How Africa can use its traditional knowledge to make progress | Chika Ezeanya-Esiobu

Translator: Nelson Simfukwe Reviewer: Joachim Mangilima

Miezi kadhaa iliyopita, nilitembelea jiji moja lililopo Afrika Mashariki,

Some months back, I was visiting this East African city,

and we were stuck in traffic.

na tulikuwa tumekwama kwenye msongamano wa magari.

And this vendor suddenly approaches my window

Na mchuuzi mmoja alikuja ghafla kwenye dirisha langu

with a half-opened alphabet sheet.

na karatasi ya alfabeti iliyofunguka nusu.

I took a quick look at the alphabet sheet,

Niliangalia kwa haraka ile karatasi ya alfabeti,

and I thought of my daughter,

na nikamuwaza binti yangu,

how it would be nice to spread it on the floor

ni namna gani ingekuwa vyema kuitandaza kwenye sakafu

and just play all over it with her

na kucheza juu yake nikiwa nae

while getting her to learn the alphabet.

wakati nikiwa ninamfundisha alfabeti.

So the traffic moved a bit, and I quickly grabbed a copy,

Msongamano ukasogea kidogo, na nikanunua ile nakala haraka,

and we moved on.

na tukaendelea na safari.

Nilipopata muda wa kuifungua ile karatasi ya alfabeti

When I had time to fully open the alphabet sheet

and take a more detailed look at it,

na kuiangalia kwa makini,

I knew I was not going to use that to teach my daughter.

Nilitambua ya kwamba sitaitumia kumfundishia binti yangu.

I regretted my purchase.

Nilijutia ununuzi wangu.

Why so?

Kwanini?

Looking at the alphabet sheet reminded me of the fact

Kutazama karatasi ya alfabeti kunanikumbusha ukweli kwamba

mambo mengi hayajabadilika

that not much has changed

in the education curricula in Africa.

katika mtaala wa elimu barani Afrika.

Some decades back, I was taught out of a similar alphabet sheet.

Miongo kadhaa iliyopita, nilifundishwa kutoka katika karatasi hiyohiyo.

And because of that, I struggled for years.

Na kwa sababu ya hilo, nilitaabika kwa miaka.

I struggled to reconcile my reality with the formal education I received

Nilitaabika kuweza kukubali uhalisia wangu kutokana na elimu niliyokuwa nikipokea

in school, in the schools I attended.

shuleni, katika shule nilizosoma.

I had identity crises.

Nilikuwa na janga la utambulisho.

I looked down on my reality.

Nikitazama kuangalia uhalisia wangu.

I looked at my ancestry, I looked at my lineage with disrespect.

Niliangalia mababu zangu, nilitazama kizazi changu bila heshima.

I had very little patience for what my life had to offer around me.

Nilikuwa na subira kidogo kwa yale ambayo maisha yangeweza kunipa kutoka katika mazingira yangu.

Kwanini?

Why?

"A is for apple."

"A ni kwa ajili ya Apple."

"A is for apple."

"A ni kwa ajili ya Apple."

"A is for apple" is for that child in that part of the world

"A ni kwa ajili ya Apple" ni kwa ajili ya mtoto katika pande ya dunia

where apples grow out;

ambayo wanalima Apple;

who has an apple in her lunch bag;

nani aliye na Apple katika mfuko wake wa chakula cha mchana;

who goes to the grocery store with her mom and sees red,

nani ambaye huenda dukani na mama yake na kuona apple jekundu,

green, yellow -- apples of all shapes and colors and sizes.

kijani, njano katika kila umbo na rangi na ukubwa.

Kwa hiyo, kumpa elimu mtoto huyu

And so, introducing education to this child

with an alphabet sheet like this

ukitumia karatasi ya alfabeti kama hii

inatimiza moja ya kazi kuu katika elimu,

fulfills one of the major functions of education,

ambayo ni kumkutanisha msomaji

which is to introduce the learner

to an appreciation of the learner's environment

kuridhika na mazingira ya msomaji

and a curiosity to explore more in order to add value.

na udadisi wa kuweza kutafuta zaidi ili kuweza kuongeza thamani.

