Writing my book

Writing this book, Life and You, started like a joke that was not meant to be funny. I will not lie and tell you that I spent a great portion of my adult life thinking about writing a book per se. For as long as I can remember, I have been a strong communicator and not necessarily a writer. I have written (and in some cases produced) my share of skits, speeches, and poems; but never a manuscript worthy of becoming a book!

In effect, I can most effectively link the start of this journey to a TV program proposal that I put together back in 1998. I had just finished high school and was eager to leverage my strengths as a communicator by launching a program with a talk show/ discussion panel format. I had worked for a number of years with youth through formal groups and organizations and was also eager to further build on this. The TV program named at the time ‘Lets Talk’ was meant to fill a communication gap that I felt existed between the traditional sources of guidance for young people ( that is parents and teachers) and young people themselves.

Tanzania was (and still is) becoming more culturally and economically diverse but with the community concept weakening and parents being caught unprepared for this transition, youth were/ are almost left to fend for themselves. The program would have boldly taken on the responsibility of filling this gap by offering an alternative source of information and guidance for youth that is
relevant for the times… I do remember some of the TV broadcasters being quite receptive to my idea, but at a production budget of nearly 100million shillings for one season, this idea did not fly. After coming to terms with this reality, I decided to downsize my production appetite to a simpler radio format. I remember having gone to the extreme of preparing a script for the premier show, which featured Tupac Shakur, as I tried to court a manager of one of Tanzania’s leading radio fm stations.

In April 2000, I eventually, found myself producing something along the lines of my maiden idea, even if it was just a newsletter. The newsletter that carried the same name as the TV show, ‘Lets Talk’, was a compilation of articles that I had composed at the time. I also used the newsletter as a platform to launch what I dubbed to be a new era of thinking for young Tanzanians – Chellodiusm (a term that I had coined that means seeing beyond present day anomalies).

This was a bold call to all my colleagues to take the initiative to fill this communication gap by being a source of forward looking ideas and actions. I used the newsletter to also articulate my admiration for Mwalimu Nyerere and the fundamentals that motivated his thinking. I remember this to be the first time that I made an effort to circulate something of this type (constituting of my thoughts) to all my friends through physical print outs and emails; it was an immensely exciting time in my life. I relished in the feedback that I got as it gave me hope that people out there do care about the future of this Nation if they are given a reason to do so. It exposed me to sensitivities that became a critical part of my writing and thoughts on life going forward.

In January 2002, I launched a follow up of Chellodiusm, popularly referred to as Magavillaism. Progressively my thoughts evolved from a simple call to think beyond the present day anomalies, to a call for reflection more on self and self worth. Magavillaism, as a concept, was and continues to be held up by two pillars that have become the basis of this book project. These pillars (taking control of life & making decisions for the long-run) are at heart of the art of being you (which was the working title for my book) and preserving self against all the odds.

I used every opportunity I got to get my message out. There was a time my auntie, Auntie Lupembe reached a point of prompting me to write a book after continually being a victim of my sporadic SMS spam. The more I communicated around the two pillars, the more my friends (and others alike) formed interest in deriving the source of these pillars. When I finally decided to put my many ideas on paper, I used this insight as the base for writing this book – a book that would take readers on a guided journey through self.

But depending on how you look at it, it was not until October 2005 that fate took its turn. In my signature style, I ambushed an old friend, Edward Kija (now Dr. Edward), after Sunday morning mass with my wild book writing idea; which had now began to gather momentum. I went on in an endless ramble about my exciting idea only to have him question the viability of my intention. “What would be different about your book” was all I could remember of the discussion ultimately as he clearly snubbed at the thought citing another ‘comparable’ work that was launched into the market.
Up to this point I had spent up to seven years compiling and communicating around themes I thought were signature/ trademark, but it hit me that it was not enough. And I am not one to be easily defeated and I quickly set out to meet with Dr. Edward, at the time an intern at Muhimbili, to convince him, if not myself of my intentions.

The only challenge was that I really had nothing to show, but a stream of disjointed ideas harnessed over ears of explorative writing and a lot of conviction and passion for what I was setting out to do. And as much as this would have been enough under normal case, but this was not any other encounter. I was going to prove my case to one of the people who could actually convince me that my idea was unfounded! I was suddenly prompted me to take my assignment more seriously and something down on paper, as by then I had said enough orally! Edward was usually quite receptive of my radical thinking and what ensued was the beginning of the writing of this book per se.

Being the astute medical student that he was, Edward was very difficult to get hold of to begin with. We met none-the-less in the humble confines of his room at the Intern Hall at Muhimbili for a recorded session that centered around six pages of material that I had typed. Initially I had composed my manuscript in the form of poetic verses that presented a working framework for my book going forward. After a near hour long session, one of my most value critiques and a person whose opinion I hold in high regard had given me a much needed nod of acceptance.

