Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Jonathan’s Autobiography: Born June 16, 1978
My name is Jonathan Rwelengera Nathanael. I was born in 10th June 1978 in Kikomero village, Bukoba, Tanzania. My tribe is Haya and I had two parents both but in 1982 my father expelled my mother and he found another woman as my step mother. My mother runned away from home because my father treated badly (troubled) my mother and he chased my mother; so we were living ourselves just me and my three brothers and sisters.
My father was a house’s constructer he was so getting the money to buy beers because he was a drunker man. In 1984 the whole of our district had the lack of food. My father and my brothers used to go to find jobs very far from home. My self I was young therefore I didn’t go any where but home. During 1987 the circumstance was good. We picked enough crops from our farm, even our neighbours they got enough food, the whole village was glad to get the lovely harvest and the hanger was finished. My mother came back home because my father sent to her the letter to ask her to come home from Dar es Salaam where she was living from the day she chased from home. But saddenly she got the stronger fever, about one week then she died. Truly I was very sad and I cried a lot for my mother. In 1988 my father sent me to school to start on standard 1 of the primary school in Kikomelo village.
But my father found another woman as my step mother and she was very angry with me all the time I think she didn’t like me because she was beating me and sometimes she lied unto my father that I stole food from the pot but my father didn’t trust all words she said unto him. That woman got some problems with my father and my father expelled her away. father found another woman the third one and after three months he chased her. Then my father became sick because he used to be with different womans and I think he was already contaminated by the womans he married. Then in 1992 he died. Three sisters of mine was married so far from home but they passed away in the places where they were married and I didn’t be able to know much about them but they remarried their children into their husbands. My brothers were two in Muleba town because they were working for their life. But my aunt came to help my father the day when he was sick, also some relatives came to take care till he passed away. Myself I went to live with my grandmother to pick coffe and to plant the cassava trees. from the money of coffe she paid the school fees for me but she didn’t buy clothes, really I was almost naked and dirty because I had no soap to wash my clothes. I had only school clothes and I used to wear them all the time from day and night because I had no other clothes to change. But there on my school there was not necessary to wear shoes because almost 95% of the schooler were coming to school without shoes everyday.
During examinations I was getting more that 55% though there were no enough teachers, and books also the school where I was studding there was no windows but it was open all the time because it was poor.
The teachers were beating me and other students at my school but very much not a little, even when I could ask to read some books from the office of teachers or if I had no the money to pay the annual school fees.
When I was in standard VII it was in 1994. I didn’t be able to stay in punishments from teachers. I decided to run away from school and I went to stay far from home where Iguru Ibi, beach with the fishermans and I was sorking to pull the net for the ake of getting some fishes to sell and buy food for myself. But I had nowhere to sleep but only in cold outside on the beach and there were a lot of mosquito then I was getting sick because of mosquito. One of my brother came to pick me from there to back home to continue with school again. At the end of 1994 we had the graduation celemony but myself I didn’t join because I had no money for the celemony contribution. I passed through the window in order to dance the music inside the school at the celemony during the night because there were many guards on the door and it wasn’t allowed to enter without to show the invitation coupon.
Then in 1995 at the beginning I was living still with my grandmother but I was thinking more about the future but I had no job and I was thinking about how I could be able to get the money for my necessary expenditure. But one day the neighbour boy was tryng to advise me to go to town because he knew more about town than me because he had many relatives in town. He told me there about getting jobs in town and I trusted what he told me. Then I went to ask my grandmother some money for fare from home to Mwanza town to find jobs. My grandmother agreed and she gave me some coffes to sell I sold coffe then I got 5000tsh. that was enough for my fare.
My Journey was nice from home village to Bukoba town, there I went to buy the ticket of the boat then I succeeded to get it and I intered the boat. The Journey was beautiful to me because it was my first time to go by boat. I was praying myself in to my heart to God. This happened in July 11th 1995. Also from village to Bukoba town there the car was full of passengers and burdens. We had all to stand on the burdens because there was no place to sit and the car was running faster.
But in the boat there I saw the big space and other people were sleeping but most of them were talking and telling stories. It was my first time and I was wonderling for everythings in the boat. The next day we arrived to Mwanza, the town with rocks. Many people in town and I saw thieves stealing some bags from the passengers, really it was my first time to arrive there in Mwanza. But I was thinking more about home and about my grandmother.
