MMU Writers' Club launches ‘Sauti ya Amani'
By Valentine Marc Nkwame
The newly formed Mount Meru University (MMU) writers club, knows exactly how to
go about its mission and this is through stage plays, creative writings and
also, if things go well in future, by producing exciting educative television
drama series.
One of the Mount Meru University's lecturer who heads the college's writing
department, Rev. Dr. Charity M. Waichungo, divulged this during the launch the
maiden publication for the University's periodical "Sauti ya Amani!" (Voice of
Peace).
The magazine is the fruits of the MMU-Writers club, consisting of about 15
members, all being students of the recently accredited Ngaramtoni- based, Mount
Meru University which operates under the Baptist Mission in Tanzania (BMT).
During the launching ceremony, the Writers Club members also displayed their
acting skills by staging a drama based on the Bible about the controversy which
surrounded early Christians who once argued between themselves about who among
the first three apostles-- Paul, Apollo and Cephas (Peter)-- was the right
messenger of God.
Dr. Waichungo explained that the club intends to use stage acts to help people
who cannot read to follow the Bible in a more interesting way, while also, such
dramas could be used to pass educative materials to the society.
"Right now the MMU-WC members are still amateur writers, but soon we intend to
conduct a special seminar to train them on the proper writing skills for future
improved productions from the club, " she said.
Speaking during the ceremony, the MMU Deputy principal, Rev.Dr. Harrison G.
Olang' expressed his concern over what he described to be some saucy stage acts
and publications which are currently being produced in the country in the name
of, "Art!"
According to Dr. Olang, such acts are vehicles through which, society morals are
being eroded at alarming rates, adding that there was need for educative
materials to take the center stage if the local community was to be saved.
In a speech read on his behalf by the District Welfare Officer, Samuel Kaaya,
the Arumeru District Commissioner, Elias Wawa Lali, lauded the Writers Club
efforts but pointed out that Tanzania still has the problem of relying on
foreign scribes to record the country's important events, something which,
according to the DC needs to change.
Mount Meru University, is the third such higher learning institution in Arumeru
District, the other two being the recently established, University of Arusha,
operating under the Tanzania Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church and the Tumaini
University, run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCT).
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