Joramu Nkumbi: Julius Nyerere United Tanganyika, Making 120 Tribes into One People with One Language
Joramu Nkumbi, Tanzanian leadership coach and author
Mmerikani’s Substack consists of sourced, edifying quotes in a dual-language format (Swahili & English). I am a Quaker, runner, and was formally trained in Swahili.
[Scroll down for the English]
KISWAHILI
“Mwalimu Julius Nyerere mwaka 1963 alipomtembelea Rais wa Marekani J. F. Kennedy ndani ya kasri, Ikulu ya kifahari chini ya jua “White House” alimwambia Kennedy kwamba kama mlivyojenga Marekani ikawa moja nitaijenga Tanganyika iwe moja kutoka kwenye makabili zaidi ya 120….
“Hii ndiyo sababu kubwa sana inayoifanya Tanzania iwe nchi ya tofauti sana barani Afrika hata hivi leo, sisi ni taifa moja wakati nchi zingine ni mkusanyiko wa makabila tu “conglomeration of tribes."
“Mwalimu Julius Nyerere…aliyweaunganisha watu wake kama gundi…na kuwafanya kitu kimoja wenye kuzungumzaa lugha moja kwa ufahari.”
- Joramu Nkumbi, kocha wa uongozi, mwandishi, na mzungumzajia wa hamasa wa Tanzania
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
“When Julius Nyerere visited U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963 at the famous White House, he told Kennedy that, ‘Just as you built the United States into one, I will build Tanganyika into one out of more than 120 tribes….’
“This is the principal reason why Tanzania is a distinctly different country in Africa even today: We are fundamentally one nation while other countries remain ‘a conglomeration of tribes.’
“Julius Nyerere…united his people into one…he made them one people speaking one language with aplomb.”
- Joramu Nkumbi, leadership coach, author, and motivational speaker from Tanzania
Chanzo (source): Nkumbi, Joramu. Ulumbi na Walumbi: Mchango wa Tanzania Barani Afrika. Dar es Salaam: JAMANA Publishers, Ltd., 2023, pages xxi-xxii.