Dada mwenye Kipara, mrembo na wa Kawaida

 

Na Muhidin Issa Michuzi

Mlimbwende na mwanamitindo Flaviana Matata aliufanya mtindo huu uwe maarufu pale aliposhinda taji la Miss Universe Tanzania mwaka 2007, na kuwakilisha nchi kwenye mashindano ya Miss Universe mwaka huo huo, ambako aliibuka mmoja kati ya washindani 15 bora katika nusu fainali na kushika nafasi ya sita katika fainali.

Flaviana  alikuwa mshiriki wa kwanza Mtanzania wa kwanza kushiriki kwenye mashindano ya Miss Universe, naye alishindana akiwa amenyoa upara kwa mshangao wa wote. Hivyo ghafla tu upara ukawa mtindo mkubwa kwa wakinadada nchini.

Ni kweli kwamba mlimbwende huyo aliupa umaarufu mkuwa mtindo huo wa wasichana kunyoa upara, ila sio uwongo kwamba kuna wasichana ambao wanauchanganya  na maisha ya kawaida kwa mafanikio makubwa japo unaonekana ni wa walimbwende tu.Mmoja wao ni Nemela Mangula, msichana makini aliyezaliwa na kukulia Tanzania katika familia ya watoto sita ya – naam, umepatia kabisa  – Mzee Philip Mangula, Makamu Mwenyekiti wa chama tawala cha CCM  (Bara).

“Kwa kweli baba na familia kwa ujumla wamekuwa wakinipa moyo  katika mtindo huu wa kunyoa upara; kila mara walikuwa wakiniambia kwamba nifanye kile roho inapenda na kuniacha na amani moyoni

“Huu ni mtindo ambao nilikuwa natamani kuujaribu kila mara: ila nakumbuka wakati Fulani ya majira ya joto nikiwa naanza mitihani yanhgu ya mwisho nilikuwa nachukua muda mrefu kujiandaa asubuhi kwa sababu ya nywele. Na huo ukawa ni muda muafaka wa mimi kujaribu mtindo wa kipara.

“Ilinichukua siku kadhaa kuuzoea lakini mara nilipokwisha uzoea ilikuwa ni kama mtu aliyekombolewa, maana kila kitu kikawa chepesi”, anaelezea, akiongezea kwamba la hasha, yeye hana matatizo ya macho bali miwani anayokuwa amevaa kila mara ni mambo ya urembo ama mtindo tu, na wala siyo ya macho.

 Mara ya mwisho wa yeye kuwa na nywele ndefu ilikuwa mnamo mwezi wa Mei mwaka 2010, wakati wa mitihani yake ya mwisho. Wakati huo alipendelea kuchana nywele zake, lakini kutokana na hali ya hewa kuwa mbaya huko Wales alikokuwa anasoma, ikamlazimu awe anasuka ama atengeneza rasta kuzifanya nywele zake ziwe na afya.

Nemela, asiyependa makuu, haamini kwamba kila aendako macho yote humkodolea yeye, hasa hasa anapokuwa ameongozana na baba yake kwenye shughuli mbalimbali za kitaifa. Hali kadhalika huwa hajisikii vinginevyo awapo mbele ya kadamnasi, akisisitiza kuwa popote alipo na wakati wowote yeye yuko poa tu.

 “Kama kumbukumbu zangu zitanitendea haki; baba aliponiona nikiwa nimenyoa kipara kwa mara ya kwanza alisema “Hii ni dalili njema kwa maana  kikawaida maprofesa wote na madaktari hupata kipara nusu kichwa tu, na wewe una kipara kichwa chote ikimaanisha unafanya vyema masomoni”,anakwambia Nemela mwenye umri wa miaka 25, huku akiachia bonge moja la tabasamu.

Anakataa katakata kwamba kunyoa kipara kunahitaji moyo na kitu kinachoweza kufanywa na  wanawake walio jasiri tu ambao wanakubali kokodolewa macho kila waendapo.

Nemela anashukuru moyo anaopewa na familia yake, na ni kweli kabisa kwamba ameshawahi kujaribu mitindo ya nywele ya kila aina na yote amekuwa akiipenda.

“Ila sema nilipoamua kunyoa kipara nikajiambia kwamba hii ndiyo yenyewe”, anakumbuka Nemela mwenye shahada ya Sheria kutoka chuo kikuu cha Glamorgan cha Cardiff,  Wales, pamoja na stashahada ya Uhusiano wa Kimataiafa na Diplomasia toka Chuo Cha Diplomasia cha Kurasini, Dar es salaam.

Hata hivyo anakiri kwamba ni wanawake wachache wa Kiafrika wanaopenda kunyoa kipara, akikazia kwamba yote hayo hutegemea ni namna gani mtu atajisikia kuwa na amani.

“Hakika siwezi kumshauri mtu anyoe kipara kama hawatokuwa na amani moyoni katika mtindo huo.

