“Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu”

This Zulu saying, which means ‘a person is a person through other persons’, originates from a fundamental philosophy in traditional African culture: ubuntu, which literally means humanity or kindness. The belief that humans are interconnected and share a common bond that helps uncover basic human qualities is the foundation upon which philanthropy has been built in Southern Africa. A similar philosophy, ujamaa, was created in Tanzania by Julius Nyerere, the country’s first president. Ujamaa, or familyhood, was the crux of Nyerere’s economic and social development initiatives and a driving force behind the strong sense of community, and corresponding integration into one unified society. It is to these philosophies that credit must be given when discussing how philanthropy came to be such an imperative part of the Tanzanian lifestyle.

For my mother’s side of the family, the Tejpars, philanthropy has always been a priority. To them, it is more than a fundamental belief; it is a way of life. From the age of 8, my mom vividly remembers being taught the values of generosity and selflessness, and being urged to integrate these values into everyday living. Growing up in Upanga, Tanzania, my grandfather and his brothers had the responsibility of providing their families with food, shelter, and an education, a feat that did not come easy. Working together and embodying the values of unity and familyhood so encouraged in society at the time, my grandfather and his brothers opened a bakery in Changombe, a suburb of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, called White Hart Bakery. It is here that the intention of giving back to the community was put into action. At the end of each day, my mother’s grandmother, known to the family as Maji, would collect the leftover loaves of sliced bread from the bakery, and toast them in the oven. They would be re-bagged and loaded onto the bakery truck where Maji would take them to subsidized housing communities where fellow Ismaili Muslims lived. Through this simple act of giving, dozens of loaves of bread, which would have ultimately gone to waste, fed hundreds of hungry people. Additionally, a part of the profit from any family business was allocated to daan, meaning philanthropy in Kutchi, an Indian dialect my family speaks. Once my grandpa and his brothers became more successful, they opened a small grocery store. Even here, philanthropy could be seen in the workplace, where individuals with little to no educational background were employed doing various odd jobs so they too could make a living.

It is with this sense of openness that my mother was brought up, and how my sister and I have been raised as well. The Tejpars never lost sight of where they had once been; as they became more affluent, they felt it was their duty to give back. Whether it was through toasted bread slices, employment, or another form of philanthropy, giving back was not solely about money to the Tejpars. They recognized the impact their actions made on their community and in turn, allowed them to feel a sense of belonging. These instances of giving, whether classified as ubuntu, ujamaa, or a more Western approach, were all fueled by the same motive: the love of humanity. For the Tejpar family, the purpose of life is a life of purpose. The family exemplifies ubuntu in its truest sense: they have stayed a family through giving to other families.

Works Cited

Coughlan, Sean. (2006). All you need is ubuntu. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5388182.stm.

Manda, David Suze. (2009). Ubuntu philosophy as an African philosophy for peace. Retrieved from http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=20359.

Nabudere, Dani W. Ubuntu philosophy: memory and reconciliation. Retrieved from http://www.grandslacs.net/doc/3621.pdf.

Ngwodo, Chris. Pax Africana. Retrieved from http://www.blackstate.com/paxafricana.html.

Nyerere Educational Resource Center. Philosophy of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Retrieved from http://www.nyererecenter.org/cms/philosophy.

Zeenat Ladak, mother

Throughout my childhood, family members would describe stories depicting their upbringing in East Africa; the difficult times, the government nationalization of personal property directed at particular ethnicities and the disparate situations they witnessed, always making a point to convey just how “lucky” I was. The importance of family and community support was a recurring theme to these tales. As someone who was fortunate to grow up in Canada, these stories seemed so foreign to me. And although this was a difficult concept to comprehend in my youth, as an adult I realize that this is an unfortunate global reality.

Various communities would come together in the rural areas, regardless of ethnic or religious background, to help neighbouring villages work the land, provide agricultural supplies or livestock and build wells (1-3). This sustainable approach to famine relief required the cooperation of multiple sub-communities to facilitate and achieve their agenda, working side by side in close partnership with villagers that ultimately provided the village and future generations with food and clean water supply. The Tanzanian population consists of 120 ethnic groups, with 6 religious communities within the Asian community alone (4,5). Despite some disagreements between these communities in the past, the importance of helping others in need took precedence.

Food and water should not be seen as a ‘privilege’, especially when it is a matter of live and death. It can be both an instrument and limiting factor in poverty alleviation and economic recovery (6). Investigators illustrate that better nutrition is associated with higher income, and that nutrition interventions have a substantial beneficial effect (7). Furthermore, the incidence of malnutrition in Tanzania has been attributed to the high levels of poverty in rural parts of the country where 87 per cent of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihood (8).

Africa also has the lowest water supply and sanitation coverage in the world, contributing to the dangerous health situation observed in many regions, where hunger and water-related diseases are prevalent (9). This circumstance is much more widespread in rural areas, where accessibility is only 50% compared with 86% in urban areas (10). Villagers, particularly women and children, are faced with the burden of traveling very long distances to obtain water, resulting in a heavy workload (11). Studies also indicate that increasing the distance to the nearest water source results in a significant increase in trachoma prevalence (12). In addition, the diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis have all been implicated with inadequate clean water supply (13). Problems with freshwater availability in Tanzania are further complicated with droughts and variable levels of rainfall resulting in a significant portion of the population that are dependent on groundwater as their primary water source (6,14). Since, water availability is inextricably linked with climate, the need for wells in rural villages is further reinforced (6,15,16).

