ILamu—IsiQhingi Esingashintshi
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA
UMOYA wasolwandle wabhakuzisa useyili, uqhuba isikebhe sokhuni esincane. Phezu komkhumbi, ingqapheli yayibambelele ensikeni ihlola umkhathizwe ukuze ibone lapho kuzoma khona umkhumbi, iwakhipha wonke amehlo ayo njengoba i-Indian Ocean ibenyezela. Kwakuyikhulu le-15 C.E., futhi la matilosi ayefuna isiqhingi saseLamu.
Igolide, izinyo lendlovu, izinongo nezigqila—konke kwakutholakala e-Afrika. Ehehwe ingcebo yase-Afrika, nelukuluku lokuhlola izwe, amadoda anesibindi agwedla esuka emazweni akude aya ngasogwini oluseMpumalanga ye-Afrika. Amatilosi abhekana ngesibindi nezilwandle eziyaluzayo nezivunguvungu efuna ingcebo. Empintshene ezikebheni zokhuni ezincane, aqala uhambo olude.
Maphakathi nogu oluphezulu eMpumalanga Afrika, iqoqo elincane leziqhingi, iziqhingi zaseLamu, lenza lezi zihambi zasolwandle kanye nemikhumbi yazo ebuthakathaka zakwazi ukuthola itheku elijulile nelilondekile elivikelwe izixhobo zama-coral. Kulapha lapho amatilosi aphinde athola khona amanzi nokudla okusha akufaka emikhunjini yawo.
Ngekhulu le-15, isiqhingi saseLamu sase siyisikhungo esichumayo sezohwebo nesokuthola izinto. Amatilosi angamaPutukezi afika khona ngekhulu le-16 athola abahwebi abacebile begqoke imishuqulo kasilika nezingubo zikasilika ezinemikhono emide elengayo. Amabhengela egolide ayegcwele ezihlakaleni nasemaqakaleni abesifazane abaziqhole ngamakha njengoba behamba emigwaqweni emincane. Lapha esikhumulweni semikhumbi, imikhumbi noseyili bayo abangonxantathu abagoqiwe yayihleli emanzini, igcwele nswí izimpahla eziya kwamanye amazwe. Izigqila zaziboshelwe ngamaqembu zifuhlelwe ndawonye zilinde ukuyiswa emikhunjini.
Abahloli bezwe baseYurophu abafika kuqala bamangala ukuthola izinga eliphezulu lokukhucululwa kwendle nemiklamo yokwakha eLamu. Izindlu ezibheke ulwandle zazakhiwe ngezitini zama-coral ezazenziwe ngezandla, ama-coral ethathwa enkwalini yendawo, neminyango eyayinezivalo zokhuni ezisindayo, ezibazwe ngobuchwepheshe. Izindlu zazakhiwe zakleliswa kahle ukuze umoya wasolwandle ukwazi ukungena emigwaqweni emincane futhi upholise ukushisa okuyisivuvu.
Izindlu zezicebi zazinkulu futhi zivulekile. Izindlu zangasese zazinamanzi ahlanzekile aphuma emapayipini enziwe ngendlela yesidala. Ukukhucululwa kwendle nakho kwakwenziwa kahle futhi kusezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu kunakwamanye amazwe aseYurophu ngaleso sikhathi. Amapayipi amakhulu aqoshwe ematsheni, ayehlela olwandle futhi ethwala amanzi endle awayise emigodini ejulile eyayikude nemithombo yamanzi ahlanzekile. Amathangi enziwe ngamatshe ayenamanzi okuphuza ale mizi ayenezinhlanzi ezincane ezazidla izibungu zomiyane, ngaleyo ndlela zinciphisa inani lezinambuzane ezilumayo.
Ngekhulu le-19, iLamu yayinikeza imikhumbi edlula kulolu lwandle amazinyo endlovu, uwoyela, izimbewu, izikhumba zezilwane, amagobolondo ezimfundu, amazinyo emvubu nezigqila eziningi. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukuchuma kwaseLamu kwaqala ukuncipha. Ubhadane lwesifo, ukuhlaselwa izizwe ezinonya nemigoqo eyabekwa ekuhwebeni ngezigqila yehlisa umnotho waseLamu.
