One World

Dar is alive – I think the theory of countries in Africa was poorly implemented.

Being in Dar-Es-Salaam was like being home, the same people pleasant and happy to get acquainted to a new face! We all are the same only misguided by maps and names given (Uganda, Burundi, among others), I noted, suggesting that we are different. Having taken almost ten years before coming here again I was apprehensive and curious to see how much of Tz's busiest city had changed!

A few more buildings, a lot of construction going on too many more people in the city and a lot of trucks leaving the harbor for various destinations around Africa, this time we had come to study the way government, academia and private sector (SME) were working together for economic development. Interestingly my very basic English seemed very advanced, however I admired the way Swahili had united the Tanzanians that it seemed language and ethnic belonging would come secondary to being Tanzanian a very strategic pride that the other E.A. countries cannot be proud of!

“Shicamo – Malahaba” a very interesting form of greeting between juveniles and seasoned elders – talking to elders in the community one realizes that every one has a calling to life beyond self that only if the human race believed in this call may be Africa would be light years a head of where it is today. However the dream to have grand riches with out any significant input to acquiring it supersedes any other dream, this is definitely not wealth. Every one running around to own and drive a “Sangingi” without understanding the least of the technologies used to manufacture it, it is our way, the way of Africans defining themselves as Sudanese or Kenyans without the depth of understanding of how they came to be where they exist.

In our meetings we realized that we too could innovate successfully and collaborate with in ourselves, only if we were more trusting of each other and had genuine concerns for the development of our continent with an attitude of life beyond self. We chose many times to trust the white man for he will also provide the easy to get resources that will get us off the ground into some dream position of “wealth”! In the mean time calling each other names like you Ugandans or you Kenyans, tearing down the only railway line that we have never improved since it was constructed in the name of imaginary differentiations. Venting anger at the wrong person – “Omuyankole”, “Omucholi” - “Jaluo”, “Kikuyu” etc.

This is the nature that we have learned to promote pretending to uphold our heritage! So what if you are an Itesot or Muganda, so what if you are Karamojong or Masai well I guess you know the answer – so what anyway?

Okay back to the niceties the Ocean wow that one I will never get used to it, sitting at Dar alive with my buddies sipping sweet Kilimanjaro beer we talk about politics, money, Africans and remember Dr. Ruks and his emails, we tease Julie about her Shangingi (a legit one though earned through sweat and toil) and we look at the setting sun over the water as the planes come in to land and...... we wait for a better Africa! Ez describes Rwabz life in Tz in just under ten minutes and we think this country is beautiful.

The night quite good too all streets are lit up, actually tried driving without head lamps on and it was easy, thought to my self “even in Africa some countries are sane enough to build wide roads and light them up, I must admit Uganda seems to be the most cursed when it comes to organization of estates and roads”. We got to Savannah and the night even became more exciting seeing the just arrived Del P feeling like the owner of the bar. Hmmmnnn and it was time for the E.A. Music it was very uniting every one danced to the music they liked, just like to boys watch the football team, or tennis player they liked. Then there was MJ's music legend of POP RIP, we had just heard that morning that he was no more in the body.

Interestingly my most exciting moments in another city or town is walking by a nice neighborhood thinking and meditating, this time it is the ocean..... Walking near the water very calm and splashing in small bits on my legs, I begin to think about ideas that will help me contribute to changing the world to a better world, I think of a family that I will make and the wealth that I want to build.... I think about a vision that I have never forgotten “Peace and fulfillment of Mankind's Potential” I think about “tight de la tight” a word I share with only one person on living earth. Dar next time lets do it again.