Jeshurun's Mind: Kiswahili na Mashairi

Mapenzi Ni Kikohozi, Hayawezi Kufichika

 

Mapenzi ulimwenguni, yaliletwa na Muumba,

Bustanini Edeni, Manani akayapamba,

Na tangu hizo zamani, yakawa ni kumbakumba,

Huwatoa kitweani, wajaliwao wachumba,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi kitu azizi, kwa nisai na rijali,

Katu hayana mjuzi, ulamaa wala nguli,

Huathiri mabazazi, wakawa wenye adili,

Kama lilivyo duwazi, zi wazi zake dalili,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi kama majani, popote pale huota,

Hayazibagui dini, lugha na za watu kata,

Hata rangi ya ngozini, si kitu yanaponata,

Huwatia upendoni, matajiri na wakata,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi huwa utumwa, pindi yakilazimishwa,

Waathiriwa huumwa, bilashi hushughulishwa,

Huku huba wakinyimwa, na wazi kuaibishwa,

Kwa uchungu hufumwa, mwisho nje hurushwa,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi pia huvunda, na kujawa na vituko,

Udhanipo wewe chanda, na yeye ni pete yako,

Ukawa unampenda, kumuona yu mwenzako,

Kumbe unafuga donda, moyowe hauko kwako,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi yalo kiboko, kuyapata ni vigumu,

Usifikiri hayako, mahaba yalo matamu,

Huleta msisimko, ladha ya asikirimu,

Hayazui chokochoko, hung'aa kama nudhumu,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi utathamini, ukiwa unayajua,

Utamuenzi mwandani, hata akikuzuzua,

Utapenda zake mboni, na macho ya kurembua

Na umbo la wastani, nyonda likikuzingua,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mpenzi uloridhia, kumuacha si rahisi,

Maradhi ukiugua, yeye kwako huwa nesi,

Na dozi hukupatia, hudumani ni mwepesi,

Kwa unalohitajia, hutamki anahisi,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Mapenzi ili yadumu, kuyatunza ni faradhi,

Uzinzi huwa ni sumu, huleta mengi maradhi,

Waminifu ni muhimu, hubaidi na kuudhi,

Ni hayo natakalamu, kitunza hutabughudhi,

Mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika.

Jeshurun's Mind: Spiritual Food

The Nature of God

It is true that many people, and especially Christians, who do acknowledge the reality of God and His existence hold to a great variety of ideas about who He is and what He is like. Each one of us has certain thoughts and ideas concerning God. However, some of these ideas often conflict, not only with each other, but also with the actual biblical teachings. But since God is One and eternally the same, it is absolutely imperative that our conception of Him be coherent. Simply, our knowledge and understanding of Him should jibe with what He has revealed about Himself both in the natural world but more so in the Scriptures. 

It is certainly worthy to know that the more one meditates on God and subsequently fears Him, the more His majesty, greatness, loving-kindness and overall glorious nature is discovered.

“The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. ”(Psalm 25:14, KJV).

“For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.”(Ecclesiastes 2:26, KJV).

“...And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3, KJV).

The following are some of God's attributes which make His nature really intriguing:

God is eternal and self-existent

God is an immortal and uncaused being, who remains the same forever without needing anything.

“LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.” (Psalm 90:1-2, KJV).

His eternal nature and self-existence are inextricably linked.

“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.” (Psalm 102:25-27, KJV).

 

Therefore, this obviously means that there is no god or anything else equal to the Almighty God, to whom all glory, honor, reverence and adoration belong.

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God.” (Isaiah 44:6, KJV). 

God is Omniscient

God is infinite in regard to knowledge. He knows perfectly, not only the minutest details of our lives, but also of all other things and beings including Himself! Our losing a single hair or a sparrow falling never escapes His attention.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Mathew 10:29-30, KJV).

He effectively knows the end from the beginning because He is, in fact, the one who makes things happen.

“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”(Isaiah 42:9, KJV).

He is therefore fully aware of what will happen until the end of history.

“Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”(Isaiah 46:9-10, KJV).

He knows and understands our thoughts, desires, needs, aspirations and hearts – simply our everything.

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways. For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but,] lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”(Psalm 139:2-4, KJV).

Jesus Christ, being God Himself, could read the mind of His audience, which really perplexed the audience itself.

“And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, [Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?”(Matthew 9:4, KJV).

“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”(Matthew 12:25, KJV).

Since it is crystal clear that God knows us and everything about us, it is only prudent to implore Him, just like David to:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV).

Jeshurun's Mind: Kiswahili na Mashairi

Wakenya, Kutozuru Kenya Kwa Obama Kwawashiani?

Wakenya mbona mwawashwa, na ziara ya Obama?