Ukuhlehlela Emuva Nomlando
Ukuya ethekwini laseLamu namuhla kufana nokuhlehlela emuva nomlando. Umoya uheleza kancane usuka emkhathini oluhlaza omkhulu we-Indian Ocean. Amagagasi aluhlaza afika ashaye kancane ugu olunesihlabathi esimhlophe. Imikhumbi yokhuni eyenziwe ngemiklamo yasendulo igudla ugu, noseyili bayo abangonxantathu sengathi uvemvane lundiza. Ithwele izinhlanzi, izithelo, ukhukhunathi, izinkomo, izinkukhu nabagibeli, amabombo abheke ethekwini laseLamu.
Esikhumulweni semikhumbi, izihlahla zesundu ezihwashaza emoyeni oshisayo zenza ukuba amadoda athula izinto emikhunjini yokhuni athole umthunzi. Imakethe iphithizela abantu abanomsindo abahweba ngezinto. Laba bahwebi abafuni igolide, izinyo lendlovu noma izigqila kodwa bafuna ubhanana, ukhukhunathi, izinhlanzi nobhasikidi.
Emthunzini wesihlahla esikhulu sikamango, amadoda eluka izintambo ezinde ngemicu yotshani obuqinile abese elungisa oseyili bemikhumbi yawo yokhuni. Imigwaqo mincane futhi igcwele abantu abaya kuzo zonke izindawo. Abadayisi abagqoke izingubo ezimhlophe ezinde, eziyikazelayo bamemeza ezitolo zabo eziminyene, bebiza abathengi ukuba bangene bazobona izimpahla zabo. Imbongolo, izabalazela ukudonsa inqola yokhuni egcwele amasaka asindayo anokusanhlamvu, izihloma kulaba bantu abaningi. Abantu baseLamu bahamba ngezinyawo besuka kwenye ingxenye yesiqhingi beya kwenye, ngoba azikho izimoto zokuhamba kulesi siqhingi. Kuhanjwa ngesikebhe kuphela uma uya kulesi siqhingi.
Uma ilanga selibantu bade, isikhathi kuba sengathi simile. Ekushiseni okucobayo, bambalwa abantu abazulazulayo, ngisho nezimbongolo ziyama zinganyakazi zivale amehlo ukuze ziphole.
Njengoba ilanga seliya ngomutsha wendoda futhi sekuqala ukuphola, lesi siqhingi ebesisathulile siqala ukuphithizela futhi. Abahwebi bayivula gengelezi iminyango yabo ebazwe ngokhuni ukuze baqale ukudayisa, futhi izibani bazikhanyisa kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu. Omama bageza izingane zabo ezincane bazigcobe ngamafutha kakhukhunathi isikhumba size sicwebezele. Behleli komata abalukwe ngamaqabunga kakhukhunathi, abesifazane baqala ukulungiselela ukudla. Lapha kusaphekwa phansi, futhi balungiselela ukudla okumnandi kwenhlanzi enongwe ngezinongo ezinuka kamnandi nelayisi eliphekwe ngobisi lukakhukhunathi. Abantu balapha banobungane, banomoya wokungenisa izihambi futhi bakhululekile.
Nakuba iLamu ingaseyinhle njengakuqala, isiko lase-Afrika langaphambi kwekhulu lama-20 lisandile lapha. Nakuba ilanga lishisa, ukuphila kusaqhubeka njengoba kwakunjalo emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka. Lapha umuntu angabona izinto zakudala nezamanje kanyekanye. Ngempela, iLamu yasinda ngendlela eyingqayizivele enkathini eyadlula, iyisiqhingi esingashintshi.
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]
Ukuvakashela Kwethu Elamu
Muva nje iqembu lethu lalivakashele eLamu, kodwa sasingayile ukuyothenga noma ukuyothengisa izimpahla. Sasiyovakashela abafowethu nodadewethu abangamaKristu, oFakazi BakaJehova esikanye nabo. Indiza yethu elula yandizela enyakatho phezu kogu lolwandle lwaseKenya olumagwingcigwingci. Le ezansi, amagagasi ayegingqikela emngceleni wehlathi elivundile, eliluhlaza elinesihlabathi esimhlophe ngasemaphethelweni. Khona manjalo, sabona iziqhingi zaseLamu zibenyezela njengamatshe ayigugu asolwandle oluluhlaza. Njengokhozi olukhulu lwase-Afrika, sazizungeza lezi ziqhingi sabe sesehlela emgwaqweni wendiza. Sehla endizeni, sahamba saya osebeni, sagibela umkhumbi wokhuni sesilibangise eLamu.
