An insight into life on Pemba island

THROUGHOUT the last fortnight, Tanzanian priest Fr Appolinaris Msaky has been visiting Ennistymon as a guest of Pat and Neilius O’Doherty.

The O’Dohertys run the Pemba Support charity, which aids educational and community development in Pemba island off Tanzania. Fr Msaky is a Holy Ghost Father and has been based in Pemba for seven years. He got to know the O’Dohertys about three years ago.
“It’s a small island with a population of more than 400,000. It’s overpopulated in some areas that are near the main roads and small towns. But a large part of it is not occupied because it is swampy and has some hills,” is how Fr Msaky describes the island, which is located in the Indian Ocean and is referred to as the Evergreen Island. Pemba is one of two islands, along with Unguja, which make up Zanzibar.
While Unguja has more than 100 hotels, long sandy beaches and a healthy tourist trade, Pemba lags far behind, having just one beach, which is situated in the remote north.
The island is underdeveloped and has been neglected by successive governments. It lacks basic infrastructure, while electricity and water are unreliable. There are neither factories nor a tourism infrastructure on Pemba so poverty is evident everywhere, with most people living on less than $1 a day.
“There is much to be done in the area of agriculture. The island is blessed with a lot of rain and good soil but agriculture is not worked at much. People have got a kind of culture of operating small shops and market stalls but they don’t go into agriculture as such. It’s a kind of culture inherited from the Arabs,” Fr Msaky explained. The island population is mostly Muslim.
“There’s not much to see but in the area of nature, Pemba has got beautiful hills and beautiful strips of water and forest. Those are the areas that can be looked into tourism wise as one of the sources of income for the island,” Fr Msaky added.
The O’Dohertys, through Pemba Support, are involved in helping to expand educational opportunities in Pemba, along with supporting the development of a nursery school, a community centre and helping people who have been struck with leprosy.
Education is an area that Fr Msaky is passionate about and this is predominantly why he linked up with Pemba Support.
“In the area of education we have plenty of schools in Pemba. The Government has built a lot of primary and secondary schools. The Government has also achieved in mobilising families and young people to go to school but we lack trained teachers. Teachers who are qualified, especially in the area of English, mathematics and science, are scarce,” he noted.
“So, at the end of primary school, there are many failures and a number of students don’t continue after four years in secondary school. I think that’s an area where we need to concentrate a lot; upgrade the level of teachers and get proper teaching,” Fr Msaky suggested.
Originally from Moshi, which is located in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, Fr Msaky met the O’Dohertys four years ago in Pemba.
“In a way I was also involved in the area of education. In my parish we give evening classes in mathematics and English. So when we met we shared ideas and we found ourselves on a common project and it brought us together,” Fr Msaky recalled.
Earlier this month, hundreds of people drowned in a boating accident off Pemba. The boat was one that Fr Msaky has often availed of.
“I know it very well because that’s the boat I use myself. I use it quite often. For the last seven years I have been using that boat. It’s a big blow to the Pemba community. Around 204 people died,” he said.
Fr Msaky is due to return to Pemba this weekend following his two-week visit to North Clare.