Bure mnababaishwa, naye kutowatazama,

Na Mungu huwa twalishwa, twavishwa twawa salama,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Siku nenda siku rudi, mwatazama Magharibi,

Mnasema yawabidi, kwani kuna mahababi,

Kuwadibu sina budi, mkimkinai Rabi,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Japo Kenya asiliye, Obama haithamini,

Alikotoka abuye, kwake kitongoji duni,

Msimtumai yeye, msijishushe thamani,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Wakati aliposhinda, uchaguzi Marekani,

Waziwazi alidinda, kuwazuru kumbukeni,

Na ingawa mlikonda, kwake mlitumaini,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Muhula wa kwanza wake, alitembea Afrika,

Mkakaza macho kwake, mno mkafurahika,

Lakini akenda zake, mkawa mwasikitika,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Obama sasa yuaja, tena barani Afrika,

Mmezidisha harija, kwani Kenya hatafika,

Maizini zenu haja, wa kutimiza Rabuka,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Komeni kutegemea, mwanadamu asodumu,

Kwani yeye hupokea, machunguye na matamu,

Aghalabu hulegea, hayo ninyi mfahamu,

Mtumai cha nduguye, hufa hali masikini.

Beti nane zimetimu, nahitimisha shairi,

Kwenu liwe talasimu, nilosema likariri,

Tena liwatie hamu, mmrudie Qahari,

Msitumai vya ndugu, msijefa masikini.

Jeshurun's Mind: My Musings

The Bold, Strong and Indomitable African Woman

          Being born and bred in Africa poses a myriad of serious challenges to the African woman as compared to her male counterpart. Some of the hurdles she encounters during her lifetime normally threaten her very own existence. Since her world is never cloistered right from when she is little, she quickly gets inured to the harsh conditions and realities of life. She is counted extremely lucky if she does not succumb to the primary killers of children in Africa, namely pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition. The causal relationship between poverty and disease is one of the contributory factors to the inexorable rise in child mortality. 

          It is one of the reasons why the African child's susceptibility to disease remains more or less the same, despite the concerted effort made by both international and local organizations as well as health sector's stakeholders to curb the situation. Pneumonia, a deadly Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) kills more children than any other infectious disease. At the same time, the measles death toll in Africa is so high that in some parts, it is reported many mothers do not give their children real names until they have survived the disease. But as fate would have it, some of those who survive the killer diseases suffer blindness, deafness, brain damage or total paralysis.

          Once her vulnerability to childhood illnesses is over, the little girl is enrolled in school so she can get basic education, supposedly of good quality, and become an important person in society later on in her life. However, due to many reasons ranging from economic to cultural practices, keeping her consistently in school becomes a tall order. Some retrogressive cultural practices and rites of passage restrict her freedom to enjoy the right to education. This is common especially in Sub Saharan Africa, a region that lags behind the rest of the world in terms of education provision, with majority of out of school children being girls. This is unsurprising considering the ordeals girls face of pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, being married off at a tender age and domestic work, not to mention traumatizing experiences with predatory paedophile members of society. 

          A case example of the whole scenario can be derived from South Africa whereby the country's Health Minister revealed, two months ago, that at least 28 per cent of school girls were HIV positive compared with 4 per cent of boys. The Minister, Mr Aaron Motsoaledi, attributed the problem to sugar daddies who exploited the girls, adding that 94,000 school girls, some aged between 10 and 14, fell pregnant in 2011, and 77,000 had abortions at state facilities. But thanks to various interventions from different stakeholders, the life of the African girl child may no longer be at stake as it has been the case in the past.

For instance, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) has committed to facilitate girls who face numerous obstacles in their development towards academic and social achievement, to better understand those obstacles and identify their solutions. One of the practices FAWE has adapted is the TUSEME (Let's speak out) project that roots for girls' empowerment. TUSEME aims at addressing problems such as school dropouts, poor academic achievement, school girls' pregnancy and sexual harassment among others. 

          But regardless of whether she is empowered academically, economically and socially or not, life goes on for the African girl child who, with or without her consciousness, gradually turns into a young woman. If she is not already a mother by this time, she, out of her own volition or otherwise, becomes one as she grows older. Even though the fruit of the womb is regarded as a bundle of joy, becoming a mother in Africa entails risking one's life as well as that of the child. Africa is highlighted as the most dangerous continent to be a mother of a newborn, because of the high maternal and infant mortality.

According to the Save the Children's 2013 State of the World's Mothers report, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the riskiest country to be a new mother. In some cases when the mother is poorly fed and overworked, she gives birth to underweight babies who have not been adequately nourished in the womb. Due to the devastating conditions for mothers and children, the African mother has one in thirty chances of dying as a result. Sadly, the grim situation does not take into account whether she is a single mother, a refugee, in a stable marriage or has a steady income among other things.

          That notwithstanding, the African woman still remains the backbone of communities and the continent’s greatest potential to unlocking economic growth as she provides the majority of labour with the least amount of resources. The U.S Department of State, through the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) strongly believes that reductions in the gender gap in education, health, political participation, and economic inclusion will result in the continent's economic competitiveness. The AWEP initiative, which was launched almost three years ago identifies and builds networks of women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa poised to transform their societies by owning, running, and operating small and medium businesses, and by becoming voices for social advocacy in their communities. 