In my own case,

Nikijiangalia mimi,

wakati na mahali nilipokulia Afrika,

when and where I grew up in Africa,

apple was an exotic fruit.

apple ni tunda hadimu.

Two or three times a year,

Mara mbili au tatu kwa mwaka,

Nilikuwa napata apple za rangi ya njano zilizo na alama ndogo ndogo za rangi ya kahawia, unajua,

I could get some yellowish apples with brown dots, you know,

signifying thousands of miles traveled -- warehouses storing --

ikiashiria maelfu ya maili yaliposafiri -- ghalani, katika upangaji

to get to me.

kunifikia mimi.

I grew up in the city

Nilikulia katika jiji

to very financially comfortable parents,

kwa wazazi ambao wanajiweza kiuchumi,

so it was my dignified reality,

kwa hiyo ulikuwa ni uhalisia wangu wa kuheshimika,

exactly the same way

kama vile vile

cassava fufu or ugali would not regularly feature

mihogo au ugali kwa kawaida hautakuwepo

katika mlo wa Kimarekani, Kichina au Kihindi,

in an American, Chinese or Indian diet,

apples didn't count as part of my reality.

apple hazikuwa katika uhalisia wa maisha yangu.

So what this did to me,

Kwa hiyo hii ilinifanya nini mimi,

introducing education to me with "A is for apple,"

kunipa elimu kwangu ya "A ni kwa ajili ya apple,"

made education an abstraction.

imefanya elimu kuwa ngumu mno kuelewa.

It made it something out of my reach --

Imefanya kitu ambacho kipo na upeo wangu --

a foreign concept,

kitu cha nchi za nje,

a phenomenon for which I would have to constantly and perpetually seek

jambo ambalo ningekuwa nikilitafuta mara zote

the validation of those it belonged to

uthibitisho wa yale yanayohusiana

for me to make progress within it and with it.

kwa ajili yangu ili kupiga hatua ndani yake na pamoja yake.

Hiyo ilikuwa ngumu kwa mtoto;

That was tough for a child; it would be tough for anyone.

Nilipokuwa kiumri na kuelimika,

As I grew up and I advanced academically,

my reality was further separated from my education.

uhalisia wangu uligawanyika zaidi na elimu yangu.

In history, I was taught

Katika historia, nilifundishwa

that the Scottish explorer Mungo Park discovered the Niger River.

kwamba mtalii aliyeitwa Mungo Park aligundua mto wa Niger.

And so it bothered me.

Na hili lilinikwaza.

My great-great-grandparents grew up

Mababu wa mababu zangu walikulia

quite close to the edge of the Niger River.

karibu na kingo za mto wa Niger.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

And it took someone to travel thousands of miles from Europe

Na ilichukua mtu mwingine kusafiri maelfu ya maili kutoka Ulaya

to discover a river right under their nose?

kuja kugundua mto ambao upo karibu nao kabisa?

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

No!

Hapana!

(Applause and cheers)

(Makofi na shangilio)

Walitumia vipi muda wao?

What did they do with their time?

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

Playing board games, roasting fresh yams,

Kucheza bao, kukaanga magimbi,

fighting tribal wars?

kupigana vita vya ukabila?

I mean, I just knew my education was preparing me to go somewhere else

Namaanisha, nilijua ya kwamba elimu yangu ilikuwa ikiniandaa kwenda sehemu nyingine

and practice and give to another environment that it belonged to.

na kuitumia na katika mazingira mengine ambayo inahusiana nayo.

It was not for my environment, where and when I grew up.

Haikuwa kwa ajili ya mazingira yangu, mahali na muda nilipokua.

Na hali hii iliendelea.

And this continued.

This philosophy undergirded my studies

Na hii philosophia iliimarisha masomo yangu

muda wote nilipokuwa nikisoma barani Afrika.

all through the time I studied in Africa.

It took a lot of experiences and some studies

Ilihitaji uzoefu mwingi na baadhi ya mafunzo

for me to begin to have a change of mindset.

kwa mimi kuanza pata mabadiliko ya mtazamo wangu.

I will share a couple of the remarkable ones with us.

Nitawaambia baadhi ya mambo makubwa mazuri.