“Pengine ushauri wangu kwao ni; Kinamama na kinadada, chagueni aina ya mtindo wa nywele unaokupendeza, mtindo ambao utakufanya uwe na amani moyoni na kukupa muonekano wa kipekee”, anakueleza kwa unyenyekevu unaoficha kabisa alama zake za kuwa mtu mwenye rekodi nzuri ya usomi nyuma yake.

 Na hapo unazungumzia msululu wa tuzo alizokuwa anapata toka akiwa Shule ya Sekondari ya Wasichana ya St. Francis, tuzo ya kutukuta toka kwa Waziri Mkuu wa Bunge la Taifa la Wales, kwa watu wanaojituma na kujitolea katika kutumikia jamii.

That is not all. The bald lady who is presently working at Kijani Agro Tanzania LTD., in Dar es salaam,  is also a former President of the student government at The Centre for Foreign Relations.

Does she believe that whatever men can do women can do better?

“Actually, I believe that the ability, skill or capacity of an individual does not at all depend on their gender. The brain is the most amazing feature on our bodies; scientists to date are still trying to understand it. They haven’t proved that one sex is somehow superior to the other when it comes to intelligence; they simply illustrate how the brains of men and women have different weaknesses and strengths.

“Thus my point being; women and men are both capable of achieving the same success, one doing better than the other depends on a number of reasons like a certain lifestyle, an upbringing, their surroundings but mostly the amount of effort/ determination they have.

“One among my favourite quotes by Robert Anthony is “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.”

“Therefore if one believes that they can achieve something, there is no reason they shouldn’t do it as good as anybody else or even better”, she philosophizes.

Nemela is not interested in diving into politics, insisting that currently  she would like to focus on building  her career “I look forward to pursuing master’s degree in diplomacy and economic development. Let me say that at this time I want to accomplish my educational goals, all the same I aspire to become a representative of my country in the international arena” she explains.

In 20  years from now, Nemela envisions a peaceful United Republic of Tanzania 20, a society that has a reduced income gap between the highest paid person in the government and the person having the lowest income.

“A country with more female representatives; moreover I support the Tanzania development Vision 2025 that will see a halved proportion of people living below the national poverty line, reversed spread of HIV/AIDS, halved proportion of underweight, under-five year olds and  halved proportion of people without access to safe drinking water”, she says almost in a trance.

Also she sees Tanzania Achieving universal primary education, gender equity and  equal access for boys and girls to primary and secondary schools, reduced maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters, as well as reversed loss of environmental resources.

Who is Nemela’s  number one Role model?  Mzee Philip Mangula, of course!

“First and foremost he has always been there for me, supporting my every dream. He has never let anyone in my family down; in fact he does more than enough!

“Not only is he a wonderful parent, his honesty, strength and philosophies are inspirational to many including me. He is my mentor, he defends the weak and stands for what is right! If there is one thing he has always set an example of, is being true to oneself and always depend on God because he is the only constant factor in our lives”, says Nemela, with the child in her almost jumping at you.

Her other role models include Rosa Parkes, who she says peacefully refused to move to the back of a bus – sparking waves of non-violent protest in favour of African-American’s rights, African-Americans went on to achieve full and equal rights in the USA. Had segregation and discrimination outlawed and took her stand to fight for her rights and made a difference!

The other role model for Nemela is Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragette movement which gained right to vote for women for the first time in 1919 Britain. “Because of her women are now allowed to vote in every democratic country in the world” she smiles.

Who would you love to meet in life and why?

“I would like to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy leader who has inspired the world with her non-violent resistance to a brutal dictatorship.

“Another person is Benny Hinn, he is my spiritual mentor, I listen to “this is your day” almost daily”, says Nemela.

She  would have also loved to meet Mwalimu Nyerere, adding that  few minutes with him would have definitely been life changing for her!

Nemela describes the Father of the Nation as  a charismatic and visionary leader and that she is a  big fan of all his philosophies and leadership style. Among her favourite Mwalimu quotes is “There must be equality because only on this basis will men work cooperatively. There must be freedom because every individual is not served by the society unless it is his. And there must be unity, because only when the society is united can its members live and work in peace, security and well-being. Society must have institutions which safeguard and promote both unity and freedom and it must be permeated by an attitude—a society ethic—which ensures that these institutions remain true to their purpose, and are adapted as need arises.”

You must have had harbored a need to talk something to the media when and if the chance arises, like today. Well, here you are today, Shoot…

Says Nemela. “In reality I never dreamed of having such an opportunity but now that I have, I would like to start off by saying thank you for such a wonderful opportunity. I am not a person of many words, however; I have a few inspirational quotes which inspire me and I would like to share them:

“Do not let what you cannot do; interfere with what you can do.”

–John Wooden

“Try not to become a man/woman of success but rather try to become a man/woman of value.”

–Albert Einstei

“It’s not about time, it’s about choices. How are you spending your choices?”

–Beverly Adamo

Last question: What is the meaning of your name, NEMELA?

“Ah hahahahaa…” I am a Mbena from Njombe. Nemela means “To be Proud of” or “love “, like

Unemela u Jesu is like saying I am proud of/love being inside Jesus…!

REST IN PEACE NEMELA.