Iringa Hope visits 2012: A Funeral, Dinner, A Long Drive, And Some Recordings!

We are beginning to wind down from a hectic schedule of village visits and training sessions. However, we have a few things we need to complete before heading home. Tom will be recording some additional training lectures by Enock and Itiweni that he will put on DVDs which will be left here to be used in the villages. We also planned a dinner to acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed to the development of SACCOS in the Iringa Diocese. Before either of these things happened however we attended the funeral for Itiweni’s brother-in-law, which was held on Sunday afternoon.

The deceased was a local businessman, only 41 years old, and very well respected in the community, so his funeral was attended by several hundred people. As far as we could see we were the only wuzungus (white folks) in the assembly, so we didn’t feel like we were blending in with the other mourners. One of the mourners was the man we buy our groceries from. He was a very close friend of the deceased and served as the MC at the funeral. He and many of the close friends and family wore T-shirts with a photo of the deceased on the front and Philippians 4:13 on the back (“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” – in Swahili, of course.) Since he knew us he ushered us up to the front of the church, where we definitely felt out of place.

At the end of the church service the assembly all filed past the casket and when we fell into place and reached the bier, Itiweni leaned up from her spot on the floor next to the casket and we hugged – at that point we felt less out of place and more like we were in the right place.

We joined the funeral procession to the cemetery, driving most of the way, then parking and walking the final distance. The crowd was so large that the pastors used a bull horn when they were speaking. The sun was beating down on us, but everyone stayed for several numbers by the choir, followed by a 40 minute sermon, the burial rites, the filling of the grave during several hymns by the choir, and finally a few eulogies. After the burial, the group went to the home of the widow for a meal, which we didn’t attend. The meal was catered, and Itiweni told us that they served over a thousand people.

We went back to our house to get ready for the recognition dinner at the Lutheran Center. Guests included representatives from Tumaini, Bega Kwa Bega, and the Iringa Diocese. Many people have helped us in our work to establish these SACCOS, so we wanted to say thanks. We also wanted to bring them up to date on what we’ve been doing these last six weeks. After dinner Sandy and Brown welcomed the group with an example of how we handle our language translations during our village visits – with one small difference – this evening Sandy spoke Swahili and Brown was her translator for the wuzungs in the group. Not her most eloquent moment, but a fun attempt at Swahili.

Tom, always the professor, had prepared a power point presentation reviewing the history of our involvement in SACCOS in Iringa, and our progress to date. It included statistics of how the SACCOS are doing so far and video footage of interviews with SACCOS members telling how their lives have been changed by the loans they have received.

Tom spent Monday at the University recording lectures and getting things organized. He worked until 6 or so and then picked up a University vehicle for the trip to Nyanzwa (ours is being fixed). He had to immediately fill it up (it was of course empty) for the trip to Nyanzwa.

On Tuesday we made our 3^rd visit to the troubled SACCOS at Nyanzwa. The Kilolo District Coop Officer and a District Official rode with us. Leaving at 8 we got there about 10:30.

The Coop Officer went off to talk with village officials – so we waited. The meeting with the SACCOS members who have paid their loans was called to order at 1:45. There were 48 members there (there are over 200 SACCOS members – but most of them have outstanding loans and so were not allowed at the meeting) plus 9 SACCOS “officials.” The Coop Officer read them the audit report, informed them that the SACCOS was not now operating, informed them that the officials had all been dismissed and were being fined and were in danger of being arrested. Itiweni gave a talk scolding the members and the officials for their mismanagement. Sandy gave a talk shaming them for taking a community resource and making it into a problem. Tom decided not to say anything since it was clear the members were finally getting mad and did not need any more prodding.

When the meeting was opened to the members, people started to speak. One after another they got up to denounce their leaders and vent their anger. They went on with person after person telling how angry they were and the many problems they had seen. Finally I told Itiweni it was getting dark and we would need to leave soon. She talked to the Coop Officer and he stopped the comments and proceeded to have 5 members chosen to collect debts. These five will go with the village police to collect on the loans over the next few weeks. If this does not work the law provides for them to be arrested and held until they pay their loans. We hope that this process will result in the restoration of this SACCOS – but only time will tell.

We left Nyanzwa at 5 and headed home. As we were driving up the escarpment it was getting dark. Tom really does not like to drive here at night – too many cars drive without their headlights on (some people think that they save money by not using their lights!) and there are many people walking (and some lying) in the road with dark clothes on. When we got back to our house it was 8:00 and had been dark for an hour!

Today was another day of meetings and taping sessions. We had meetings with the diocese, with Bega Kwa Bega folks, and then over to the University to tape some more lectures! Tomorrow looks like more of the same.

The funeral was videotaped. People feel free to get up and walk around during the ceremony.

The coffin was taken to the cemetery in the back of a decorated pickup truck.

The cemetery is on the side of a hill overlooking the town. Unlike our cemeteries no one keeps these grounds up.

There were about 400 or so people at the cemetery.

The pastor had to use a bullhorn to be heard by the large crowd.

The man we buy our groceries from was a good friend of the deceased and was MC of the funeral.

People feel free to stand on graves, headstones, etc. Looking at the
markers we noticed that so many died in their 30's and 40's.

After the grave was filled in it was covered with ribbons
and lighted candles were placed by family members.

We gave a dinner at the Lutheran center to thank those who helped us and told them what we have been doing.

We had a captive audience for Tom's power point presentation.

Sandy gave a talk in Swahili while Brown translated it into English.

On Tuesday we drove back down to Nyanzwa with Itiweni, the Kilolo Coop Officer, and the District Officer. We had chai with the pastor's wife while waiting for the meeting to begin.