This is a memoir about family. Love. Trying, failing and pushing against norms. It tells the story of a man who pursued his ambitions with discipline. His journey speaks to any Tanzanian seeking growth in life and business.
Certain conversations make you return to particular books. Lately, discussions about investing have been everywhere. Shares on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. Growth funds. Unit trusts. Debates about gains, risk and discipline. I found myself thinking about On My Father’s Wings. It was time to read it again.
This is a memoir about family. Love. Trying. Failing and pushing against norms. A man who pursued what he desired with discipline. His story matters for any Tanzanian seeking to grow in life and business.
The book opens with him on a football field. There are too many errors. He senses it before anyone speaks. Something is off. We have all experienced that shift.
He is right. His father has been in an accident that has taken his life.
“My eyes were immediately drawn to the froth at the corner of Baba’s mouth and his lifeless face. I couldn’t believe it. I tried, but I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it, but I didn’t cry. The chief was right. I was Baba’s oldest son. I had to be strong.” It is a clear demonstration of how men are socialised to be strong, even in the face of grief at such a tender age.
Life continued. Michael joined high school, though he admits he did not perform as well as he had hoped. Curious and ambitious, he began working with the Public Works Department, servicing heavy-duty vehicles. He later pursued airline pilot training in England, soon after independence. The training was not easy. He struggled with becoming a pilot. Along the way, he met people willing to assess him honestly and guide him. “Listen to me, Michael, you have a great basis… What do you think about aircraft performance?”
That conversation changed his trajectory. He found his calling. The desire to begin at the top is common. He did not. Upon his return, he joined East African Airways in an entry-level position. He was not pleased, but later acknowledged its value.
“I later realised that starting at the bottom gave me a deep understanding of the industry.”
After Kenya confiscated all aircraft, Kenya Airways was established, leaving many Ugandans and Tanzanians without jobs. Air Tanzania had to be operational. Shirima and his colleagues got to work because, as he notes, starting an airline is not simple.
Political interference, however, began to hinder the airline’s success. In one instance, a political appointee ordered 60 passengers off a plane that had already boarded to make room for two VIPs.
“I was outraged. You cannot operate civil air transport like that and expect to become a first-class national airline.”
He quit his job. His wife, Triza Victoria, with whom he had worked in the industry, was not happy. She worried about their children’s education. Yet she played a major role in his journey, especially as he began soul-searching to determine what business would work for his family, including a nyama choma venture that failed but gave him basic knowledge about running a business.
He became a truck driver for his timber distribution business from Moshi to Mwanza. The business grew, but he continued driving with his employees. His airline colleagues did not understand how he could leave a prestigious job to become a truck driver. He did not mind. He knew what he was building.
“I had become an entrepreneur just like Baba.”
Knowing the right people is often the first capital in business. Shirima attributes his success to friends, older individuals who had been in business longer than he had. Through them, he learnt about opportunities.
“I wanted to do more.”
Born of that desire, Precision Flight Africa began as a crop-spraying business. It was not without challenges, including accusations from the government. From those challenges, Precision Air was born. He details how he built it into what it is today. His journey was marked by discipline, ambition and shared values with his wife.
On My Father’s Wings is a memoir that shows possibility. Shirima tells his story with transparency. He records doubt, political setbacks, failed ventures and long journeys. He presents a wife who worried about her children’s well-being yet stood beside him, carrying the weight of the home while he built his path.
As I close this review, I am reminded of Michael’s dialogue on independence: he asks which is better, a chained dog with food and water or a dog left free to roam as he pleases. He argues that a reliable source of sustenance is tempting. But what about freedom? The roaming dog might starve, yet it has no master. It chooses its own path.
Which is better for you?
Jane Shussa is a digital communication specialist with a love for books, coffee, nature, and travel. She can be reached at [email protected].