          Despite the rendition of vicissitudes that inform her formative years, the African woman has proved that intellectual propensity and physical prowess are really individual attributes and have nothing to do with one's sex. She has surmounted various levels of difficulties to become among other things a formidable author, scientist, politician, engineer, journalist and business woman. Presently, the African woman scientist as well as the small scale woman farmer holds the key to food security in the continent. Speaking recently at a ceremony where 70 African women were awarded fellowships to accelerate agricultural gains by strengthening their research and leadership skills, Vicki Wilde, the Founder and Director of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), noted that majority of those who produce, process and market Africa's food are women, but only one in agricultural researchers is female. 

          A research conducted by AWARD found out that if women were highly represented in Agriculture, there could be plenty of food for families and surplus for sale, hence assurance of food in the continent. The 70 laureates were selected from among an impressive cadre of 1,094 applicants from 11 African countries and included among others Nigeria's Dr Bolanle Otegbayo who holds a PhD in Food Technology from the University of Ibadan, Kenya's Dr Lusike Wasilwa, an Assistant Director, Horticulture and Industrial Crops Division at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and Dr Segenet Kelenu, the current Vice President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

          It is therefore only appropriate to state that life has turned the African woman into an indomitable spirit.  She has undoubtedly lived the adage that what a man can do a woman can do too, and even do it better. Hard-lined chauvinists who seek to suppress women and pin them down to play second fiddle have been vanquished. It is hard, nowadays, to find an African woman who is not making it in one field or another. 

       Currently, we have African women presidents such as Malawi's Joyce Banda and Liberia's Ellen Johnson. We also have ministers, ambassadors, judges and holders of extremely powerful positions across the political, economic and social divide. Not long ago, the Forbes Magazine released a list of 20 youngest power women in Africa, all under 45, who wield enormous influence in African business, technology, policy and media. They were rated to be at the vanguard of Africa's imminent socio-economic revolution and its contemporary renaissance. 

          Some of them included Ory Okolloh, a Harvard-trained Kenyan lawyer and founder of Ushahidi, Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian writer, Yolanda Cuba, a South African corporate executive, Ndidi Nwuneli, a Nigerian social entrepreneur, Dambisa Moyo, a Zambian economist, Khanyi Ndhlomo, a South African media mogul and Elsie Kanza, Economic Advisor to Tanzania's president. Others were Juliet Ehimuan, the Nigeria's Google country manager, Isis Nyongo, a Kenyan and the Managing Director of  InMobi Africa, the world's largest independent mobile advertising network, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, an Ethiopian-born entrepreneur who earlier on had been named 'African Businesswoman of the Year' by African Business Magazine, and Liberia's Sarah Kaba Jones, the founder of FACE Africa, a non-for-profit organization that provides access to clean, safe and portable drinking water for rural communities in Liberia.

Of course the list was not exhaustive and this just shows how successful the African woman has been and can be, if ways of enhancing her well being, abilities, natural gifts and talents are given top priority.

Jeshurun's Mind: Kiswahili na Mashairi

Baragumu Inalia, Ulimwengu Pulikiza

 

Bismila nakadimu, jinale Muumba wangu,

Tangu abadi hudumu, mfanya nchi na mbingu,

Ana haki na hukumu, hafanani na miungu,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Mungu mwingi wa huruma, si mwepesi wa hasira,

Kwa watu wote ni mwema, hata wanaomkera,

Amejivika adhama, mche akupe busara,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Mawazoye ni mafumbo, yasoweza fumbuliwa,

Ni azizi yake mambo, kucha kuchwa husifiwa,

Pasi na kuwa na fimbo, hulinda wanoonewa,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Wahadahu la sharika, milele huhimidiwa,

Mbinguni na malaika, duniani na watawa,

Ni nani kama Rabuka, sitara yao makiwa?

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Hapendezwi na sadaka, huupenda utiifu,

Roho iliyovunjika, haidharau Latifu,

Ambaye yuko katika, Utatu Mtakatifu,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Kinywani mwake hutoka, ujuzi na ufahamu,

Hekima huitamka, na kumpa mwanadamu,

Mola mwenye mamlaka, fadhilize si adimu,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Alinitoa gizani, kaniponya na hilaki,

Kanirejesha fajani, Muweza wa mahuluki,

Nisijerudi dhambini, ikawa ndo itifaki,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Duniani nilitanga, nikizengea baraka,

Sikuona la muanga, mtima ukadhurika,

Sasa nimetia nanga, kwa Kahari sitotoka,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Kila siku najihimu, namwendea kwa imani,

Namsujudu Rahimu, narudisha shukurani,

Dua jambo mahashumu, pia ni yenye thamani,

Ninapiga baragumu, naujuza ulimwengu.

Kaditama kukweleza, yanomhusu Karimu,

Hapa basi nanyamaza, ninaibwaga kalamu,

Nilonena pulikiza, utazidisha elimu,

Nimepiga baragumu, umejuzwa ulimwengu.