The Digo homeland is dry and dusty and extends from the northern coastline of Tanzania to the Kenya border. My traveling companions and I reached our designated village by traveling over a rough dirt road via a Land Cruiser. I sat in the front with the driver; my tour guide and his friend sat in the back.
Upon our arrival, we were escorted to the office of the village chairman who was in a meeting with the ward counselor and 11 other village chairmen. I could tell it was an important meeting.
The ward counselor greeted us and suggested we wait at a nearby restaurant. When the meeting was finished, he would receive us. The delay gave us an opportunity to visit with several of the 1,940 villagers and drink a Coca-Cola. This village was like every other village we had visited along the coast. One could always find a primary school, usually a dispensary and always Coca-Cola!
Soon the ward counselor sent word for us to come. Stepping into the meeting, I noticed three women among the 12 village chairmen, which strongly indicated a matrilineal culture. At first, the size of our group made it appear that we were representing an organization. It took a little time to alleviate the chairmen’s suspicions and present ourselves as individuals who merely wanted to personally meet the Digo people.
The ward counselor offered to lead us through the village and identify people who could assist in gaining an understanding of Digo history. The sheik joined the tour and was pleased to show us the mosque. After we left our shoes at the entrance, he led us into the prayer area where he kindly posed for a picture.
The new madrassa was across the road. The sheik and madrassa teacher were proud of the facility. Inside its four large classrooms, the Quran is taught in Arabic every day. Current enrollment is 168, drawn from the 740 primary and 400 secondary students. Students attend the government schools until 3:30 p.m. and then come to the madrassa for two hours of religious instruction at 4 p.m. It is a required schedule.
A large open area at the center of the village was highlighted by a concrete-covered platform from which the sheik or political leaders addressed the crowd. The sheik climbed the steps to show where he would stand to lead a public worship service.
Next I visited with a husband and wife who were the village patriarchs. The elderly couple seemed to appreciate the honor of a visit. This was followed by a brief call at the dispensary and a chance to meet the doctor. The dispensary had limited supplies, and its refurbishing appeared to be a primary need.
Returning to the village chairman’s office, we made our farewell speeches to the 12 village chairmen and ward counselor. I closed by saying, “We entered your village as strangers, but we leave as friends.” The driver said, “I will soon return with my family for a visit.” The chairmen applauded both expressions. It was a happy conclusion.
The ward counselor invited us to stop at his home, located in the next village. We accepted the invitation, and along the way we stopped at a tall coconut palm tree for pictures. The tree was planted when Tanzania’s first president visited the village many years ago. Its height testified to the government’s long-term investment in the area.
The ward counselor’s zinc-roofed, cement block home was comfortable. He entertained us in the sitting room and introduced us to his new wife. His first wife, whose picture was on the wall, had borne six children but died a year ago. He shared with us how he served one year as village chairmen and then was elected as ward counselor three years ago. He said, “Now I have many headaches giving leadership to six villages with a total population of 6,000.”
We bid the counselor goodbye and returned to Tanga, Tanzania. All in all, it had been a great day! We made new friends, took a lot of pictures and opened our eyes to view the Digo harvest field. The need for laborers is evident. Presenting the gospel to the Digo will be challenging but rewarding!
Digo Profile