Veteran TZ Actress pays it forward 'Act with Monalisa'

By +Caroline Anande Uliwa

She is a household name as an actress in Tanzania, who has been in the business for over 15 years. Yvonne Cherrie Hamisi better known as Monalisa following a character she played in a drama series back the in 90’s.

This Oct 6^th at the national museum headquarters in Dar es Salaam, working with partners to include her own managing team and members of TAFF- the African Film Festival from the USA.  

Launched a mentorship program for actresses titled ‘Act with Monalisa’. 

The launch ceremony had the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture Arts and Sports Hon Juliana Shonza as the guest of honor. It was a heartwarming affair particularly for the chosen top 50 young actresses, many of whom were headlining a red carpet event for the first time.

“For a long time Monalisa has had this dream to mentor young actresses in this business. She always told me she would like to see a batch of actresses even after she’s aged, that are carrying the baton being successful actresses in Tanzania. Who have been mentored by her as part of her legacy.” Susan Lewis a.k.a Natasha Monalisa’s mother, a veteran actress herself tells us on what inspired Monalisa to venture into this project.

Monalisa left next to the Hon Deputy Minister of
Art & Culture Juliana Shonza
at the launch of the 'Act with Monalisa' program inside
the National Museum earlier this month in Dar es Salaam

After placing a call through her social media platforms (on Instagram alone Monalisa has over 1.8 million followers); asking young actresses across the country. To come audition and stand a chance to be among fifty actresses mentored for three weeks by Monalisa and other veterans in the film industry of Tanzania.

This to include Lecturer (creative arts department University of Dar es Salaam), film director and current Chairperson of the Board of TGNP (Tanzania Gender Networking Program Dr Vicencisa Shule; Monalisa’s own mentor veteran actress Susan Lewis; Mr Issa Mbura filmmaker and lecturer at Tanzanisa School of Journalism and Mass Communications as well as Teen Psychologist Sadaka Mtuka Gandhi better known as Aunt Sadaka to mention a few.

The response was thousands of girls turning up for auditions in Dar es Salaam come early August inside the National Museum. Who were very eager to learn and be in the business https://www.instagram.com/actwithmonalisa/.

Among the top 50 actresses chosen for the first mentorship program
of 'Act with Monalisa' present at the launch ceremony
inside the National Museum House of Culture
in Dar es Salaam earlier this month

“I chose girls because myself I am a womb bearer who has been in the film business for a long time. I therefore know the challenges young women in this business go through, in the quest to follow their dreams. 

When I was coming up I didn’t get enough mentorship so I thought at the level I am today, why not take this opportunity to mentor girls in this business.” Monalisa shares why she picked girls for this program.

Together with her team they managed to break down thousands of young actresses to 100 and finally to a top 50 batch, that were present at this launch ceremony. Which had celebrities like Singer Songwriter Banana Zorro grace the stage.https://www.musicinafrica.net/directory/banana-zorro-b-band

“We didn’t expect the Hon Deputy minister Juliana to grace our event...You see back in our days the public didn’t have as much access to films in the international market, we as well went through training particularly our involvement in theatre productions strengthened our craft. 

Singer, songwriter Banan Zorro inside the launch of
'Act with Monalisa' in Oct-2018 at the
National Museum

Today with the wave of social media and big access to foreign film for the masses, competition is fierce in this business particularly for young girls. So we are happy to get this chance to instill education in these young ladies, from how they should interact with the media strengthen their networks in the industry. To the flipside of fame and how to best handle it etcetera.” Susan Lewis shares on what she expects to accomplish with her daughter inside this mentorship program.

Speaking with Monalisa’s manager Masafa we learned that the program has been approached for television but so far no network has claimed it. Currently the program is going on inside CDEA https://www.facebook.com/CDEAORG/offices in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam. This during the weekends as many of the 50 chosen actresses are students and were only available during the weekend, it is expected to continue till early December this year. 

Kids lifted with Poetry WoChiPoDa-2018

By +Caroline Anande Uliwa

In the middle A poet from Poetry255 during WoChiPoDa 2018
inside 'Ujasiri Hostel in Muhimbili Hosp DSM' the kids are
patients living at the hospital.
Photo by Liyen Alex @photo_matics -Instagram

He quickly moves close to you not wary of strangers, his big ebony eyes invite a warm smile from your lips. He is meeting the world gaily expecting favour from adults present. As he continues to edge closer you squat down meet his gaze. say hello, welcoming a chat with this warm three year old you just met.

