• Toni Morrison

This philosophy is so essential to building a better world. Do whatever is necessary, do whatever is meaningful, do whatever is within your capacity. Enlightenment, empowerment, emancipation, empathy. These are the four E’s we need to build our future.

Several governments, organizations and educators are implementing the service of free education. The benefits of this is of the greatest magnitude for the sustainable development of all societies. Education is the one way an individual can conquer the hurdle of economic and social oppression. Free education truly is the pathway to an earthly salvation for many and it is what every nation should aim to provide.

With the power of the internet, some sources of this work for empowerment and emancipation of the people are available all over the world. When considering free education that is globally available, the following are leaders in this realm:

• University of the People – www.uopeople.edu
• Coursera – www.coursera.org
• Alison – www.alison.com
• Udemy – www.udemy.com
• Edx- www.edx.org
• Future Learn – www.futurelearn.com
• Udacity – www.udacity.com
• Teach 2030 – (for teachers) www.teach2030.com

Let us acknowledge these revolutionaries that are implementing real and tangible change in the lives of many. They are transforming the globe in a monumental ground breaking way. Let us whole heartedly applaud them.

Now, let us also not forget that there are still many who do not have access to this free learning and are in need of education. This is the case for various reasons, such as the lack of availability of the internet or a computer or other such technology. There can also be the language barrier. As you may have discovered, all the free education providers listed in this article use English as the medium of instruction.

Considering these hindrances to accessibility, it is apparent that we still need to make committed efforts to reach the grassroots and the marginalized.

I am currently teaching free adult classes for the English language and entrepreneurship for individuals who have not been able to pursue higher education and come from deprived backgrounds. One of my students cannot read or write. It would be ideal if we could take the time to learn literacy, however, she works full-time and has responsibilities at home. Time is the one thing she does not have and this is the reality for many adult learners. So I try to meet her halfway and audio record lessons for her so she can have some way of having them documented for review.

The rise of smart phone use has made the days of internet cafes more or less a thing of the past. The unfortunate thing about this is that the common man or woman who cannot afford a computer hardly has any common access to a PC. And if a person cannot afford a smart phone there is no public service that allows for the access of the internet (or if they are, they are very few and very far between). It’s almost an all or nothing situation. If people can’t afford the gadgets then they are left with very few provisions to compensate for that. In this prospect you might say that the gap between the haves and have nots has become broader. I am using the term ‘have and have nots’ tentively to illustrate a point.

I am going to segway a bit here because for a moment it is necessary to debunk this phrase ‘the haves and the have nots’ before it blinds us of other broader horizons. This term only takes into consideration economic status but there are other things one can ‘have’ that are not related to economic wealth. Such as: cultural wealth, spiritual wealth, wealth in health, wealth in wisdom, etc. To ‘have’ is not only wealth based on currency. One of these alternative wealths could very well create a life far more enriching than money could buy. Let us not allow these terms in the English language make our perceptions narrow or our thinking obtuse.

With that being said, let us return to the topic at hand, which is: accessibility to education.  Free formal adult education is oftentimes only accessible with the knowledge of the English language and/or the availability of certain technologies.

Let us avidly cheer on the providers that are facilitating free education worldwide. Let us also look to making sure free education is available for our brothers and sisters in the grassroots or who are marginalized. Even if all you have time for is one individual person. That education could change the trajectory of their lives for generations. Let us galvanize for this, if not with our time, then in resources (technology, an old functioning phone you no longer use, books and stationary, etc). Some people collaborate with an external family or person to financial fund their school fees. Education is a necessity and a right for all. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Story-telling is a tradition and ancient art in all of Africa, Tanzania is no exception. So why is it that traditional story-telling is a fading art here? 

The only public space I know of that has story-telling for children is the Soma Book Café. Only one consistent place in the whole of Dar es Salaam. I tell stories to children from impoverished backgrounds.  All I would do is gather a group of kids from a neighborhood with the permission of their guardians, then have a story session with snacks. I’d tell a story that I then invited them to discuss and ask questions about and intriguing conversations would flourish out of this.

I once tried to do this with a puppet I personally went to a tailor to make. I named my puppet Dada Tumaini, meaning Sister Hope in Kiswahili. I tried her out several times with an audience. It was a disaster. I found out the hard way that ventriloquism is not for me. I was inspired by Jim Henson’s muppets and Lamb Chop the puppet created by Shari Lewis (I always giggle to myself when I think of her because she must have quite a naughty sense of humor to name her knitted talking lamb ‘Lamb Chop’). But my puppetering attempt did not go well with any group of kids so Dada Tumaini has since retired in a storage room at home.

My inspiration and passion for story-telling began with watching a renowned story-teller from Ethiopia known affectionately as Ababa Tesfaye when I was a child. Ababa Tesfaye is a national hero in Ethiopia. He passed away at the age of 94 in 2017 and remains a well loved legend. Ababa Tesfaye was so compelling in his art as a story-teller that he hardly needed anything to become one of the most greatest icons of Abyssinia. When you watched him tell stories on television he just sat in a chair, wearing ordinary clothes with a plain blue background. The pictures that occupanied his stories that were  usually about talking animals and carried a moral were simple and made on a black chalk board with white chalk. But Ababa Tesfaye’s stories were riveting! He was expressive, he gave the animal characters special voices. His animated facial expressions alone were enough to entertain you. He was wonderful.