Being a member of this environment carries a certain conscientious responsibility to one’s neighbours that extends beyond the community they identify with. In this example, the mindset cannot be linked to one particular culture or religion, rather it exemplifies the basic moral principles that cross those barriers. Whether out of religious obligation, a sense of duty or simply the need to help those less fortunate, communities involved in work of this nature were pioneers in developing sustainable approaches to empower neighbouring villages and illustrating the effectiveness of hope in a non-institutional environment. A notion of goodwill and caring that would be passed off to their future generations, emphasizing the “pay it forward” ideology. Through a collective, holistic approach juxtaposed with close partnerships fostered between different communities, residents are given the opportunity to actively break out of the cycle of poverty and provide for their families in
a dignified and non-humiliating manner. Everyone in this case facilitates philanthropy in an atmosphere that viewed all participants as equals, in contrast to dominance by the wealthy elite in an attempt to restore social order. Although, their primary motive and methods differ from traditional Western strategies, the overall goal is essentially the same, to help those in need. It is important to recognize all forms of philanthropy and their sustainable contribution to the society in which they exist.

References
Irene De Albuquerque, verbal communication
Peter De Albuquerque, verbal communication
Arminda Fernandes, verbal communication

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Tanzania

http://www.indexmundi.com/tanzania/demographics_profile.html

UNEP. 1999. Global Environmental Outlook.
Alderman, H. et al. Reducing Child Malnutrition in Tanzania-combined effects of income growth and program interventions. 2005. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 3567
Prospector John. Tanzania recording steady progress against malnutrition. IPPmedia. http://ip-216-69-164-44.ip.secureserver.net/ipp/guardian/2007/10/03/99636.html

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa

ONU/WWAP. 2003. UN World Water Development Report.

http://www.concern.net/en/donate/making-a-major-donation/harambee/harambee-water-and-health-tanzania

Baggaley, R.F., et al. 2006. Distance to water sources and altitude in relation to active trachoma in Rombo district, Tanzania. Trop. Med. Int. Health. 11(2): 220-7.

http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=4874&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

http://www.tanzania.go.tz/waterf.html

Riebsame et al. 1995. “Complex River Basin Management in a Changing Climate.” In K. Strzepek and J. Smith (eds.) As Climate Changes: International Impact and Implications, pp. 57-91. Cambridge University Press.

http://www.unep.org/dewa/Africa/publications/aeo-1/fig2e2.htm

In Ethiopia, an East African country, joining a Mahiber is one of the main aspects of social interaction people have with each other. The word Mahiber means ‘an association’. Mahiber is a traditional philanthropic organization with the purpose of forming a safety net for people. Often times, people who form Mahibers have common attributes like living in the same neighbourhood, or belonging to the same church. Other times, they can even be relatives, in which case the main purpose of the Mahiber is to keep family ties stronger, and distant relatives closer.

When a Mahiber is first formed, a group of people will gather and come up with rules to guide the function of the organization. The rules concern issues like the maximum number of members, how often to meet, monetary contribution of each member at each meeting, and the kind and amount of support each member will receive from the group in times of need. Members will also decide on what kinds of situations they will support members with, the most common ones being death of family members, birth, and sometimes even graduation of members’ children. They will also agree on measures to be taken when members fail to make the periodic monetary contribution or fail to carry out their responsibilities as members (A. Negere, personal communication, September 27,2010).

Members of Mahibers have meetings on a regular basis, usually every month. These meetings are almost never formal, and members take turns in hosting the meetings at their homes. The host is expected to serve a meal or snacks depending on the time of day the gathering takes place. This provides a great chance for members to socialize, and most of the meeting is spent doing just that. However, some part of the meeting will be dedicated to discussing important issues. The money collected at each meeting is saved and used when a member needs assistance. In cases when an individual is unable to make the financial contribution, he or she will supply manual labour instead. This is to say, the individual will for example help each host with preparing for meetings. These types of members are considered to be equal members of the Mahiber and will receive similar support when in need (A. Negere, personal communication, September 27,2010).

As mentioned previously, one of the support members receive from their Mahiber is at the event of a death in the family. In the case of lose of family members, the financial assistance will depend on whether the deceased was a spouse, a sibling or a child of the member. The largest amount is given when a member losses a spouse, and least if it was a sibling. During this time, the member who has lost a loved one will receive certain amount of money depending of the relation to the deceased. On top of that, the other members are required to help with serving lunch and dinner to the guests of the mourning family for three days. This is done by taking turns in bringing food, and also cleaning up afterwards (A. Negere, personal communication, September 27,2010). The contribution made by the Mahiber is very valuable as it will take the burden of the family from worrying about their guests and gives them time to grieve their loss.

Although, it may seem insignificant, the contribution Mahibers have on the lives of individuals, and in society at large is priceless. In addition to providing people with the materialistic and physical support they need in trouble times, it also makes available the opportunity for people to share the good times and the bad. It brings people together in a way they might not be able to if they were just people who run into see each other at church once a week.