When I reachen in Mwanza town I had nowhere to go because I had nowhere to go. I saw the people and many cars and many roads then I didn’t know where I could go. I had two clothes in the plastic bag and I had 200 tsh. remain only in my pocket. I was hangry and didn’t know where I could buy the food. I bought an ice cream but it was cold in my mouth then I threw it away and I was not satiated. I went on te shaddow to rest but they chased me. I started to cry for myself and I was not able to go home. I desired to go back to my grandmother because the town was hardly life.
But leiter one man saw me and took me to his home and he asked me to take care his children but his wife was angry with me, she was beating me and she gave to me the bad food and the safe food was belong to her and the children. There I was sick because of the situation and eating the same food. Then I runned away because nobody had any idea to help me for my future even when I was sick they didn’t send me to the hospital. Then I went to ask for a job to the people and I started to work in the kiosk but wonderfully they also didn’t like to pay me therefore I left there and I runned away from there Kirumba str. to Mabatini str.
In Mabatini I was selling eggs and grandnuts but also they didn’t give me my wage and they chased me then I went to stay in the market bt it was dangerrous if the guards could see me there inside the market during the night.
But I was hiding myself inside the basket under the bussness table. The guard was trying to find me in order to kill me but he didn’t get me though he had the toch but he didn’t see me.
In the market I was hungry because I spent three days & ½ without been eaten. I tried to find some potatoes & tomatoes during the night to eat inside the market.
During that time my brother was trying to find me but he couldn’t get me easier. But then he left the piece of the letter to some people that was for me to ask me to go to stay with him. When I got that letter askeng me to go to stay with my brother, I went to find out how to get the real place where my brother was living. But it was also difficult to get there. I slept outside in darkness in some days. But after three days I got him and he showed me his place because he was living with his wife. but his wife was angry with me because she didn’t like me to stay there. The life was too hard and I expected to run away back in the street because I had nowhere to go.
Then some people were interested with some of the painting from me and they asked me to go to Kuleana Street Children Centre. I went there and I went there at Kuleana in 1997 there were some european and they were interested with my picutres, they decided that I continue to be with them and they gave me some works to paint from them. From the paiment of drawings I rented my cheeper room in 1998 from that time I came out from the streets. The same year 10th of June it was the Africa child day. Kuleana and Plan International they asked for fifty children to go to Dodoma. In those fifty I was one of them who was choosed to represent street children. It was nice journey and it was my first time to travel with a train. The journey was so nice to me and there we met other children and students from different places of Tanzania.
In Dodoma we had many competitions, some on singing, other on dansing, some on playing games and drawings. But wonderful I became a winner I took the first number on drawing and I got the first prize. And the fine art was the first winner from other games all. All children from Mwanza were glad to get their victory.
Then in Mwanza I continued to make some cards for sell and I got money for food and accomodation. Sometimes I went to visit my friends on the street and I was explaining to them about how to work and find life. And I aasked them to learn from me.
Street children were fighting and I was trying to placate them. But it was very difficult to stop them. But they often fought each other because of money. Myself I was selling pictures in the street and the money I used to buy clothes and other expenditures necessary to me, I didn’t drink but when I was living in the street I used to smake marihuana and sometimes cigarrates.
Here I went to Morogoro to represent the street children of Mwanza 2002 March. We spent almost one week the unicef invited many youth to represent others at the National Life Skills facilitators. The people were glad with the pictures I drew as an example of life of the children in the street.
In Mwanza at the Catholic Arch Diocese of Mwanza Street Children project I was dancing with the cultural drums with other street children. But it didn’t continue because no supporter. Many people liked it because they were very interested.
In December 2003 the policemans catched me with other boys in the street during night when I went to visit them and they called all of us as thieves then they sent us to the central Police station, we spend there three days and then they sent us to the court they lied with unture report that we stole the mobile phone. Then they sent us to Butimba prison, there is very difficult life to me because we were eating oce per day and forced to sleep during evening at 4:00pm.
Now I am living as the small artist in Mwanza. But problem is that I have no capital to elevate my work and I have no enough support on it.
