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Karibu Sana (You are very welcome)
By Ananya Sri Ram Rajan
Ananya Sri Ram Rajan, of the USA, writes of her visit to East and Central Africa, including her appearance on national TV.
A warm welcome was given to Sis. Ananya at Dar es Salaam airport, 31 March 2015.
In November of 2014, I was invited to be the chief guest for the 47th convention for East and Central Africa to be held April 3-5 in Tanzania. I thought my visit to Tanzania would be for about ten days, but the region does not regularly have speakers come through so other countries took advantage of my visit. Aside from Tanzania, I was hosted in Zambia, Kenya and Uganda which allowed me to get to know our theosophical brothers and sisters in this part of the world and the remarkable TOS work they are doing despite limited resources. While I cannot speak for every country in Africa, the ones I visited were very welcoming with many greeting me in Kiswahili saying “Karibu Sana!” It felt like I was a long lost family member.
Like many sections and lodges in the TS/TOS, there are a handful of people that are the core volunteers who do a number of different jobs and create a tremendous impact. I still do not really know how it was even possible, but the
Dar es Salaam group, which consists of three main people: Deepa Kapur, who is also the TOS Coordinator for Tanzania, Sis. Lila Chohan, and Bro. Dubal, the Assistant General Secretary of Tanzania, were able to organise a convention that included over 200 delegates and visitors as well as coordinate enough publicity on television to impact the future of the Tanzanian Section for a month after the convention was over.
At the convention, Deepa Kapur set the tone of the TOS session by giving the history of the TOS and drawing a global picture of the existence of the TOS stating that “the best way to catch a glimpse of these activities would be through a visual representation.” Thus, a TOS film, created by her husband, Runjiv Kapur, was presented. It “encapsulated beautiful images and the rainbow-like spectrum of activities” that captured “the spirit of service and true commitment of TOS workers in each country.” Following the film, a most inspiring talk was given by Usha Shah, Convenor of the TOS in Kenya, about the work being done in Nairobi. “Soon after, the TOS Coordinator from Zambia, Bro. Ebrony Peteli, came forward to address the gathering. He spoke of the ongoing TOS activities in Zambia, putting the spotlight on the very popular Speech and Oratory competitions held for students. Bro. Ebrony sees the immense potential for continued TOS work in Zambia and is keen to connect with all TOS coordinators from other countries, especially within East Africa. The Chief Guest, Sis. Ananya spoke about the TOS. She shed light on the TOS Plan of Action and the great possibilities for humanitarian work in the African continent.” (Excerpted from the 2015 report on the East and Central African TS/TOS Convention by Deepa Kapur)
General Secretary, Narendra Shah, is all smiles as he welcomes Sis. Ananya.
We are all here for Sis. Ananya!
The 47th Convention for East & Central Africa was held in Tanzania April 3-5, 2015.
Dinner meeting of TOS Coordinators, TS leaders and delegates from East Africa, April 2015
Largest Dar TOS Youth Group
Deepa Kapur, a dear friend and sister, exudes a dynamic and jubilant energy which is infectious. She has done an amazing job of coordinating a youth group within the TOS in Tanzania. In her report to the International Secretary, Nancy Secrest, she wrote, “The TOS in Tanzania has been endeavouring to motivate young students and youth to be a part of this noble work. There is no better way to initiate the young into the ideals of the Theosophical Society than by involving them in hands-on, action-oriented project activities. As TOS coordinator, Tanzania, I feel a sense of fulfilment in reporting that Tanzania has had two of the most dynamic Youth TOS groups since 2010.”
The present TOS youth group president, Miss Chandni Mehta, was responsible for the entertainment programme for the convention and recruited a number of talented children from the Chanika Orphanage.
Deepa’s report adds that, “The children displayed their remarkable talent for song and dance with a thunderous performance of foot-tapping African dances. They were dressed in eye-catching colourful African costumes and danced through the audience up to the stage, as delegates cheered and clapped. The programme concluded with beautifully attired young Indian girls of the TOS youth group captivating the audience with their high-energy Indian dances.”
Dancers from Chanika Orphanage
The orphanage was started through a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Kind Heart Africa, but is sponsored by the TOS in Dar es Salaam. Sister Lila Chohan and her husband Jayant spearheaded the fundraising for this orphanage, collecting money from Tanzania, the United Kingdom and Spain. Jayant Chohan, an architect by profession, provided his expertise in designing the buildings. When the convention ended, I and a number of other delegates took a tour of the orphanage which is overseen by Reverend Panna Sakera, a Buddhist monk, and a governess who looks after all 60 children’s needs. The orphanage is a two hour drive outside of Dar es Salaam and like many orphanages in developing countries the furnishings are very simple. New dormitories have recently been built with indoor toilets and showers.
Generous donations were made by many delegates for the orphanage during the convention and Lila Chohan and Bro. Dubal (who is also treasurer of Kind Heart Africa) have been instrumental in the continual fundraising for the place. A donation for 20 new bunk beds was received while I was there.
After our arrival and a welcoming song by the children, I spoke with some of them through a translator. Many of the older children worried about what the future held for them especially as after a certain age, they are expected to make their own way in the world. Africa, as many people know, is in general a poor continent and each country has its own difficulties with providing opportunities to those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Lala Salama! Sleep well in the new dormitories.