We should have at least one great story-teller we broadcast across the nation and revive this art that was once so common in our villages and amongst our ancestors. Our children should have a national hero they can meet at school to talk about or reminisce about fondly 30 years from now.

Why are we not providing these kind of platforms? I subscribe to DSTV (our continent’s cable television) and on all the mainland Tanzanian channels provided there I do not see any children’s programs or story-telling on a regular week day. It is not on our radio channels either.

Where are our story-tellers, puppeteers, child entertainers? It should be a national quest to find them. And give them a platform. Collaboration is important. Because some have the will, but not the talent. And some have the talent but not the funding. And some have the funding but don’t know about the bureaucracy or the process to access a national platform.

But we can start small. In your families, in your neighborhoods, in your schools. Let us keep the tradition of story-telling alive.

https://web.facebook.com/Ababa-Tesfaye-%E1%8B%8D%E1%88%88%E1%89%B3-254502007942805

When you read a good story it has the power to make you a little more wiser, a little more empathetic (by seeing through the eyes and experiences of someone other than yourself). With regular reading being a sort of passively internalized training in the art of writing; reading books equips you with the possibility of becoming a skilled writer yourself.

When a story is written, that is a story documented, and henceforth, a story made immortal. So our nations need a tradition of reading, we need writers. For our cultures, for our history.

Why is it that the habit of reading is so rare when the benefits are so vast? I have heard people from around the world say, ‘I don’t read much but I enjoy The Harry Potter series.’ Something about this literature appeals to the masses, which is a good thing. It has won fans all over the globe but I have to point out that it is a modern fiction with no characters that are people of color. It is very western and it is very commercial. So, I only hope that it’s the gateway to more readership; readership filled with more diversity and culture.

Another reason not many pass-times are filled with book reading is because people are often made to believe that reading is only associated with academia. Yet another reason is that people find that buying books is expensive. I do realize that reading books for leisure is a luxury (it is costly) but it is also a worthwhile investment.

And of course, libraries are available and they are free. I refer to them as urban sanctuaries. Inquire with people in your town or even search on the internet for libraries in your region.

Let us normalize the joy of reading and encourage the reading of books for recreation so that kids will maintain book reading well into adulthood. Let us make a conscious effort in reading books from all over the world of narratives not spoken enough of globally. African, Asian, Middle Eastern, South American, Native American, Caribbean, Aboriginal, etc.

One place working to promote reading culture in Tanzania is the Soma organisation. They are doing beautiful work. They host several events during the year pertaining to literature, poetry, arts and culture. The last event I went to was a very lovely memorial for the late writer and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. Because I spoke so passionately about literature and the author at the event, the director, Madam Demere Kitunga, gave me an impromptu invitation to mediate part of their public discussion. I very enthusiaistically accepted and felt so elated to be able to contribute to the program. And that is just how Soma Book Club is: giving everyone a voice and facilitating public platforms whenever possible for all.

The Soma organisation is currently teaching extracurricular classes for children to become more exposed to literature and to also learn how to write their own stories. What a great way to uplift our children.

Here are some other places making readership and literature available to both children and adults:

• Soma: Leisure and Culture – www.somabookclub.com
• Mkuki na Nyota Publishers – www.mkukinanyota.com
• Novel Idea – (If a book is not available in your store for a deposit they would happily order it in for you)
• University of Florida’s free Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature – https://ufdc.ufl.edu/baldwin/all
• Booksie: African Childrens Bks @mybooksiebox – Available on instagram for ordering books and a free live children’s books reading every first Saturday of the month.
• http://literacycloud.org/

Now that you know some great outlets that are facilitating the culture of reading, let’s spread the ‘word.’

The inspiration for Kokutangaza came from the holistic approach of learning from the International School of Tanganyika. I thank my own wonderful teachers and educators as well as colleagues and employers throughout the years.

I officially became a public activist in my under-grad years in university, and I soon realized that problems with activism included rhetoric and superficial endeavours. I aim to empower others and facilitate sustainable development.

Kokutangaza has also inspired many groups and people around the world to adopt its methods, including the Latham School and Onastories.

One of Nelson Mandela’s most prevalent quotes is that education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.

Kokutangaza is here to help make education inclusive and dynamic.

Kokutangaza is here to remind others that in a world too pre-occupied with ‘success’ and material gain that compassion, empathy, kindness, justice and mindfulness are still central to development of any kind. An awareness which in South Africa is known as “ubuntu.”

I would like to thank all the lovely people who have supported the Kokutangaza movement throughout the years. Sending all my supporters a big bear hug.

List places that have been inspired by kokutangaza.

• The university of Dar es Salaam

ART

Kids Baking Lessons
time: 14:00-16:00 weekdays
Location: Mikocheni A, opposite Tanesco, Arizona VTC, Dar es Salaaam
Contact: +255 742 466 965

Piano Tutor
Time: customised
Location: customized
Contact: +255 715 033 398

Art classes
Description: art classes for ages 6-12
Location: Kimara Mwisho, Dar es Salaam
Contact: +255 682 798 558

Champions After School club
Time: 14:00-18:00
Location: Oysterbay, Uganda Avenue, Dar es Salaam
Contact: +255 769 609 024

SPORTS

Open Play
Description: open play for ages under 18
time: monday-friday
Location: Masaki sports park, Dar es Salaam
Contact: +255 744 733 333

Champions After School club
Time: 14:00-18:00
Location: Oysterbay, Uganda Avenue, Dar es Salaam
Contact: +255 769 609 024