The journey was on! I quickly pulled in friends a many to help me put form to this, at the time, still very vague idea. I remember at random having engaged some of my oldest and most valued friends – from Anaeli Kihunrwa for his graphical wizardry (Anaeli had earlier designed the Let’s Talk logo), to Dr. Sebastian Ndege for his guidance and energy (arguably one of my oldest friends), and Baruani Mshare & Thobias Makoba for their relevance, superior intellect and extensive experience with youth.

I was not really sure of the best way to go about it (writing the book); but one thing was for sure, this was not a project I would let slide without a fight. In my childhood I was notorious for starting things that I ultimately didn’t finish simply because my passion for them had died out.

So it was of utmost importance to ensure continuity in passion! The big question obviously was then how?
The answer seemed to be simple – do what you do best and do it frequently! I quickly accepted the reality that writing was not what I did best, but communicating through debate and oration in particular was! So I embarked on a mission to argue my ideas with extreme volatility until I had a book.

I brought on board two friends of mine (Baruani & Thobias) who were equally critical of me (an approach that I stuck to in my selection criteria for people to support me on this project – they had to be very critical of my thinking). Baruani & Thobius, two very resourceful and intellectually capable individuals with extensive experience in working with youth, were an integral part of the development of the primary manuscript for this book. They were at best, my sounding boards, vetting my every utterance word for word. I would argue a point to an extent that they would feel that I would never be receptive to their views, but in reality I was just writing my book.

These sessions were instrumental in refining my thoughts and testing the receptiveness of my often radical ideas none-the-less. These guys kept me on edge and to a great extent I did not want to let them down, so I stuck it out for every meeting day and every meeting hour that we would spend reviewing the manuscript; whether it was at the Hill, my place or some ram shackled venue, I stuck it out. I remember having done everything you could imagine to keep the creative juices flowing, including recording my ideas at the beach against the blaring sound effect created by the ocean winds.

It was December 2005, and two months into the project, and Baruani and Thobius had both literally disappeared into the wonderful world of university exams. But I was relentless in my pursuit and was keen to have the book out in a ‘record’ six months (it is now nearly a year and six months since I started writing).

In as much as I trusted the in-put of my comrades, I felt it imported to widen the web and invite more people to review the manuscript or better yet the message that I was about to expose to the world. In this respect, I had to turn to another good friend of mine to assist me in coordinating the review panel. This friend is none other than Dr. Isaac Rugemalila, who was in town at the time from his studies at Makerere University in Uganda. I first bumped into Isaac about a year before in the streets of Dar (Kariakoo area if I am not mistaken) only to learn from him that he was an alumnus of St Antony’s Sec. School.

Having spent about 6years at St Antony’s as a student and a good portion of that time as an active debater and student leader, this happens to me more often than not. I developed an appreciation for Isaac’s intellectual endowment over dinner with him and another friend of mine Peter Obong (Unilever Uganda), as we endeavored on an endless debate over themes presented in my manuscript, which I had prematurely disclosed to Mr. Obong (my premier critique on the other side of the border). Isaac had a rare appreciation and hold on philosophy and psychology, which formed a critical part of the gist of my manuscript that made him a perfect partner for my project going forward.

In January 2006 I pulled together a review panel of 16 amazing people (it was originally 20, but you will appreciate that not all of them were responsive to my call) that resulted into a recorded book review session with 8 select members (Lemmy Bartholomew, Aluswe Zoe, Carlile Bosser, Blandina Kilama, Ali Masabo, Baruani Mshare, Isaac Rugemalila, and Thobius Makoba) from this group (the other members of the review panel included Abel Chanje, Athy Labi, Katie Kitonyo, Ritta Aaltanen, Peter Obong, Father Malya, Dr. Sebastian Ndege, Dr. Edward Kija) and a lot of very wholesome insight. By this time, I could see this project coming together.

Going into the review session, my pals Baruani, Thobius and Isaac were almost sure that I was not going to be very receptive to the ‘areas of improvement’ (as Baruani put it when briefing the panel), which purposefully dominated this quite rigorous recorded session that I voluntarily chose not to attend… Not a chance! I set up the review process specifically so that I could ensure that the book was not inwards looking (focusing on the author and not the reader). I was eager to be cornered by this well geared group of intellectuals and so the more critical, the merrier!!

One of the most powerful outcomes of this review was the consistency of feedback across the board. I had hand picked a review panel that was as diverse as I could get it to be; consisting of students, managers, professionals, academicians, religious, theologians, Christians, Muslims, females, males with ages ranging from 18 to 50 plus and representing 6 nationalities! In as much as they agreed that the book had areas of improvement, they also agreed that it had achieved the fundamental objective of exposing them (the reader) to what they already new in a very inspiring way. Hence, concluding my assumption (in a not so scientific way) – diversity breeds similarity.