I am living myself in my rented room as a small artist.
My name is Jonathan Rwelengera Nathanael. I was born in 10th June 1978 in Kikomero village, Bukoba, Tanzania. My tribe is Haya and I had two parents both but in 1982 my father expelled my mother and he found another woman as my step mother. My mother runned away from home because my father treated badly (troubled) my mother and he chased my mother; so we were living ourselves just me and my three brothers and sisters.
My father was a house’s constructer he was so getting the money to buy beers because he was a drunker man. In 1984 the whole of our district had the lack of food. My father and my brothers used to go to find jobs very far from home. My self I was young therefore I didn’t go any where but home. During 1987 the circumstance was good. We picked enough crops from our farm, even our neighbours they got enough food, the whole village was glad to get the lovely harvest and the hanger was finished. My mother came back home because my father sent to her the letter to ask her to come home from Dar es Salaam where she was living from the day she chased from home. But saddenly she got the stronger fever, about one week then she died. Truly I was very sad and I cried a lot for my mother. In 1988 my father sent me to school to start on standard 1 of the primary school in Kikomelo village.
But my father found another woman as my step mother and she was very angry with me all the time I think she didn’t like me because she was beating me and sometimes she lied unto my father that I stole food from the pot but my father didn’t trust all words she said unto him. That woman got some problems with my father and my father expelled her away. father found another woman the third one and after three months he chased her. Then my father became sick because he used to be with different womans and I think he was already contaminated by the womans he married. Then in 1992 he died. Three sisters of mine was married so far from home but they passed away in the places where they were married and I didn’t be able to know much about them but they remarried their children into their husbands. My brothers were two in Muleba town because they were working for their life. But my aunt came to help my father the day when he was sick, also some relatives came to take care till he passed away. Myself I went to live with my grandmother to pick coffe and to plant the cassava trees. from the money of coffe she paid the school fees for me but she didn’t buy clothes, really I was almost naked and dirty because I had no soap to wash my clothes. I had only school clothes and I used to wear them all the time from day and night because I had no other clothes to change. But there on my school there was not necessary to wear shoes because almost 95% of the schooler were coming to school without shoes everyday.
During examinations I was getting more that 55% though there were no enough teachers, and books also the school where I was studding there was no windows but it was open all the time because it was poor.
The teachers were beating me and other students at my school but very much not a little, even when I could ask to read some books from the office of teachers or if I had no the money to pay the annual school fees.
When I was in standard VII it was in 1994. I didn’t be able to stay in punishments from teachers. I decided to run away from school and I went to stay far from home where Iguru Ibi, beach with the fishermans and I was sorking to pull the net for the ake of getting some fishes to sell and buy food for myself. But I had nowhere to sleep but only in cold outside on the beach and there were a lot of mosquito then I was getting sick because of mosquito. One of my brother came to pick me from there to back home to continue with school again. At the end of 1994 we had the graduation celemony but myself I didn’t join because I had no money for the celemony contribution. I passed through the window in order to dance the music inside the school at the celemony during the night because there were many guards on the door and it wasn’t allowed to enter without to show the invitation coupon.
Then in 1995 at the beginning I was living still with my grandmother but I was thinking more about the future but I had no job and I was thinking about how I could be able to get the money for my necessary expenditure. But one day the neighbour boy was tryng to advise me to go to town because he knew more about town than me because he had many relatives in town. He told me there about getting jobs in town and I trusted what he told me. Then I went to ask my grandmother some money for fare from home to Mwanza town to find jobs. My grandmother agreed and she gave me some coffes to sell I sold coffe then I got 5000tsh. that was enough for my fare.
My Journey was nice from home village to Bukoba town, there I went to buy the ticket of the boat then I succeeded to get it and I intered the boat. The Journey was beautiful to me because it was my first time to go by boat. I was praying myself in to my heart to God. This happened in July 11th 1995. Also from village to Bukoba town there the car was full of passengers and burdens. We had all to stand on the burdens because there was no place to sit and the car was running faster.
But in the boat there I saw the big space and other people were sleeping but most of them were talking and telling stories. It was my first time and I was wonderling for everythings in the boat. The next day we arrived to Mwanza, the town with rocks. Many people in town and I saw thieves stealing some bags from the passengers, really it was my first time to arrive there in Mwanza. But I was thinking more about home and about my grandmother.
