka walipita na gari na kuvuta begi lake la mgongoni (back pack) na kumburuza mita kadhaa na gari. Hatimaye walichukua begin a kumwacha huyu mama. Sehemu hii imethibitishwa – ni kweli ilitokea. Ila sasa nilichoendelea kusimuliwa ni kuwa wagiriki wenzake walihangaika tokea saa 12jioni hadi saa 2 usiku wakijaribu kupata form ya polisi – kwani bila hiyo fomu hupokelewi hospitalini. Walifika hospitali ya Aga Khan saa 2 lakini pamoja na kujitahidi kwa madaktari wenzake wagiriki (ambao waliamua kuingia katika harakati za kumwokoa) lakini mama huyu alifariki.

Katika simulizi hii yote kilichonisikitisha ni kuwa mtu anapopata ajali ni lazima apate fomu ya polisi kabla ya kutibiwa! Hii si sawa! Nimewahi kushauriwa na polisi afisa mmoja na hata leo saluni walinishauri “Ukikuta mtu kagongwa barabarani, usihangaike kusimama. Utasumbuliwa na unaweza ukakuta kesi inakugeuka” Hii haiingi akilini! Hivi kweli tumefikia hatua ya kuacha binadamu wenzetu wakivuja damu barabarani kwa sababu ya sheria mbovu? Hivi kweli tumeshindwa kushinikiza bunge, serikali nk kwamba sheria hii ibadilishwe! Mtu ambaye amepatwa na ajali hata awe mhalifu ana haki ya kupata huduma ya kwanza!  Na mtu yeyote asibugudhiwe atakampomfikisha mtu aliyejeruhiwa hospitalini, bali waendelee kuchukua maelezo yake huku mgonjwa akiendelea kupata huduma ya kwanza. Okoa maisha kwanza! Suala hili mi binafsi nitalifuatilia lakini naamini ni jukumu letu sote kuhakikisha sheria hii inafutwa na badala yake uwekwe utaratibu mzuri ambao utathamini maisha ya mwananchi wa Tanzania, kuliko kesi ya polisi. 

Mgomo wa madaktari na kuthaminiwa kwa wasomi

Mgomo huu wa madaktari wa mwaka 2012 ambayo sasa iko katika awamu ya tatu imejadiliwa kwa kirefu na kwa kiina na wengi na mimi sitapenda kutoa chanzo, sababu nk. Ila ningependa kuongelea mada moja ambayo nimeshawahi  kuigusia kwenye blog hii ya IMHO inayohusu utawala wa walio wa kati au uwezo mdogo. Kwa kifupi wale wenye ujuzi na uwezo huwekwa pembeni katika mfumo ambao upo sasa wa kiutawala na uendeshaji kwa ujumla.

Lakini kibaya zaidi mufmo mzima unaonekana kutothamini usomi na ujuzi. Tukiwasikiliza kwa makini madaktari, walimu na wasomi wengine – tunasikia wakisema “sisi mshahara wetu ni …. Na mbunge ambaye hata hajamaliza darasa la saba anapata milioni 10” Tunaweza kuleta mjadala mkubwa kuhusu sentensi hii na kuwaita waroho, au tukawaambia hakuna kinachowasimamisha kugombea ubunge. Lakini tukifanya hivyo tutakuwa hatujaelewa kile kilichojificha katika sentensi hii.