I quickly dived into reworking the manuscript as the feedback was very constructive and most suggestions were easily adoptable. The one thing that I categorically declined to do was to make the book more authoritative than it already was. We relish such because we are taught why and do not want to learn why; we would have others validate things for us than do the hard work ourselves. Let me put emphasis on the following for those who may still be eager to ask the same of my book: my book does not aim to be a reference or authority, it promises to provide a base for continuous reflection that makes you, the reader, the reference and authority.

The panel, as a result, was hung on what step to take next; with some stressing that I go to press and leverage on the heat of the moment, and others keener on me taking more time to rework the manuscript. At this point, my six month deadline was nearing and I could not allow myself not to complete this project. I charged on and started to solicit advice on how best to embark on publishing this book in process. I remember having consulted Fayaz of Media Express, Eric Shigongo of Global publishing, Paul Mashauri of S&C Magazine and Lema of IPP Group. They were all very receptive and gave a lot of useful advice.

I was prompted to a halt in my quest to beat my own deadline by the legendary and endearing Dr. Jane Goodall, who after being exposed to my work advised that I take my time to reflect on the content and flow to ensure that it holds water with the test of time. One can only imagine what this must have meant to me; Dr. Jane is one of five influential public personalities in Tanzania whose open and sincere contribution to youth development I have held in high regard from back in my secondary school days (The others are Kikwete, Mengi, Meghji & Nyerere) and her willingness to take time out of her very demanding schedule to go through my book was a critical moral booster. Although she was not able to go through the book in detail, her words of wisdom continually resonated in my mind ‘take your time’. She shared with me her approach to writing and insisted on the need to include the benefits of service.

In April 2006, I completed revising the manuscript. But before submitting to publishers, I was not going to be had. I engaged the services of long time friend and practicing advocate Anney Semu to oversee the copywriting of the manuscript. Anney was extremely resourceful in this regard and his unfettered support was most valued.

Soon after copywriting I proceeded to submit my manuscript with the working title “The art of being you” to 3 potential publishers and only entered into serious talks with just one – E & D Publishing. E & D Publishing had initially been recommended to me by Lema and was formally introduced to me by Paul Mashauri.

They have published work for a number of notables. I met with Mama Elieshi Lema, a true model in the trade I must say, who offered supportive and encouraging feedback on the manuscript. This was monumental in the sustenance of this seemingly eternal marathon. Mama Elieshi’s enviable reputation in the publishing circles of Tanzania is such that a commendation from her cannot be taken lightly.

She was very candidly enthusiastic about my concept and the manuscript that accompanied it.

I put stress on this because whenever you are embarking on a ‘maverick’ project like this one, what you need most is what you are least likely to get – support; as a result every nod of acceptance matters that much more! It goes without saying that I am a characteristic maverick often acting on conviction backed by deafening levels of belief in what I am doing. This is what helps me and has helped me see through the ‘haters’ and quickly identify those who are likely to support me. It is worth noting for the record that there isn’t a mountain that you will scale, irrespective of the pain and difficulty that will not take you to a higher ground!

The verdict was out, my manuscript was publishable, but not so marketable because it was in English and Swahili is that much more prevalent in this part of the world. I never took this to be an obstacle; in effect, it was one of the greatest opportunities that I could have ever come across. My mission, always, has centered on the message and not the book and having my book in Swahili would key in achieving. I quickly paired up with one of my least likely associates for this project – Ali Masabo. Ali’s use and passion for Swahili as a language and as a culture was a great incentive for me to work with him. I was keen to ensure that any translation captured the essence of the underlying message and it required someone who not only understood the manuscript but also the author.

Ali clearly presented a generally superior understanding of the message I was trying to get through during his participation in the review panel. The only obstacle was divorcing him from his very demanding program. He, none-the-less, wholeheartedly presented me another critical nod of acceptance! We wrestled with this mammoth feat for nearly three solid months with Ali ever so often finding himself distanced from the project by work assignments. Towards the end of the translation I handed the project over to Baruani, who professed his Swahili proficiency as a justification for him to proof read the Swahili version. Alas, we had a rough cut that met my acceptance in terms of concept, content and tonality. It was utterly amazing to gaze at my own work in Swahili; a language that I love to a fault.

In July 2006 everything grounded to a sudden and immeasurable halt. Isaac was away in school. Baruani was off for his masters program at Yale University, Thobius was no where to be seen… And I was on my way to joining Celtel, my current employer.

In the process, none-the-less, I had built a sincere passion for communicating in written form and managed to become a regular contributor on S&C Magazine’s Global Watch and Career columns and was doing talks more regularly with select groups (primarily on an invite basis with youth groups like AISEC). By this time I could see my thoughts more clearly and only time was working against me.