I was in the United States in Washington, DC

Nilikuwa nchini Marekani katika jimbo la Washington, DC

kusomea masomo yangu ya shahada ya uzamivu,

studying towards my doctorate,

and I got this consultancy position with the World Bank Africa Region.

nilipata nafasi ya kuwa mshauri katika Benki ya Dunia ukanda wa Afrika,

And so I remember one day,

Kwa hiyo nakumbuka siku moja,

my boss -- we were having a conversation on some project,

mkuu wangu wa kazi -- tulikuwa tukiongelea kuhusu mradi fulani,

and he mentioned a particular World Bank project,

na alitaja mradi unaohusiana na Benki ya Dunia,

a large-scale irrigation project that cost millions of dollars

mradi mkubwa wa umwagiliaji unaogharimu mamilioni ya dola

in Niger Republic

katika Jamhuri ya Niger

that was faltering sustainably.

uliokuwa unasuasua uendelezaji wake.

He said this project wasn't so sustainable,

Alisema mradi huu haupo imara,

and it bothered those that instituted the whole package.

na unawakera wale ambao waliupa mamlaka.

Lakini aliutaja mradi fulani,

But then he mentioned a particular project,

a particular traditional irrigation method that was hugely successful

namna ya umwagiliaji wa kitamaduni ambao ulikuwa na mafanikio makubwa sana

in the same Niger Republic where the World Bank project was failing.

katika nchi hiyo hiyo ya Jamhuri ya Niger ambapo mradi wa Benki ya Dunia ulikuwa ukifeli.

And that got me thinking.

Na ikanifanya kuwaza.

So I did further research,

Kwa hiyo nikafanya utafiti zaidi,

and I found out about Tassa.

na nikagundua kuhusu Tassa.

Tassa is a traditional irrigation method

Tassa ni namna ya umwagiliaji wa kienyeji

where 20- to 30-centimeter-wide and 20- to 30-centimeter-deep holes

ambapo mashimo yenye upana wa kati ya sentimenta 20 hadi 30 na kina cha sentimeta 20 hadi 30

are dug across a field to be cultivated.

huchimbwa katika shamba ambalo linaelekea kulimwa.

Then, a small dam is constructed around the field,

Kisha, bwawa dogo hujengwa kuzunguka shamba

and then crops are planted across the surface area.

na mazao hupandwa ardhini.

What happens is that when rain falls,

Kinachotokea ni kwamba mvua itaponyesha,

the holes are able to store the water

mashimo huwa na uwezo wa kutunza maji

and appropriate it to the extent that the plant needs the water.

na kupelekea kiasi kwamba mmea kuhitaji maji.

Mmea unaweza pata maji mengi unavyohitaji

The plant can only assimilate as much water as needed

until harvest time.

mpaka muda wa mavuno.

Niger is 75 percent scorched desert,

Niger ni asilimia 75 jangwa,

so this is something that is a life-or-death situation,

na hii kitu cha maisha au kifo,

na imekuwa ikitumika kwa karne.

and it has been used for centuries.

In an experiment that was conducted,

Katika utafiti ambao ulifanyika,

two similar plots of land were used in the experiment,

mashamba mawili yanayofanana yalitumika katika utafiti,

and one plot of land

na shamba moja

did not have the Tassa technique on it.

halikutumia njia ya Tassa.

Similar plots.

Mashamba yanayofanana.

The other one had Tassa technique constructed on it.

Lingine lilitumia njia ya Tassa.

Then similar grains of millet also were planted on both plots.

Kisha mbegu sawa za mtama zilipandwa katika mashamba yote mawili.

Wakati wa mavuno,

During harvest time,

the plot of land without Tassa technique

Shamba ambalo halikutumia njia ya Tassa

yielded 11 kilograms of millet per hectare.

lilizalisha kilogramu 11 za mtama kwa hektari.

The plot of land with Tassa technique

Shamba lililotumia njia ya Tassa

lilizalisha kilogramu 553 za mtama kwa hektari.

yielded 553 kilograms of millet per hectare.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

I looked at the research, and I looked at myself.

Niliangalia ule utafiti na nikajitazama.