Katika dunia ya leo hasa hapa nchini – tunaweka thamani ya mtu kwa kupima kipato chake. Huu ni ukweli tupende tusipende. Mara ngapi unasikia watu wanasema “Mtu anajiona wa maana kumbe anapanda daladala” . Au “Fulani anajisikia, kumbe anaishi ….” Sentensi kama hizi zinaonyesha wazi kwamba ili ukubalike kuwa una mafanikio katika jamii yetu tunatarajia mtu awe na gari na anaishi maeneo Fulani, akivaa nguo za aina Fulani nk. Kwa kifupi jamii yetu imebadilika na hivi sasa tumekuwa nchi ya walaji (Consumer society) ingawa kama nchi hatuzalishi kile tunachotamani (hatuna viwanda vya magari, nguo, nk). Sasa basi kumiliki gari, nyumba, mavazi etc yanahiitaji pesa. Hivyo kama daktari anashindwa kuendesha Range Rover Vogue, lakini mfanyabiashara aliyeishia darasa la saba akiweza, je hii ni kusema tutamheshimu zaidi mfanyabiashara? Inaelekea ndivyo madaktari wanavyoona. Na kwa Bahati mbaya kwa kuwaambia “kama hamjaridhika ondokeni” – imekuwa kama kuwathibitishia imani yao hii.

Ni vyema tukianza kuthamini watu kwa UJUZI wao na si kwa MALI zao. Kumiliki gari kubwa au nyumba kubwa inaweza ikakufanya uishi kwa starehe zaidi lakini haikuongezi akili au ujuzi. Na pia kama jamii tuache dharau kwa watu. Hata kama mtu hamiliki mali nyingi, tuthamini vipaji, ujuzi na elimu yao. Lakini muhimu zaidi, muda umefika mfumo wote uanze kuthamini kwa pesa na kuwazawadia wale wenye ujuzi na si kuwajali ‘wajanja’.

Utatuzi wa mgomo huu na kutoridhika kwa wasomi ni suala ambalo ni vyema sote tukaitafakari na tukianza kubadilika kimawazo – Change Tanzania! 

We are entitled to our opinion but not to our own facts IMHO

Recently I have noted, online and in the media, the proliferation of articles, blog entries, commentaries that touch on historical facts with blatant distortion shrouded at times in half baked information and often drawing on ‘wacky’ conspiracy theories.

A few of us on Twitter started a conversation on this in particular about Freemasonry. Yet it appears many people do not understand the significance of this misrepresentation of historical facts and propagation of false ‘myths’ and at times outright racist/misogynistic distortions.  

Let us take this issue of Freemasonry. Today many Tanzanians have been made to believe that Freemasons are everywhere in Tanzania, they are bloodsuckers, they have to kill humans as rites of passage, they control the world and every successful and rich person is a Freemason etc.

Two historians – Michael Baignent and Richard Leigh have done extensive research about Freemasonry and had an interesting take on so called myths and history. They argue that if propagated for long – such myths or fallacies eventually become the ‘truth’ and eventually history. 

“The lies of a people or a culture... – hyperbole, the exaggeration and embellishment, even the outright falsification and invention – are not purely gratuitous. On the contrary, they bear witness to underlying wants … lacks .. dreams and ..overcompensation. .. And to that extent they serve to crystallize a collective identity or self definition, they create a new truth – or create something which becomes true.” – Michael Baignet & Richard Leigh “The Temple and the Lodge”

So when for those of us who are aware of historic facts that are documented and researched, keep quiet while fallacies and lies are propagated we are guilty of ‘creating a new truth’ that is difficult to eventually undo.

Recently I was outraged when a blogger claimed that homosexuality (new ‘strain’) started in 14^th century. I demanded the retraction of this because it is a blatant lie, deliberate distortion of documented facts. Instead of debating this and citing sources and even links, the author spent time trying to bend the conversation his way by 1. Trying to imply that I am defending homosexuality for ‘conflict of interest’ (whatever that means!) 2. It is his opinion that he is entitled to 3. He is citing ‘independent’ history

I withdrew from that discussion and refuse to take part in any discussion that is based on fallacies and seeks to be self –prophesying  ‘truth’. We should all as Tanzanians – educated and armed with enough knowledge - work on ensuring that any distortion, fallacy, lie is faced with rigid unbending principled stand. There is no ‘ifs’ ‘buts’.

Let us imagine that a prominent American media commentator would start a discussion saying that “Tanzania got its independence in 1980 only one year before Zimbabwe therefore it will go down the same path like Zimbabwe”. And when we argue that Tanzania it got its independence in 1961, he would respond “It’s my opinion I am entitled to it! So do you agree that Tanzania will go down same path as Zimbabwe or not?”! Ridiculous, we would say. Well this is what is happening right now here with silly articles about Freemasonry, homosexuality and other subjects!

