International journalist, podcaster, and communications expert Engaisi Peter has joined our Unite team in Tanzania. With this article “Banana Blessings” she launches The Unite Herald with the tagline: “We are spreading smiles, and here's where you can see and read about them.” Engaisi will soon be profiling our Unite Scholars, Unite Brave Widows, and our Unite teammates, and we will share her writings with you here through our blog. Welcome to the Unite family Engaisi! We are thrilled to have you with us on this grand adventure of love and service.
THE UNITE HERALD: BANANA BLESSINGS
Unite Environmental Scientist Clara Ngowi and Unite Brave Widow Program Manager Rhoda Lugazia presenting Unite Brave Widow Lina Sikombe with the gift of bananas from our Unite garden.
On November 23, 2020, Lina Sikombe made her way to Kunduchi, a growing neighborhood in the fast disappearing outskirts of Dar es Salaam. Waiting for her at the Unite Garden in Kunduchi were environmental scientist Clara Wilson, Unite’s Special Project and Volunteer Coordinator, and Rhoda Rugazia, Unite’s Brave Widow “Mjane Jasiri” program manager. In tow with Rhoda and Clara was a hand of bananas -- a rather versatile raw food ingredient with which one can make fried bananas for breakfast and a banana and beef stew meal for lunch or dinner.
Lina, the recipient of this “zawadi kidogo,” small gift, is a 68-year-old member of Unite’s Brave Widow “Mjane Jasiri” program who looks like she could run a marathon in a heartbeat.
Behind this little moment of exchange between Clara, Rhoda, and Lina was a satisfying fitting of puzzle pieces between the different parts of the Unite family. They say kindness begins at home and this was an instance where that rang true at Unite. Clara runs the Unite Garden, which saw its first seeds and seedlings planted last December by Unite Scholars. A year and buckets of sweat later, the Unite Garden harvested some of those delicious bananas gifted to Lina. Rhoda coordinates Unite Brave Widows programs which supports Lina and other widows with business grants, loans, and training programs.
Lina, on the other side of the story, is a widow who has been part of Unite’s Brave Widow “Mjane Jasiri” program since August 2019. She sang in the choir in her local church and the pastor recommended her to the Unite Team, which was scouting for widows at the time. When he heard about the program, he thought Lina would be a perfect candidate because she was kind, disciplined, and hard-working. The scouting team listened to the pastor and got to know Lina more, visited her home in Mbezi, and eventually on-boarded her unto the Unite Mjane Jasiri program. The string that ties these two sides of the story together is the Unite Blessings project, which began as a response to COVID-19 challenges to members of the Unite family.
Before COVID-19, Unite Scholars and Brave widows were granted capital to start small businesses and they had their foot in the door before the COVID-19 pandemic closed it shut--throwing sales off the ledge. It became a challenge to sell stock and that was when a lightbulb went off for Unite.
Our overseas donors pulled together to raise funds to support these small businesses by purchasing stock and choosing to give it as a “blessing” to those who need it. We did not have to go far to find them because right within our community were people in need. In response to the gift Lina says:
“God bless you abundantly. The bananas will feed my whole family for weeks. I cannot believe I get to take them all. Thank you!”
About Engaisi Peter:
Engaisi is a huge fan and proponent of questions and curiosity in the process of learning; strongly believing that any meaningful progress or change begins with asking questions to unearth insights.
For that reason, she’s the number one fan of the Unite Passion Project and she works with the Unite Family to tell the stories of those who have felt the warmth of the Unite mission in communities Unite works with.
Engaisi is also the host of the @Work with Engaisi Podcast where she speaks with East African professionals about how we work, how we can do it better, and uncover insights that allow us to shape the future of our careers, businesses, and workplaces.
Her motto is "stay curious."
About Lina Sikombe:
Lina, 68, is from Mbezi Mpiji Magohe, Dar es Salaam. Her husband died and left her with retail shops that she rented to business owners. She was well cared for with this income. However, a few years later, the houses were demolished following an order from the government, and Lina received no compensation. Lina became fully dependent on her oldest daughter, who sadly died shortly thereafter. As a Unite Brave Widow, Lina has launched a vitenge and batik business and plans to start a chicken farm. She is also an active participant in the Unite Mjane Jasiri (Brave Widow) brick and mortar storefront in Dar where the women are making and selling their products to the public. Additionally, Lina has been making (with the entire widow group) face masks and handbags for Unite The World With Africa Foundation.