Akamwani: The Challenges of Bible Sharing in Small Christian Communities
Title: Akamwani: The Challenges of Bible Sharing in Small Christian Communities
Author: Sister Rita Ishengoma, STH
Publishers & Printers: Old East Africa Ltd, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2009
132 pages
Price: US $10
Reviewer: Mr. John Mbonde
How to order:
E-mail: orders@sccquest.org
Phone: (860) 761-7450
Mail: Pastoral Department for Small Christian Communities
467 Bloomfield Ave
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Fax: (860) 760-6116
The author of this book is Sr. Rita Ishengoma. She was born in 1938 in the Kagera Region in Tanzania, East Africa. She is the oldest of nine children. On December 1994 her father, Wilibald Ishenda Ishengoma died at an age of 79. She, along with her brothers and sisters, Gasto Kabyemela, Asterina Kakumanya, Joseph Rutubingwa, Mastidia Kaposta, Celestin Kiza and Anatory Ruta take care of their mother, Constantia Kokugonza.
In his foreword, Auxiliary Bishop of Dar es Salaam Archdiocese, Method Kilaini, writes: “Sr. Rita Ishengoma has given us a big gift of ‘akamwani’. Akamwani (coffee beans) among the Haya people is a sign of friendship, brotherhood and love. It chases away evil spirits, brings reconciliation and renews community life. She could not have chosen a better word to express her experience of the Small Christian Communities.”
“Bringing her work to the African milieu, she narrates proverbs and tales from the wisdom of the African ancestors. In Africa if you want to put a stop to a discussion bring in a proverb or tale that gives the solution or leads to a decision. One is not expected to argue against the wisdom of ancestors unless he or she can bring a better proverb or tale. Sr Rita shows how one can use this wisdom in the Small Christian Communities,” Kilaini observes.
The book has 17 chapters which are enhanced with beautiful photographs of different events she participated in Tanzania and abroad. Sr Rita has accommodated other people’s experiences not only in the different dioceses of Tanzania, but also from other countries as far as Germany and United States of America. There is variety of contributions from religious and lay both men and women that bring very powerful insights into a new life in the Small Christian Communities (SCCs).
“This book will remain as a testimony to the commemoration of my 50th anniversary of my sisterhood taking place towards the end of 2009. Indeed, my greatest debt is to Joseph Mushumbuzi who strongly encouraged and convinced me to put together the work done during my 50 years of Religious Profession. Of course, the outcome of this publication is a result of collective efforts of relatives, friends and many professionals around the globe through the grace of the Lord,” the author notes appreciatively.
As a freelance correspondent, Sr. Rita has contributed several articles to local East African magazines on issues concerning ‘Small Christian Communities’. With Fr Joseph Healey, MM, she co-authored the chapter “Reenergizing International SCC Twinning” in a book entitled Small Christian Communities Today: Capturing the New Moment (edited by Joseph G.Healey and Jeanne Hinton and published by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York in 2005).
They (Rita and Joseph) define that International or global Small Christian Community (SCC) twinning (also called Sister SCCs, Sister Communities, and Partner SCCs) in the recent development in the worldwide Small Christian Communities experience an important form of international networking. Twinning, the setting up of ‘sister diocese’ and ‘sister parishes’ on a higher level and ‘sister Small Christian Communities’ on a grassroot level, is a practical, proven, and enriching experience of involvement in the global church.
Brother Robert Moriarty, SM states, “In an era of economic globalization which threatens to make the rich ever richer and the poor ever poorer, twinning, based not on an exchange of material goods, but on an exchange of experiences of Christian life and mission, offers an approach to the globalization of solidarity, a globalization from below, as it were.”
However, Sr. Rita combines her professional communication skills together with her long time in sisterhood to disseminate knowledge to others especially breaking the ice in the meetings, seminars and conferences methodically by using audio and visual materials locally obtained. This is why there are a lot of line drawings, pictures and other illustrations in her book.
For example, “On one occasion, I was asked to address sisters from different congregations. The organizer of the meeting told me, ‘Just say something to the sisters which will encourage them to be more responsible in their daily work.’ Looking around the hall, I saw a creeping plant in a pot. Ah! This is a nice symbol object. When the sisters sat down, I asked them to watch the creeping plant. Some leaves were flowering while others were withering on the same plant. The plant eats and drinks the same food, is planted in some soil and lives in the same room. BUT its leaves and stems differ. While some leaves are beautiful others were withering away. WHY? From that object the sisters shared their life experience. What makes a difference in life? Each person grows by conscientiously utilizing God’s grace, their own talents and knowledge and their commitment to self-awareness. We become what we are through personal awareness, God’s grace and help of neighbors” (p. 19).
One of the striking features in her writing is her unique language simplicity. She uses ordinary vocabularies and short sentences to describe professional theory and other details.
Chapter four is devoted for special individual witness to living in Small Christian communities. Hence Akamwani renders a tremendous opportunity for other members of SCCs in the country and the world at large to witness Jesus Christ in their daily experience in their respective communities. Actually, Akamwani provides some guidelines on how to conduct Small Christian Community sessions (p. 40).
She also elaborates that in order to foster group sharing there are four (Sonolux) presentations, which are based on one’s personal experience in a particular SCC. They are designed to be used with an already established community, and are to be presented by a leader within the group. For an outsider to bring something of this nature to a group would make both the presentation and the sharing artificial. The important thing is that they bring out in an organized fashion many important points about community (p. 49).
Sister Rita has also incorporated the Lumko Programmes of Gospel sharing (pp. 64 –70) in her book.
She has been very much inspired by the special privilege of attending two General Religious Superiors’ Conferences of the Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) without herself being a superior. Accordingly, she quotes some speeches of distinguished guest speakers during the conferences.
First of all, it was His Eminence Polycarp Cardinal Pengo the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam who spoke on ‘Apostolate in Local Church’. Pengo emphasized solidarity, growing together in the consecrated life, to be prophetic, witnessing, life-living and evangelizing right from the grassroots level.
On another occasion Cardinal Pengo observed that “for Christian in general and for religious women and men or men in particular, the basic empowerment is that which allows believers to witness to Christ. Like the apostle Peter we who are walking on the turbulent waters of the world of our day, must learn firmly to fix our eyes on Christ who is our only hope. Otherwise we are bound to sink down and be engulfed by the post-Christian ideology and mentality” (p. 121).
The Apostolic Nuncio in Tanzania, Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, at the closing party said, “Dear Sisters, we cannot find God’s will and plan unless we always keep in contact with Him through prayer and meditation. That is why; I would recommend three points for your reflection: prayer life; community life; and joyful witness of religious life. Jesus tells us [that] without me you can do nothing. With Christ we are heroes (heroines) and without him we are zeros. In this year of Holy Eucharist let us develop one love and to the Holy Eucharist Lord” (p. 124).
Akamwani is one of the recent great challenges in applying the African traditional materials in proclamation of Good News. Of course, the book is very practical which offers opportunity to each and every member in SCC to share his/her experience with other members. On the other side of the coin, this book may encourage other people to keep record of their respective life experiences for present and future generations.
Finally, let us borrow the kind remarks given by the Auxiliary Bishop, Method Kilaini, of Dar es Salaam Archdiocese emphatically as appearing in his foreword, “With this may I call everybody to read this book rich of information, experience and expressing enthusiasm in the Small Christian Communities. It will help those who find the Small Christian Communities too heavy to find ways of making them light and lovable. It eases ways of communication among the members and makes it a real and personal experience away from a formal implementation of a directive.”
Author: Sister Rita Ishengoma, STH