Makonde of Kenya

While he doesn't know the date of his birth, this is not unusual.  Many Africans in his age bracket have no papers, no registry of birth, and, at the time of birth -- no way to identify the date ie. calendar, newspaper etc.   Many of his age group identify their year of birth or age by an event, if such an event occurred, such as – the year of the drought, the year of the flood, the year of the massacre…  things of this nature.

After David’s call to our cell phone, (click here to see previous post) we turned around proceeding down a public road at the edge of the sisal plantation. The Makonde man will meet us on this road.

Augustino is Makonde. We estimate his age as mid to late 70’s.  As we ask him questions, he relates his story.


He came to Mwatate from Mwindumi, Mozambique with his uncle in the year of Tanzania’s independence -- that would be 1961, he would have been an older teenager of working age. This fits with the history of Mozambique.

Between 1961 and 1962 several laws were passed in Mozambique to improve living conditions for nationals.  They also abolished forced labor during this time.  This would've given Augustino and his uncle the opportunity to leave Mozambique.  Also, the border of Tanzania was open as part of the East Africa Community thus, papers would not be needed to go from Mozambique through Tanganyika (present day Tanzania) to Kenya. Even today research suggests that more Makonde live in Tanzania than in Mozambique.

He tells of many Makonde coming to work on the sisal plantation. He had two children while working on the plantation. One now lives in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and one in a nearby village.

He pulls an old Kodak picture sleeve out of his jacket pocket – obviously a prized possession --  opening it up to a black and white picture of himself as a young man.

Today Augustino and another older Makonde man, now crippled, are the only Makonde on the estate.  In 2004 all non-Kenyan workers were order off the estate.  Augustino says he and two older Makonde men were allowed to stay, but one has since died.  They don’t get money from the estate, but there is a small house in which they can live out their days.

As Jerry relates his testimony, Augustino acknowledges God’s presence in his life.

As we finish up our conversation Augustino puts on his hat, squats down and picks up a small bundle of wood which he has scavenged.  This will be used to heat water for tea and perhaps cook a bit of food.

Someone comes by – “Shikamoo mzee” (She-ka-moh  mmm-zay). We are happy to hear the KiSwahili greeting of respect for the older man.

Pray for Augustino and his Makonde friend – we don’t know his name.  Pray that God would make Himself known to them in powerful ways.

Augustino is uneducated, so he and his friend are unable to read.  Pray that God would send believers into their lives to encourage them, to bless them, to show them the love of Christ,  that they would truly know Him in their last days.