I said, "I studied agriculture for 12 years,

Nilisema, "Nimesomea kilimo kwa miaka 12,

from primary to Senior Six, as we say in East Africa,

kuanzia elimu ya msingi mpaka kidato cha sita, kama tuitavyo kwa Afrika Mashariki,

SS3 in West Africa or 12th grade.

SS3 kwa Afrika Magharibi au darasa la 12.

No one ever taught me

Hakuna aliyewahi kunifundisha

of any form of traditional African knowledge of cultivation --

namna yoyote ya maarifa ya Kiafrika katika ukulima --

of harvesting, of anything --

katika mavuno, katika chochote --

that will work in modern times and actually succeed,

ambayo itafanya kazi katika nyakati za kisasa na hakika kufanikiwa,

where something imported from the West would struggle to succeed.

pale ambapo jambo fulani lillotolewa nchi za Magharibi limehangaika kufanikiwa.

That was when I knew the challenge,

Hapo ndipo nilitambua changamoto,

the challenge of Africa's curricula,

changamoto ya mtaala wa Kiafrika,

And I thus began my quest to dedicate my life, concern my life work,

Na kisha nikaanza lengo langu la kujitolea maisha yangu, kujali maisha yangu ya kazi,

to studying, conducting research on Africa's own knowledge system

katika kusoma, kufanya tafiti kuhusu mfumo wa maarifa ya Kiafrika

and being able to advocate for its mainstreaming

na kuweza kuyawakilisha katika njia kuu

in education, in research, policy

katika elimu, katika tafiti, sera

across sectors and industries.

katika sekta na viwanda.

Another conversation and experience I had at the bank

Maongezi mengine na uzoefu niliopata nikiwa Benki ya Dunia

I guess made me take that final decision of where I was going to go,

Nahisi umenifanya nichukue uamuzi wa mwisho wa wapi nitaelekea,

ingawa haikuwa tafiti yenye matunda makubwa ya kuielekea,

even though it wasn't the most lucrative research to go into,

lakini ilikuwa kuhusu jambo ambalo nililiamini.

but it was just about what I believed in.

And so one day, my boss said that he likes to go to Africa

Kwa hiyo siku moja, mkuu wangu wa kazi alisema kwamba angependelea kwenda Afrika

to negotiate World Bank loans and to work on World Bank projects.

kwa ajili ya kujadiliana kuhusu mikopo ya Benki ya Dunia na kufanyia kazi miradi ya Benki hiyo.

And I was intrigued. I asked him why.

Na nilihamasika, nikamuuliza kwanini.

He said, "Oh, when I go to Africa,

Alisema, "Oh, nitapoenda Afrika,

ni rahisi.

it's so easy.

I just write up my loan documents and my project proposal in Washington, DC,

Ninaandika tu nyaraka za mkopo na dhumuni la mkopo nikiwa Washington, DC,

I go to Africa, and they all just get signed.

Ninakwenda Afrika, na kisha nyaraka zote zinasainiwa.

I get the best deal, and I'm back to base.

Ninapata mpango mzuri kabisa, na kisha narudi ofisini.

My bosses are happy with me."

Wakuu wangu wa kazi watanifurahia."

But then he said, "I hate going to Asia or ..."

Lakini kisha akasema, "sipendi kwenda Asia au ..."

and he mentioned a particular country, Asia and some of these countries.

na alitaja nchi fulani, bara la Asia na nchi baadhi.

"Huwa wananifanya nikae kwa muda mrefu, wakijaribu kutafuta mipango bora kwa nchi zao.

"They keep me for this, trying to get the best deal for their countries.

Huwa wanapata mipango bora.

They get the best deal.

They tell me, 'Oh, that clause will not work for us

Wananiambia, 'Oh, hicho kipengele hakitatufaa

in our environment.

katika mazingira yetu.

It's not our reality. It's just so Western.'

Si uhalisia wetu. Kimekaa katika mfumo wa Magharibi sana.'

And they tell me, 'Oh, we have enough experts

Na wananiambia, 'Oh, tuna wataalamu wa kutosha

kwa ajili ya kushughulikia hili.

to take care of this.

You don't have enough experts.

Huna wataalamu wa kutosha.

We know our aim.'

Tunafahamu lengo letu.'