Ilanga lalibalele, futhi umoya wasolwandle wawufudumele futhi uqabula. Njengoba sisondela esiqhingini, saphawula ukuthi isikhumulo semikhumbi siyaphithizela. Amadoda anamandla ayehlisa imithwalo esindayo emikhunjini, futhi abesifazane bethwala izimpahla zabo emakhanda. Siphethe imithwalo yethu, sangena esixukwini futhi sama ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla sesundu. Ngemva kwemizuzwana, abafowethu abangamaKristu basibona, futhi basamukela ngemfudumalo esiqhingini sabo.
Savuka entathakusa ukuze siyohlangana nabafowethu nodadewethu ngasolwandle. Uhambo lokuya emihlanganweni yebandla lwalulude futhi lwaluzothatha amahora amaningana. Sasizihlinzeke ngamanzi okuphuza, izigqoko ezinemipheme emikhulu nezicathulo ezifanele ukuhamba. Lapho kusa, saqala uhambo ngomkhumbi silibangise ezwenikazi, lapho imihlangano yayiqhutshelwa khona.
Abazalwane basebenzisa ithuba bafakaza kulabo ababesesikebheni, futhi lapho sesehla sase sijabulele izingxoxo zeBhayibheli futhi sahambisa omagazini abaningana. Sakhangwa umgwaqo wobhuqu osesigangeni oshisayo. Njengoba sihamba ehlathini elingenamuntu, saxwayiswa ukuba siqaphe ukuze sibone izilwane zasendle, kuhlanganise nezindlovu othuka seziwela umgwaqo. Abafowethu babejabule futhi kumnandi njengoba sasihamba kancane siya lapho siphikelele khona.
Ngokushesha, safika edolobhaneni elincane lapho sathola khona abanye ebandleni ababesuka kude. Ngenxa yokuthi kuhanjwa ibanga elide, imihlangano emine yebandla iqhutshwa ngosuku olulodwa.
Imihlangano yayiqhutshelwa esikoleni esincane esakhiwe ngamatshe, esingenawo amafasitela noma izivalo. Ngaphakathi ekilasini, thina esingu-15 sahlala emabhentshini amancane amapulangwe futhi sajabulela isimiso esihle seBhayibheli, esasikhuthaza futhi sakha. Akekho owayebonakala enendaba nokushisa okukhulu okwakuvela ophahleni lukathayela phezu kwamakhanda ethu. Sonke sasijabulela ukuba ndawonye. Ngemva kwamahora amane emihlangano, savalelisana futhi abantu bashona ezindaweni ezihlukene. Ngesikhathi sesibuyela eLamu, ilanga lase liya ngomutsha wendoda.
Ngalobo busuku obupholile, sajabulela ukudla nemikhaya yoFakazi ehlala eLamu. Ngezinsuku ezalandela sahamba emigwaqweni emincane emazombezombe, sihlanganyela nayo emsebenzini wokushumayela, sifuna abantu abalambele iqiniso leBhayibheli. Intshiseko nesibindi salaba bafowethu nodadewethu abambalwa yasikhuthaza.
Ekugcineni lwafika usuku okwadingeka sihambe ngalo. Abafowethu basiyisa esikhumulweni semikhumbi, futhi savalelisana ngezinhliziyo ezibuhlungu. Basitshela ukuthi ukuvakasha kwethu kwakubakhuthazile. Sasizibuza ukuthi bayazi yini ukuthi bona basikhuthaze kangakanani! Lapho sesibuyele emuva ezwenikazi, ngokushesha sagibela indiza yethu encane. Njengoba indiza yethu encane yayikhuphukela phezulu esibhakabhakeni, sabuka phansi sabona isiqhingi esihle saseLamu. Sacabanga ngokholo oluqinile lwabafowethu abahlala khona, amabanga amade abawahambayo uma beya emihlanganweni, nentshiseko nothando abanalo ngeqiniso. Emandulo kwalotshwa isiprofetho kumaHubo 97:1: “UJehova uyinkosi; umhlaba mawethabe, zijabule iziqhingi eziningi.” Ngempela, ngisho nasesiqhingini esikude saseLamu, abantu banikezwa ithuba lokujabula ngethemba elimangalisayo lepharadesi elizayo ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Inikelwe.
[Amabalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 15]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
AFRICA
KENYA
LAMU
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]
© Alice Garrard
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]
© Alice Garrard