World Kiswahili Language Day

Kiswahili / Ustadh Mau, 2003.

Kunyamaa nimechoka, t’anyamaa hata lini
wanangu huniepuka, kuwaona natamani
walobaki kunishika, si wangu ni wa wendani
Mimi nimewatendani, mbona mwanipija vita ?

Wanangu mimi wa ḏamu, wana wa Uswahilini
asili hawana hamu, ya kuniyuwa ni nani
wamenaṯiya kaumu, na wana wa majirani
kosa langu kosa gani? mbona hunipija zita?

Mimi mamenu si ṯ’asa, wala sina punguwani
nimezaawa Mambasa, na kungine zisiwani
nizee wanasiyasa, na ziyongozi wa ḏini
mafundi wa kula fani, na mashujaa wa zita

For the entire poem with an English translation and comment see 'In this fragile world: Swahili poetry of commitment by Ustadh Mahmoud Mau', page 206-213 (open access).

World Kiswahili Language Day

In November 2021, at its 41st Session in Paris, the General Conference of UNESCO declared July 7th World Kiswahili Language Day. By Resolution 41 C/61, Member States recognised the critical role played by Kiswahili in promoting cultural diversity, creating awareness, and fostering dialogue among civilizations.

Kiswahili is the first African language to be honoured with an Official United Nations' Language Day, the other language days celebrate the six official languages of the United Nations : Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish.

Kiswahili is one of the most widely used languages in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a lingua franca in many countries within East, Central and Southern Africa as well as in the Middle East, with more than 200 million speakers. It is also taught across major universities and colleges globally.  Kiswahili is one of the official languages of the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC).

Why 7 July?

On 7 July 1954, Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) leader Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the eventual first President of Tanzania, adopted the Swahili Language as a unifying language for African independence struggles. Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya, followed suit and also used the Swahili language to mobilize and unify the people of Kenya in the struggle against colonialism through the use of the popular “Harambee” slogan.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Selected publications

In this fragile world : Swahili poetry of commitment by Ustadh Mahmoud Mau / Ustadh Mau, Annachiara Raia, Clarissa Vierke. - Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2023]

Language Policy and the Nation in East Africa / Andrew Tyler Marshall. Georgetown University, 2022.
Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Tug of war = Vuta N'Kuvute / Amil Shivji [et al.]. - Cape Town : Big World Cinema, 2022

Kiswahili na maendeleo ya Afrika mashariki / Mosol Kandagor. - Dar es Salaam : Taasisi ya Taaluma za Kiswahili, Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, 2020

Kiswahili kwa shule za Rwanda : Michepuo mingine kidato cha 4 / Rwanda. Ministry of Education. - Kigali : Rwanda Education Board, 2019

Shuwari / Haji Gora Hajj, Flavia Aiello, Irène Brunotti, Nathalie Arnold Koenings. - Paris : DL2A Buluu publishing, [2019]

Swahili fiction

Koplo Levezi : nani anahusika? / Ismael Joseph Madega. - Morogoro, Tanzania : Pangoni Publisher, 2022

Utatu 'mtakatifu' : the gangsters / Mfaume Baker Khamis. - [Dar es Salaam] Tanzania : Kiatu Media, 2022

Peponi / Abdulrazak Gurnah; Ida Hadjivayanis. - Tanzania : Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, 2023

Mimi na rais = (The president and I) / Lello Mmasy. - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania : Serengeti Bytes Limited, [2019]

Kikosi cha kisasi / A.E. Musiba. - Dar es Salaam : Mkuki na Nyota, [2018]

Kinoo cha Akili / Haji Gora Haji

For more filmed recitals of poems by Haji Gora Haji see the blog shuwari.home.blog.