Na wanaendelea kupitia haya mambo yote.

And they just keep going through all these things.

By the time they finish, yes, they get the best deal,

Ikifika muda wa kumaliza, ndiyo, wanapata mpango bora,

lakini nakuwa nimechoka na sipati mpango mzuri kwa ajili ya benki,

but I'm so exhausted and I don't get the best deal for the bank,

and we're in business."

na sisi tupo katika biashara."

"Really?" I thought in my head, "OK."

"Kweli?" Niliwaza akilini, "Sawa."

I was privileged to sit in on a loan negotiating session

Nilipata kipaumbele cha kupata nafasi ya kuwepo katika kikao cha kujadili kuhusu mkopo

in an African country.

katika nchi ya Kiafrika.

So I would do these consultancy positions during summer,

Kwa hivyo ningefanya kazi ya ushauri wakati wa kiangazi,

unajua, ukizingatia mimi ni mwanafunzi wa shahada ya uzamivu.

you know, since I was a doctoral student.

And then I traveled with the team, with the World Bank team,

Na nilisafiri na timu, na timu ya Benki ya Dunia,

as more like someone to help out with organizational matters.

kama mtu ambaye ningesaidia katika masuala ya upangaji wa majadiliano.

But I sat in during the negotiating session.

Lakini nilipokuwa wakati wa majadiliano.

I had mostly Euro-Americans, you know, with me from Washington, DC.

Niliokuwa nao wengi ni toka Ulaya na Marekani, unajua, wakiwa na mimi kutoka Washington, DC.

And I looked across the table at my African brothers and sisters.

Na nilitazama katika meza nikiwaangalia kaka na dada zangu wa Kiafrika.

I could see intimidation on their faces.

Niliona uoga katika nyuso zao.

They didn't believe they had anything to offer

Hawakuamini kama walikuwa na chochote cha kuwapa

vilembwe wa Mungo Park --

the great-great-grandchildren of Mungo Park --

the owners of "apple" in "A is for apple."

wamiliki wa "apple" katika "A is for Apple."

Walikaa na kutazama:"Oh, mtupatie, tuweze tia saini.

They just sat and watched: "Oh, just give us, let us sign.

You own the knowledge. You know it all.

Mnayo maarifa, mnafahamu yote.

Just, where do we sign? Show us, let us sign."

Wapi tunatakiwa kutia saini?Tuonyeshe, tutie saini."

They had no voice. They didn't believe in themselves.

Hawakuwa na sauti. Hawakujiamini.

Excuse me.

Mniwie radhi.

And so,

Na kwa hiyo,

I have been doing this for a decade.

Nimekuwa nikifanya hivi kwa muongo.

I have been conducting research on Africa's knowledge system,

Nimekuwa nikifanyia utafiti kuhusu mfumo wa maarifa ya Kiafrika,

asilia, halisi, maarifa ya Kiafrika.

original, authentic, traditional knowledge.

In the few cases where this has been implemented in Africa,

Katika mambo machache ambapo hili suala limehusishwa,

there has been remarkable successes recorded.

kumekuwa na mafanikio makubwa ya kusisimua yaliyorekodiwa.

Nawaza kuhusu Gacaca.

I think of Gacaca.

Gacaca is Rwanda's traditional judicial system

Gacaca ni mfumo wa kitamaduni wa korti wa nchini Rwanda

ambao ulitumika baada ya mauaji ya kimbari.

that was used after the genocide.

Mnamo 1994, mauaji yalipoisha,

In 1994, when the genocide ended,

Mfumo wa mahakama wa taifa la Rwanda ulikuwa hafifu katika utendaji:

Rwanda's national court system was in shambles:

no judges, no lawyers to try hundreds of thousands of genocide cases.

hakuna majaji, hakuna mawakili kuweza fanyia kazi mamia ya maelfu ya kesi za mauaji ya kimbari.

So the government of Rwanda came up with this idea

Kwa hiyo serikali ya Rwanda ilipata wazo hili

to resuscitate a traditional judicial system known as Gacaca.

kufufua mfumo wa jadi wa korti unaofahamika kama Gacaca.