Footprints of various poets wafted to the Ujasiri hostel inside the Muhimbili National Hospital grounds in Dar es Salaam, on a warm Saturday morning. So as to celebrate WoChiPoDa-World Children’s Poetry Day.

The three year old above named Kisa is among various children housed at this hostel; who are afflicted with Cancer and undergoing treatment to free them of the disease. Yet Kisa like many of his mates’ present, show little signs in their demeanour in being any different from other healthy kids.  

Kids in Munich earlier this month celebrate
poetry hosted by Diana Mac Omolo-photo courtesy
of Gloria Gonslaves

“World Children’s Poetry Day WoChiPoDa wasn’t something I considered or mulled over. The idea occurred to me on the Sunday of May 25^th in 2014 during a walk in the Fairy Tale Forest of Altenberg, Germany...it is important for children to learn and experience poetry in a fun way other than school curriculum s or what is written for them by adults.” Gloria D. Gonsalves a native Tanzanian living in Germany explains on how she registered the first Saturday of October, as world children’s poetry day. It is her efforts that inspired several poets including myself led by poet Zuhura Seng’enge to visit Ujasiri hostel earlier this month.

 Poet Rehema Kawambwa celebrates WoChiPoDa with her students
in Kisarawe, Tanzania photo by Gloria Gonslaves

Ujasiri hostel was built in 2013 by TLM-Tumaini la Maisha an NGO operating in Tanzania. Ujasiri houses out of post children cancer patients and their guardians, who require long or critical care treatments. TLM was established in 2011 following initiatives by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Tanzania and the huge support of donor funding from within and outside the country. Its patron is the Hon former president Ali Hassan Mwinyi.

Here efforts by Dr Jane Kaijage (she ran the first children cancer ward at Ocean Road Cancer Institute), International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research, Children in Crossfire, Rotary Dar Marathon, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, the Abbott Fund, Resolute Mining, Karimjee Foundation and private donations; have ensured TLM has made significant milestones in the fight against cancer for children in the country.

Whereas before it was established of the expected annual 3500 cases of paediatric cancer in the country, survival rate stood at 12% compared to 85% in developed countries. Today TLM is happy to report the figures have improved to 60% annually.  “Cancers found in children are largely curable especially when cases are reported early...” Alex Kaijage Marketing Manager TLM, source https://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/TLM%20PDF.pdf

A group photo of the WoChiPoDa celebrating crew in DSM
earlier this month at Ujasiri Hostel in Muhimbili Hospital

The resilience of the kids at Ujasiri was infectious, here Gospo a 6 year old from Kagera made me pause with admiration. Suffering poor vision a result of cancer, he was adept at using his hearing exceptionally well, catching the exact tone of your voice and responding with intelligence and enthusiasm as you spoke with him. He took pencil to paper though he didn’t see what he was drawing and always tucked his drawings in square sheets that fit into his pocket, so he could later show his dad.

Through the efforts of Gloria Gonslaves on this day Gospo, Kisa, Winner, Miriam and many more kids at Ujasiri, got to enjoy art and poetry. Supplemented by breakfast and a big cake specially made for them that read ‘poems are fun’. Indeed on this day poetry was a whole lot of fun, as the kids got into two teams’ one representing sunshine and the other rain. Both had to compose lines of poetry using a doodling and visual brainstorming method. The result was some amazing artworks and surprisingly articulate lines of poetry from a few of the kids present.

Adults are lady Zuhura Seng'enge and the Teacher at Ujasiri Hostel
Here the kids have just received presents to celebrate the
WoChiPoDa day

Gloria also on this day had three other celebrations taking place in different regions; students in Munich led by Diana Mac Omolo celebrated Wochipoda. Where in Tanzania also in Moshi students led by Eric Ndumbaro and students in the district of Kisarawe in Pwani region led by Rehema Kawambwa got to celebrate World Children Poetry Day.