When I reachen in Mwanza town I had nowhere to go because I had nowhere to go. I saw the people and many cars and many roads then I didn’t know where I could go. I had two clothes in the plastic bag and I had 200 tsh. remain only in my pocket. I was hangry and didn’t know where I could buy the food. I bought an ice cream but it was cold in my mouth then I threw it away and I was not satiated. I went on te shaddow to rest but they chased me. I started to cry for myself and I was not able to go home. I desired to go back to my grandmother because the town was hardly life.
But leiter one man saw me and took me to his home and he asked me to take care his children but his wife was angry with me, she was beating me and she gave to me the bad food and the safe food was belong to her and the children. There I was sick because of the situation and eating the same food. Then I runned away because nobody had any idea to help me for my future even when I was sick they didn’t send me to the hospital. Then I went to ask for a job to the people and I started to work in the kiosk but wonderfully they also didn’t like to pay me therefore I left there and I runned away from there Kirumba str. to Mabatini str.
In Mabatini I was selling eggs and grandnuts but also they didn’t give me my wage and they chased me then I went to stay in the market bt it was dangerrous if the guards could see me there inside the market during the night.
But I was hiding myself inside the basket under the bussness table. The guard was trying to find me in order to kill me but he didn’t get me though he had the toch but he didn’t see me.
In the market I was hungry because I spent three days & ½ without been eaten. I tried to find some potatoes & tomatoes during the night to eat inside the market.
During that time my brother was trying to find me but he couldn’t get me easier. But then he left the piece of the letter to some people that was for me to ask me to go to stay with him. When I got that letter askeng me to go to stay with my brother, I went to find out how to get the real place where my brother was living. But it was also difficult to get there. I slept outside in darkness in some days. But after three days I got him and he showed me his place because he was living with his wife. but his wife was angry with me because she didn’t like me to stay there. The life was too hard and I expected to run away back in the street because I had nowhere to go.
Then some people were interested with some of the painting from me and they asked me to go to Kuleana Street Children Centre. I went there and I went there at Kuleana in 1997 there were some european and they were interested with my picutres, they decided that I continue to be with them and they gave me some works to paint from them. From the paiment of drawings I rented my cheeper room in 1998 from that time I came out from the streets. The same year 10th of June it was the Africa child day. Kuleana and Plan International they asked for fifty children to go to Dodoma. In those fifty I was one of them who was choosed to represent street children. It was nice journey and it was my first time to travel with a train. The journey was so nice to me and there we met other children and students from different places of Tanzania.
In Dodoma we had many competitions, some on singing, other on dansing, some on playing games and drawings. But wonderful I became a winner I took the first number on drawing and I got the first prize. And the fine art was the first winner from other games all. All children from Mwanza were glad to get their victory.
Then in Mwanza I continued to make some cards for sell and I got money for food and accomodation. Sometimes I went to visit my friends on the street and I was explaining to them about how to work and find life. And I aasked them to learn from me.
Street children were fighting and I was trying to placate them. But it was very difficult to stop them. But they often fought each other because of money. Myself I was selling pictures in the street and the money I used to buy clothes and other expenditures necessary to me, I didn’t drink but when I was living in the street I used to smake marihuana and sometimes cigarrates.
Here I went to Morogoro to represent the street children of Mwanza 2002 March. We spent almost one week the unicef invited many youth to represent others at the National Life Skills facilitators. The people were glad with the pictures I drew as an example of life of the children in the street.
In Mwanza at the Catholic Arch Diocese of Mwanza Street Children project I was dancing with the cultural drums with other street children. But it didn’t continue because no supporter. Many people liked it because they were very interested.
In December 2003 the policemans catched me with other boys in the street during night when I went to visit them and they called all of us as thieves then they sent us to the central Police station, we spend there three days and then they sent us to the court they lied with unture report that we stole the mobile phone. Then they sent us to Butimba prison, there is very difficult life to me because we were eating oce per day and forced to sleep during evening at 4:00pm.
Now I am living as the small artist in Mwanza. But problem is that I have no capital to elevate my work and I have no enough support on it.
I am living myself in my rented room as a small artist.