Gacaca is a community-based judicial system,

Gacaca ni mfumo wa jamii wa mahakama,

ambapo wanajamii hukutana pamoja

where community members come together

kuchagua waume kwa wake walio na uadilifu

to elect men and women of proven integrity

to try cases of crimes committed within these communities.

kusimamia kesi ya jinai zilizofanyika katika jamii yao.

So by the time Gacaca concluded its trial of genocide cases in 2012,

Kwa wakati Gacaca ilipomaliza kutoa hukumu ya kesi za mauaji ya kimbari mnamo mwaka 2012,

12,000 community-based courts had tried approximately 1.2 million cases.

mahakama 12,000 za kijamii ziliweza simamia kesi takribani milioni 1.2.

That's a record.

Hicho ni kiasi kikubwa.

(Makofi)

(Applause)

Most importantly is that Gacaca emphasized Rwanda's traditional philosophy

Muhimu ni kwamba Gacaca ilihimiza philosophia ya kitamaduni ya Rwanda

na majadiliano ya amani na kuungana pamoja tena,

of reconciliation and reintegration,

kupingana na mawazo ya mateso na adhabu

as against the whole punitive and banishment idea

ambayo yanatumika katika mifumo ya nchi za Magharibi hadi siku hizi.

that undergirds present-day Western style.

And not to compare, but just to say that it really emphasized

Na sio kwa kulinganisha, lakini kwa kusema tu kwamba ilihamasisha sana

Rwanda's traditional method of philosophy.

Mfumo wa jadi wa philosophia ya Rwanda.

And so it was Mwalimu Julius Nyerere,

Na kama ilivyokuwa kwa Mwalimu Julius Nyerere,

former president of Tanzania --

raisi wa kwanza wa nchi ya Tanzania --

(Applause)

(Makofi)

nani amesema huwezi kuwaendeleza watu.

who said that you cannot develop people.

People will have to develop themselves.

Watu watatakiwa kujiendeleza wenyewe.

I agree with Mwalimu.

Nakubaliana na Mwalimu.

I am convinced

Nimekubaliana

that Africa's further transformation, Africa's advancement,

kwamba mabadiliko zaidi ya Afrika, maendeleo ya Afrika,

rests simply in the acknowledgment, validation and mainstreaming

yapo katika utambuzi, uhalalishaji na kuweza njia kuu

of Africa's own traditional, authentic, original, indigenous knowledge

tamaduni zetu wenyewe, uhalisi, asili ya maarifa

in education, in research, in policy making and across sectors.

katika elimu, katika tafiti, katika utengenezaji sera katika sekta.

This is not going to be easy for Africa.

Hii haiwezi kuwa rahisi kwa Afrika.

It is not going to be easy for a people used to being told how to think,

Si rahisi kwa watu waliozoea kuambiwa namna ya kufikiri,

what to do, how to go about it,

nini cha kufanya, jinsi ya kukifanya,

a people long subjected to the intellectual guidance

watu ambao kwa kipindi kirefu wamekuwa katika muongozo wa maarifa

and direction of others,

na dira za wengine,

wawe wakoloni,

be they the colonial masters,

aid industry or international news media.

mashirika ya misaada au vyombo vya habari vya kimataifa.

But it is a task that we have to do to make progress.

Lakini ni jambo tunalotakiwa kufanya ili kupiga hatua.

Ninaimarishwa na maneno ya Joseph Shabalala,

I am strengthened by the words of Joseph Shabalala,

muanzilishi wa kundi la kwaya la Afrika Kusini liitwalo Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

founder of the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

He said that the task ahead of us can never, ever be greater

Alisema kwamba kazi iliyopo mbele yetu haiwezi kamwe, kuwa kubwa

than the power within us.

kuliko nguvu iliyopo ndani yetu.

We can do it.

Tunaweza kufanya.

We can unlearn looking down on ourselves.

Tunaweza kuacha kujidharau.

We can learn to place value on our reality and our knowledge.

Tunaweza kujifunza kuweka thamani katika uhalisia wetu na maarifa yetu.

Thank you.

Asante.

(Swahili) Thank you very much.

Asante sana.

(Makofi)

(Applause)

Thank you. Thank you.

Asante. Asante

(Applause)