In November 2006, I had already settled in with my new employer and was growing increasingly impatient with myself about the speed at which I was turning my book project around. I was, by then, six months behind schedule and there was no sense of urgency on my side. I quickly turned to Fayaz again this time with the clear intention of publishing the manuscript independently in record time (at least if we were to count starting from that day).

Fayaz introduced me to a couple of the most amazing people that I would end up working with to put form to the final manuscript. The first was Ursula Parry, a passionate reader and editor. Ursula came in as the editor, but gave so much more with her warmth; she really internalized the work and helped me revisit it in a more fulfilling way. The other was Liviston or Livi, who is wicked a graphics designer they get. His tolerance during my many rework sessions is a clear indicator of not only his professionalism but his wonderful personality!

Isaac was back from University (it was critical to have someone on board who had some history with the project) and we were joined by another good old friend who had just found his way back into Tanzania – Peter Nalitolela. Interestingly, I was both Peter’s and Isaac’s head prefect while we were at St. Anthony’s and it was even more interesting to discover that Isaac was academic prefect after Peter and that Peter inherited the position from me; what a coincidence! We set out a fool proof plan that was meant to get us results by late December. Everything was set but suddenly things started to come apart again…

Peter was the first to part ways with us as he ventured off into a more fulfilling role elsewhere. In his short stint, he evidenced exceptional flavor for marketing that I was even tempted to get onto Celtel. Isaac was set to go for his internship at Muhimbili and before I new it I was left standing alone again. To top things off my ambitious targets for hitting press before years end were hampered as my printer, as they had a back log of end year orders to clear that would delay my publication up to mid January!

In January 2007, I got one of the most inspiring messages of my life from Mama Elieshi, in response to a New Year’s message that I had sent. We had not been in touch since August 2006 and it was a very pleasant surprise to be welcomed to the New Year with such a message. I suddenly felt a strong conviction that I had no option but to print my book and put an end to this
chapter in my life. I had made a commitment to the general public and I had no option but to deliver.

By this time I had become fairly comfortable with the idea that I would publish the English version of the book independently and had put on the multiple hats of a publisher. I felt very comfortable that I had a product that met my standards and was very much needed; but needed to get the endorsement required to position my book in the market. I started to solicit endorsements/ comments from different people that I new in society.

I managed to secure a couple of such people who whole heartedly accepted my invitation to go through the book and provide their comments.
In the middle of the postponement and mounting frustration, I stumbled across news that would be the effective turning point of this whole journey. Georgia Mutagahywa, Celtel’s Corporate Affairs Director, had been exposed to my initiative and had some wonderful news for me – “Celtel supports initiatives, even by employees, that are in line with our prevailing promise of making life better”. It was then agreed with the new MD, Bashar Arafeh, that Celtel would support my book.

This was yet another nod of acceptance. Employers usually take every opportunity to shun at anything their employees do, even when these things could truly make a difference in society. This is truly a reflection of Celtel’s commitment to the community that it does business in. By supporting my initiative, Celtel, was not only contributing to my life, but to the lives of many others who would be affected by my book. I felt truly proud to be associated to such a great company.

If this was not enough, Reginald Mengi, Executive Chairman of IPP Group, upon hearing about my compelling story, accepted to honor the launch of my book. Mengi is a man that many young Tanzanians truly admire. His publicly revolutionary and industrious business milestones and sincere humanitarian deeds are at the pulse of his iconic stature. He clearly sends a message that you can be successful and make a positive difference in the society that you live. In effect, it is the fact that he makes such a profound difference to the least expecting (like me) that makes his success story so compelling. Thank you so much Mr. Mengi!!!

Throughout this journey I heard a lot of people tell me how unusual it was for someone my age to write a book meant to motivate others about life while I had not lived out my life yet; what could I tell anyone about life at this tender age? So much happens in our lives that we take for granted; so much so that I dedicate a whole section in my book, Life and You on the value addition of critical observation. There is nothing better in life than learning how to learn and appreciating that every experience, if properly communicated, is an experience worth sharing.

Many of my friends gave more than I could imagine to the success of this program. I would, in a rare move, like to isolate one. Paul Mashauri is an individual that I have known for a number of years and he never fails to amaze me with his drive and relentless ambition. His sincere commitment to purpose is evidenced in all his pursuits. He came actively into this project at the very last but most sensitive minute, but took it up like it was his own project from the very beginning. Fayaz, Paul, Sebastian, Amanda, Emma of ZK advertising and Robert (my PR Manager) formed the inner circle of my team for the launch of my book. I also thank Jason of Vayle Springs for supporting the decor and providing his unique touch and Alice of EXP Momentum for providing the hostesses for the event and her energy. A million and one thanks go to my Mom & Dad for their enduring strength and sense of direction; I am forever indebted to you and all those close family and friends!

And to all of you who to the time to visit my website – through you I know, with you we grow.

Thank you and until next time…