So I want to emphasize that - we are entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts, IMHO

slimcony on change Tanzania: Migongano baina ya wazanzibari na watanganyika hai...

slimcony on change Tanzania: Migongano baina ya wazanzibari na watanganyika hai...: Interraction baina ya wazanzibari na watanganyika haikuanza baada ya muungano mwaka 1964. Kwa mujibu ya wazee waliotutangulia, wanadai, hapo...

Volunteerism and Philanthropy in Tanzania

Recently I was honored to be part of a unique philanthropic action of Flaviana Matata when she donated 500 life vests to the government agency – Marine Services Limited in Mwanza. What struck me was that this young girl was taking a different approach from her peers and even others. Usually our philanthropists who would raise funds from others or be guests of honors and buy auctioned items etc. But the fact that Flaviana personally ordered the life vests paid for everything until the delivery of the life vests to Mwanza makes this action unique. It shows a very focused and personal involvement in her charity activity. And that got me thinking.

If Flaviana would not have acquired the true spirit of volunteerism from her time as Miss Universe Tanzania she would probably have continued to look at any charity activity as simply making an event and raising funds. So philanthropy is volunteerism taken to a higher level once the individual is in position to spend not only his/her time but money as well. But the dedication, involvement and focus have to remain in order to make any philanthropy matter.

One of the most important thing that we need to instill in our young ones is the spirit of volunteerism. This has to be nurtured and cannot be forced. It is important also that when steering the young ones toward taking on volunteer actions that they should have a personal dedication to the given cause. We cannot force them to be active in environment when they do not understand or truly identify with the cause.

But most importantly is that we need to make them understand that volunteerism does not involve any financial or material gain. It is done for achieving the objective of the cause and nothing more. The earlier we instill this in them the better – before they learn what money can buy and before their head is filled by us that ‘nothing is for free in life’

Health awareness and Media

Today I attended a meeting named: “The Promotion of Health Awareness in Tanzania through Media” organized by international media namely RFI, Deutsche Welle, VOA, PRB and Broadcasting Board of Governors. It was a well attended meeting and many interesting inputs, however I had two important observations that I wanted to share with you all.

First and most important is “Who is driving the agenda on health?” Oftentimes we hear as we did today that “health news in media does not sell.” For this reason, all of us in the media tend to seek a ‘partner’ who will fund such stories because we claim, covering it from our own budget is “not worth it”. For this reason we find that often the agenda is driven by the donors and government who fund such programs for one reason or another. What we end up with is stories and reports that reflect such agenda thus a regular viewer may face a barrage of news about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria or whichever disease or health issue is the ‘trendy’ topic among the donors and other funding bodies. Naturally stories like these do NOT sell because the primary audience is not the viewer or reader or listener but the funding party. IMHO

In order to make health news interesting and sellable, we need to come up with programs, articles, reports that focus on the viewers, readers and listeners. Health is important to everyone and I am convinced that however ‘poor’ we may deem a common mwananchi, they are ready to pay whatever they have, for good health. As we know and probably have seen, heard or experienced, in the unfortunate case of disease people are ready to sell assets and spend their wealth to regain health. Now if we can device an exchange whereby people are able to get information albeit for a small fee then immediately health related news and information will become not only sellable but ‘hot-selling commodity’ IMHO

Now of course this begs the question – how can we do that? I certainly have some ideas but of course in the spirit of this new shift – nothing is for free ;-)  

It has been a while since I posted anything here but as they say "better late than never"
So from today I promise more frequent updates and stop being boring. One of the reasons for the slow update is that I find Twitter and Facebook more gratifying because I get instance feedback to my tweets and posts, however the limitation of words etc is also frustrating. I guess the time has come to become more used to blogging and keep it lively! Cheers!