“Yes, I have sponsored all the events to date. You can imagine as the initiative grows, this self-funding approach will be unrealistic...This year my funding reason was to give thanks for being a mother after many attempts (Gloria is a survivor of Adenomyosis http://www.doktorsea.com/tag/auntie-glo/). These events were my baby shower a ‘welcoming the baby’ party thanksgiving.” Gloria adds on how she has kept this movement alive, you can support this initiative that gives visible tools of self expression for children by visiting wochipoda.com

Climate Change Research for the Indian Ocean Rim-Imporntant or?

By +Caroline Anande Uliwa

This month the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report ‘Global Warming of 1.5°C’ http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/. It is sounding the alarm for real action to be done within next 12 years, so the world can avoid severe droughts, floods and other adverse effects of global warming.

 

“The next few years are probably the most important in our history, the decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future” Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II. 

You may think this doesn’t affect us living close to the Indian Ocean, as we aren’t emitting  as much Co2 compared to big Industrial nations like the USA or China. As it turns out they are other causes to climate change like deforestation that should have us committing to change.

“Eastern Africa’s coastal forests and Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains are globally recognized by biologists as centers of Endemism, home to species found nowhere else on Earth. Most of the coastal lowland forests, inhabited by people for thousands of years have long since been cleared. A mere10% of the original coastal forest habitat remains…”-Threatened Spaces, Disappearing Species: The Forests and Woodlands of the Coastal East Africa Region paper by WWF-World Wildlife Fund-2011

“In 2016 till 2017, I did research to see how the forest reserves in Dar es Salaam, Pwani and Lindi are doing. It’s clear that they are shrinking from the top with satellite imaging you don’t see it as clearly but when you are inside. You then see clearly, how big areas have been cleared for charcoal making, like in Ikwiliri at Rufiji.” Dr William Joseph Kindeketa (Ph.D), research officer in biodiversity at Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology.

Last month at the International conference ‘Africa-Asia a new axis of knowledge 2’ inside the University of Dar es Salaam. Several experts from over ten countries to include South Africa, USA, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, convened. To tackle the challenge of the lack of enough research with regards to how climate change is transforming the Indian Ocean region. 

I had the chance to walk in on these deliberations, where members present were discussing on ways forward the convener Alexa Dietrich had this to say in brief. “Our discussion focused on research capacity needs for scholars and institutions in the Indian Ocean rim and issues of ethical research collaboration were at the forefront of the conversation. Of particular interest were questions on how to bring indigenous knowledge into broader debates on climate mitigation and to promote urgently needed comparative work on the lived experience of environmental change across the region.”

Watch these videos to see more of the panelists discussion <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCarolAnande%2Fvideos%2F1650257725079265%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe> 

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Also on this panel were Thomas Asher- Director, scholarly convener world projects Columbia University; Alexa Dietrich Program Director Scholarly Borderlands, Social Science Research Council; Lecturer Majuto Clement Manyilizu from the University of Dodoma ; Paul Rabe-Senior Land Expert Policy, Planning and Development Erasmus University; Debjani Bhattacharyya Assistant Professor History Drexel University; Debojyoti Das Post Doctoral Fellow History Bristol University; Philip Gooding-Post Doctoral Lecturer History McGill University; Dotto Paul Kuhenga, PhD Candidate Climate Change Studies University of Dar es Salaam; Almas Fortunatus Mazigo -Faculty Philosophy and Ethics University of Dar es Salaam; Simi Mehta CEO/ Executive Director Impact and Policy Research Institute.

Various experts linked to Climate Change studies, convene
inside the Africa-Axis conference in Sept'18 at the University of
Dar es Salaam. At the head of the table is Alexa Dietrich from SSCRC
who were hosting the discussion.

As well Julius Wilbard Mngumi Lecturer Geography and Environment, University of Dar es Salaam;  Miriam Murambadoro- PhD Candidate Environmental Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand; Namika Raby- Emerita Faculty Anthropology California State University, Long Beach; Wilmar Salim-Associate Professor Urban Planning Institut Teknologi Bandung and Lareef Zubair-Principle Scientist Foundation for Environment, Climate & Technology.

The experts are working on collaborations and ways they can spearhead closing this research gap. I for one was very happy to meet the likes of Paul Kuhenga from Tanzania. I foresee catching up with various experts in the country as I am keen on this topic so stay tuned.