LETTERS FROM MY FATHERLAND: MOSHI SWEET MOSHI

I left my hometown of Moshi, Tanzania when I was sixteen years old. When I returned in January last year for my internship, I returned for the first time after sixteen years years! I was flooded with emotions when we first drove to Moshi and stopped at one of the major roundabouts in town. That moment was quite surreal! I couldn’t believe that I was actually back home. Moshi town is special to me because that is where I grew up, where I first learned the alphabet, where I made my first friends, and where I first fell in love. It is a town full of beautiful memories….

All the family friends and childhood friends I had known during my time in Moshi, welcomed me warmly when I returned last year. I am proud to say that I managed to visit all of them. When we left sixteen years ago we didn’t take any photos of our loved ones in Moshi but I certainly took care of that this time! I was touched by everyone who welcomed me to Moshi, to their home, and to meet their family. Living in America for so many years, I had forgotten what it means to extend such hospitality to guests by opening up your homes and your hearts! People in Moshi and Tanzania in general, go out of their way to make sure their guests are treated well and are comfortable. Truly, I was touched by all the love I received there.

During my internship in the summer last year. I stayed at the home of one of my childhood friends in Moshi! I lived in the center of town which is loud and busy. Moshi is a town of over 150,000 people, although not as crowded as a major city like Dar-es-Salaam. My first thoughts about it were that it’s clean and the weather is perfect, not too hot nor too cold. People there were polite; not aggressive, which adds to the safety I felt in that town. Their politeness is quickly noted in their language as words like please and thank you are always used! They refer to each other as sister and brother ( dada and kaka in Swahili)…I know each time someone called me Dada Rupal I would melt away at the gentleness of their tone. Of course, my opinion may be biased but I felt very safe in Moshi. And to add to all this, Moshi sits at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro making the town even more appealing. During my stay there, I certainly had more than my fair share of Mount Kilimanjaro sightings

So has Moshi changed since I left sixteen years? Yes it has but there are many things in Moshi that are still the same. Of course some changes are good and some not! For example, Kajembe’s Mohogo, our famous street vendor who cooks and serves mohogo (similar to cassava) on the side of the street has expanded his business. He used to sit at one corner in the center of town when I was a child but now he has expanded his business to a larger part of that corner. He also has a shop where he sells his own beverages. That change is great, not just for Mr. Kajembe but also for us mohogo-lovers! On the other hand, in that same area where Mr. Kajembe conducts his business, there are several guest houses, some with high-rise buildings. These high-rise buildings add to the economy of the town but on the other hand, change the environment of the town. Since laws are not well enforced in Moshi, the guest houses are loud at night. Some of the guest houses continue to entertain past 10pm which in my opinion, is past bedtime for the average Tanzanian! Also, instead of the ‘local’ feel the center of the town had when I was a child, the town has a more tourist-centric feel, which changes the climate to one that is less personal and less cozy.

In ending, I have been asked this question by many, whether I still like Moshi? I love it! I like everything about it that I liked as a child and of course, I don’t like the things that make my Moshi town less personable. However, the warm people of Moshi give the town a personality that is unique and one that is praise-worthy. No matter what, Moshi will always hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to the day when I can take my own children to Moshi to show them where I first learned the alphabet, where I made my first friends, and where I first fell in love…!