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No. 00292 |
October 18-24, 2003 |
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I am Going for Law StudiesBy lute wa lutengano A few days ago I decided to enroll with the Open University of Tanzania. This has nothing to do with my seeking University education. Rather it has a lot do to with the late Mwalimu Nyerere’s philosophy that ‘Elimu Haina Mwisho’ education has no end. Prior to that I had acquired a degree in ‘Literature in English’ as they argued then and re-named it saying Literature could be in any language. So when you study literature you can study it in ‘Swahili’, ‘French’ or even ‘ Chinese.’ I thought this was logical. I still think so. I also took another subject, which by Tanzanian standards was very abstract, Choreography the art of body language. The subject had to do with the way to transmit a message using your body movement. It was quite exciting. I have to admit that the Choreography studies were even more interesting because the Swedish lady lecturer was stunningly beautiful. Do not misconstrue this were young boys then! Another interesting subject, which I undertook at the University, was in another exotic field it was called Theatre Arts. Here we were taught how to produce films, stage plays, stage management and the whole lot to do with performing arts. Somehow, though, my whole heart was in journalism. I had a lasting memory, which come to think of it confirms my belief that one can literally decide on what one wants to do in life years before one comes of age. I remember one evening, in the southern highlands town of Iringa, while still in secondary school; I met a British tourist who wanted me to direct him to a nearby hotel, the White Horse Inn. I had never been to that hotel before because it was basically a high class, European and tourist hotel. I was then a mere school boy. But direct him I did. He offered me a soft drink, and I believe he was slightly impressed by my English language communication skills. He then asked me about my background and the like. But one thing I remember vividly is him asking me about what I would like to do in future. I told him, without much thought that I wanted to become a journalist. He encouraged me saying with my type of language skills, I may make a good journalist. Truly enough, some years later, I found myself, after studying all those exotic subjects, resorting to journalism as my profession. I do not think I have been a very successful journalist in this part of the world. What with some journalists having risen to posts of Presidents of the country like H.E. Benjamin William Mkapa? But I believe I have tried my best to put into words ideas and opinions from all walks life apart from informing members of the public about what is going locally and internationally. So some few weeks ago I received a message from one British tourist who was bound to visit Tanzania and climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I did not know him. But he reminded me that he had met me some twenty or so years ago as young secondary school boy. He said he had asked some Tanzanian friends of his about me and they had told him I was one of those ageing Tanzanian journalists. Truly he arrived in Arusha and I had the opportunity to meet him and take him around. He reminded me of our initial meeting in Iringa and he was pleasantly surprised that I still remembered him notwithstanding his old age. That is when he proposed me to study Law with the Open University of Tanzania. I thought this was a joke. At my age how can I do that? It was only after reading the accomplishments of a friend of mine, one Matemanga, who happens to now have eight kids and who has recently graduated in Law from the same University that I decided I am going to study law. So when you see me next time I will be talking a lot of law with a touch of choreography and theatre arts. Watch out!
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Last modified:
October 16, 2003. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