As I didn't see a number of items to entertain the children, I asked if there was anything they needed and they requested footballs (soccer balls) and some African drums. Through a generous donation from a very kind woman I met later that afternoon, we were able to make the request a reality. Chandni and her youth group interacted with many of the children as well. Speaking in Kiswahili, she encouraged the children to study hard and maintain good values as their foundation. Deepa’s report adds that the youth also “presented them with the donations that had been collected at the entertainment event. The Dar TOS youth group embodies the objective of the Theosophical Society of universal brotherhood in word and deed.”
The children of the Chanika Orphanage
Dar TOS Youth Group sharing love with the children from the Chanika Orphanage.
Nationwide telecast of Ananya’s TV interview.
The day after my arrival in Tanzania, a television interview was set up with Makwaia Kuhenga who hosts a weekly show called Shall We Make It? The show usually discusses social and political issues, but Bro. Dubal, who works at the station, happened to mention my visit and Makwaia was interested in discussing what theosophy is. Makwaia has a very jovial personality and while we laughed through much of the interview, we also touched on some serious issues. The interview was aired three times in English and three times in Kiswahili. After the first airing, calls came into the station wanting to know more about the TS and the TOS.
On May 2, a month after my visit, Deepa had a meeting at her house with 15 new young members for the TOS group. To continue communication between the members, a WhatsApp chat group was started by the youth group president Chandni Mehta.
On June 21, the group held its first fundraising event by
hosting a Jumble Sale. The kids raised over 200,000 shillings (approx. US$100.00)!
It always astonishes me how one event can create a rippling impact. It will
be interesting to see what else this group does. Tanzania is in great need
and there is no dearth of helping opportunities.
Kenya also has a very active TOS group due to the enthusiasm and drive of Usha Shah who tirelessly leads the way for many of the members of the Nairobi lodge, a number of whom have been strong arms in the TOS for decades. (I found it difficult to keep up with Usha and she is 25 years older than me!) I, along with some members, had the honour and pleasure of participating in the TOS programmes that Usha coordinates with many of the children in the poorer surrounding areas. Anything one does with Usha means laughter and fun no matter what it might be. Her positive outlook seems to make even the most tedious work a joyful experience.
One afternoon, a “fun day” was held for
about 25 to 30 children from the shanty towns near the Nairobi TS compound. A
large trampoline was set up along with a giant inflatable slide. Two young gentlemen,
dressed as clowns, played games and sang songs with the kids. While the two
men were setting up the trampoline and slide, the children were given name
tags, had their faces painted, were given stickers and dabbed with perfume by
volunteers of the Nairobi lodge. I am not sure who had more fun as the
Nairobi lodge is more like a close-knit family than a lodge. There was so
much laughter and bantering that it brought joy to everyone, not just the
children. Usha, her daughter-in-law Sheela, along with myself and some other
volunteers helped prepare a lunch for the children and the clowns. As I had
to speak that evening and it started to rain, I unfortunately had to leave
before the event was over. I was later told that the children didn’t want to
leave despite the rain. The event allowed them to be children.
Face painting at the party.
Two young men dressed as clowns for the party.
Soon after arriving in Nairobi, Usha asked me to come and see her library. She said that she started collecting books for a few of the very poor children in the area and worked on teaching them how to read. On the day I was going to see the library, my host and I were driving down a busy road. We turned the corner onto another street to park. I didn’t see a building that looked like a library and was feeling rather confused. When I got out of the car, I suddenly heard Usha’s voice, “Welcome to my library!” I looked up and there under a beautiful big tree were a number of children of all ages sitting on mats reading books in English. It was actually the most beautiful outdoor library I had ever seen. There were several adults sitting on the mats with the children helping them with their reading.
Usha’s library under the trees
As is customary, the children stood up to say hello and sing some songs in English which Usha and other volunteers had taught them.
I arrived just when lunch was going to be served. Plastic plates suddenly appeared along with a big vat of rice and an Indian curry, some bread and some fruit all prepared by Usha and her daughter-in-law Sheela. I helped with serving the children lunch, listened to a few songs that they sang for me and headed off to another lunch held in my honour. The ‘library’ made quite an impression on me because it was so simple. How difficult can it be to collect some books and teach children to read? In my mind I felt a building was needed. It was a huge misconception. I asked Usha about having the children read English versus their own language and her comment was very matter of fact. English is a universal language so it is a better resource for them to have. I told Usha that the next time I get to Kenya, I will definitely bring books for the children to read. Much of Usha’s work, as well as the work done in Tanzania, comes out of the volunteers’ own pockets, but no one thinks twice. The money doesn’t matter to them. What matters most is serving the greatest need with a full heart and an open mind.
It is difficult to put into words the gratitude I feel for the amount of work that the members from these four countries did so that this visit went smoothly. Each host I stayed with was gracious and accommodating while still attending to their day jobs and then organising the meetings and workshops. It is said that one of the greatest things in life for an individual is to be able to do something that gives them immense joy as part of their life work. I have to say that with this trip I have experienced and witnessed this. There was a genuine serenity and happiness that came from many members who were intricately involved in the preparations for my visit and this made the difference in the meetings and programmes. Whether one was doing TS work or TOS work was insignificant. What mattered was the work itself, the communal purpose they shared, and the ability to create a channel of harmony for everything and everyone around. This is something as servers to the betterment of humanity we can all exemplify.