“Wild animals and strong houses characterized our early forefathers,” exclaimed my guide. As he gave me a brief tour of a Machinga village, I learned what he meant.
The first Machinga moving into Tanzania built log houses...
with weblike wooden doors to protect themselves from wild animals in the area. The houses were distinctly different from other tribal groups who built mud houses with grass roofs.
Today Machinga villagers build their homes with cement blocks and a zinc roof or mud blocks and a grass roof. Fewer animals are near the village, although a small log house built on stilts is used for sheltering goats and sheep from hyenas at night.
The village is located on the coast, so both fishing and farming provide for the needs of the people. Their yards are clean, and it is refreshing to see villagers taking pride in their community. They don’t have a dispensary, but they do have a primary and secondary school.
The mosque and madrassa are dominant with all local people practicing the Islamic faith. My guide mentioned that although the entire village is Islamic, only about 40 percent are true Muslims. The other 60 percent are Muslim only by birth.
An elderly woman shared with me about the history of the village. Nearly 100 years old, she has a son of whom she is justly proud and who holds a high position in the national government.
“If you could live your life over again, what would you do different?” I asked her.
She thought for about a minute and then responded, “I would give more money to the madrassa.” It is easy to see that she is a true devotee of Islam.
The guide told me of an evangelical pastor who came to a neighboring Machinga village located on the main road. He lived among the people and preached the gospel. When he prayed for a local woman who was desperately ill, the Lord graciously healed her and she accepted Jesus as her Savior. Then the villagers put pressure on her, forcing her to return to Islam. Next they began persecuting the pastor and forced him to leave the area.
The spiritual need of the Machinga is great. Opportunities among youth and nominal Muslims exist, but one will need to be creative in presenting the gospel and willing to suffer persecution. May the Lord be gracious to the Machinga!
Machinga Profile