Author Masija Buchafwe: adulthood successes depend on nurtured childhood ambitions

 By Correspondent PETER KEASI 

MASIJA Buchafwe is a tall slender largely quiet person. Badges on his shoulders would tell you who he is --- a middle-rank senior immigration officer. Masija is probably a practising Christian and an author; his latest title is Talk to God. He has also translated into Kiswahili, Think Big and God Sent A Man published by Ben Carson and Carlyle B. Haynes respectively.

Masija, born in 1976, is a trained journalist. After getting his advanced Diploma in Journalism, for two consecutive years, he was a tutorial assistant at the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism, before joining again St Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) where he was awarded a Master Degree of Arts in Mass Communication.

He then joined the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Department of Immigration, rising to the current post of Immigration Superintendent. Masija highlights things that have contributed to his present successes. It is gainful use of spare time, reading, writing and pursuit of childhood ambitions and hobbies. In primary school he was fond of writing short stories and reading and then develops the ambition of writing a book.

“Successes in life can be traced to knowledge found in reading books and other forms of publications. I appeal to Tanzanians to love reading books order to increase their knowledge,” he pleads.

Masija had writing passion since childhood. While in primary school, he recalls, he used to write short stories, sending them to media outlets. His ambition to write books solidified when he was studying at Ikizu Secondary School. The school had a newsletter in the name of ‘The Observer’ and Masija was tasked to edit materials that were used in that newsletter. “I read a lot of materials submitted by many people with different ideas.

I learned a lot of things in the process. This opportunity increased my desire to write a book.” In 2000 he joined SAUT for advanced diploma in journalism. The training he got enabled him to become a tutorial assistant at the DSJ. When he chose to write his book, Talk to God, he realised that he had very little time at his disposal because his job was equally demanding. “I had to forsake sleep in order to prepare the manuscript. I think a great thing in life is to live your dreams and remain confident.

The journey to realise my dreams started with writing short stories on things that were happening around when I was in primary school,” he recounts, adding that after secondary school course and with journalistic skill, he realised that he could become an author.

Experience taught him that wanting to become an author was one thing and to become one was quite another. Masija learned that writing demands a lot of time. He also learned something else. The sad thing, he argues, writers do not have a lot of time at their disposal.

“They are either teachers or college lecturers, or are employed or self-employed. They have little time left for writing.”

With limited time at their disposal, he says, writers have to be self-less, work very hard and use their spare time gainfully in order to realise their ambitions. His immigration job is equally demanding. But he says he could not abandon his dream of writing a book because of pressing job tasks. He realised that he had to use his spare time well if he were to realise his ambition of writing a book.

Majisa values the help and encouragement from other people to perfect his devotional poems. He is grateful to Dominick Mwita, Dick Lauwo and Martin Mwandelile. The latter pair, he says, offered him useful advices and encouragement.

The late Dominic Mwita went through the manuscript. Mr Mwita wrote in a foreword that he considered the poems both touching and good for spiritual growth for people who chose God’s path in pursuit of eternal life, saying it was a privilege for him to go through the manuscript.

“Being his maiden publication, all I have to say is: I’m impressed by his efforts. It is a collection of poems that will surely melt down many souls and bring those who have gone astray back to the Almighty… I am happy that many more (people) will be enlightened by this of well thought out and written peoms.”

Writing and reading are twins. An author has to have a passion for reading other people’s works. By reading other people’s works Masija translated into Kiswahili Think Big and God Sent a Man.

Masija says he has particular interest in reading books written by or about world leaders. He says he has read retired Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa’s book about his life, entitled: My Life, my purpose. Masija says the book has a useful guideline on how to approach life; it also motivates other people to become confident and daring. The author appeals to Tanzanians to cherish reading books.

About the Writer: Is a professional journalist working as a Media Consultant and researcher based in Dar es Salaam. He can be reached at keasi1971@gmail.com/+255-713466661