GROWTH: My baby sister’s school pregnancy

My father Mzee William, aka Askofu Makarios was a strict disciplinarian. He had been trained by German colonial officers from the then Bush Schools in the then Southern Province – the now Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya regions - to the then Kinampanda Teachers College somewhere in central Bongoland.

As most of you may already know, the German colonialists instilled discipline through the effective use of ‘Kiboko”. This was a lengthy whip made from the tough hide of a hippopotamus.

Mzee Makarios, with his lengthy whiskers, unfortunately took this strict discipline to his homestead. He had a special ‘kiboko’ which was kept at home to ‘guide’ us – his sons and daughters – to be more focussed in school, domestic and even spiritual matters.

It has to be told that, among other indulgences, Mzee Makarios, founded and managed a family church choir. The choir was composed of none other than us – his three sons, my sister and my mother, Mama Semerere.

Come to think of it, this was a very successful choir. Every Sunday morning we used to patronise the local Evangelical Lutheran Church at Wangama village in the now Wanging’ombe District to serenade local worshipers with spiritual hymns. My father, who was also a local primary school headmaster, was the choir master.

Woe upon any member of the choir, who would sing a flat tune or not strictly observe his timing as per the choir conductor. Mzee Makarios would scold and severely punish that individual at home through his famous ‘kiboko’. Though, to be fair, he never punished my dear mother. No wonder, those who know me can swear to that, I am a very good singer.

As stated earlier, my father Mzee William aka Askofu Makarios, a local headmaster and choir master was a strict disciplinarian.

Now towards the late 1960s the unthinkable happened. My baby sister, Lea, who was in Class VI got pregnant, thanks to the nocturnal activities of one Luo, a local businessman.

He must have lured my sister with the local merchandise in his shop including some candies.

Know what. Have you ever seen a furious and lonely buffalo? Never ever come across such an animal. In its fury it trashes all the bushes and shrubs around it before charging at you with its nostrils steaming like some double barrel exhausts. And that was my father.

He could have killed our Leah had it not been for my mother’s fast thinking. We smuggled Leah to our distant uncle who used to live in Lupembe, some 150 or so kilometres from our home. That was the place where my sister gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and later continued with schooling.

She ended up taking a teacher training course, and as I presently scribble this third rate column, she is a veteran primary school teacher at Ilembula Village, Wanging’ombe District.

It is with this background that I listened to President John Magufuli’s directive on pregnant schoolgirls the other day. I can understand that it is difficult for the government to accommodate such girls. But what was not said is, the President did not ban private schools whether run by businessmen or non-governmental organisations from accommodating such girls.

Because without such an alternative we may lose a lot more Leahs, who could eventually, if given the chance to continue with education may end up becoming good teachers, doctors, engineers and the like, notwithstanding their primary school pregnancies. I lay my case.

The author is a veteran journalist and media consultant based in Arusha.