It’s time to bridge the rural-urban gap

In this piece, Featured Author Kenneth Simbaya pays tribute to rural women as he builds a case for celebrating them everyday, by recognising the burden they carry tirelessly as they feed their families and communities.If you doubt that women in rural areas play a crucial role for the family and community development, you should have met my late grandmother, Violet Mkisi (may God rest her soul in peace). I really admired her hardworking spirit. In fact, I still do as I apply her principles in my life. And I can confidently say she left an indelible mark on her family and neighbours at Igamba Village, about 45 kilometres from Mbozi District.  This is a woman who knew that the difference between successful and unsuccessful people is in how they spend their time. I realize now that no wonder she committed herself to work hard no matter what. Bibi (Swahili for grandmother), never missed communal village work, unless she was ill. And this was contrary to my grandfather who would gladly avoid such things and say “hatuwezi kwenda wote, ukienda wewe nimeenda mimi” literally meaning that we can’t both go, if you go it means I have also attended”.Taking absolutely total responsibility of family matters from paying school fees, to health care. Pushing the wheel forward as she strongly believed that  life has to be lived like a clock, always looking ahead as one carries on with her duties. “A clock ticks clockwise and not otherwise”, she would say. But I became aware early in life that this wasn’t an easy choice for my grandmother. It was a huge burden on her slight shoulders. But again I realized that she made a choice to take that route and if she never took total responsibility, we would have suffered a lot. Thank you my grandma. And sorry that you had to shoulder that entire load alone. I wish I was old enough to help you.It is from her, I learnt to wake up at 05:00 am. She was always the last person to go to bed, but the first to wake up. She would wake up at this time when everybody else is fast asleep, lit the fire and  prepare for us whatever was available for breakfast. By 06:00am she would wake us up to prepare to go to school whilst she readies herself to go to the farm. As I recall, going to the farm with my grandfather was a rare phenomenon.At times when my late grandfather, Thomas Msyete (may God rest his soul in peace) went to a local brew joint and spent some hours there, my grandmother, just like many other rural women would be busy doing this and that for her grandchildren, her own children and her husband. At that age I couldn’t tell what all that means. But now I know that the workload between my grandfather and my grandmother wasn’t evenly distributed amongst them. From outside people would think my grandfather is the one who was contributing most to the family, but in fact it wasn’t Thomas but Violet.My grandmother isn’t the only unsung heroine, there are many of such in rural areas. Just like my grandmother, they are denied most of their rights, including education and ownership of land. They produce much, but they have no say on what they produce. They can’t even decide the number of children they want to have, leave alone conjugal rights and related rights.Rural women just like my grandmother work in dangerous environment.  To some, farms aren’t close to their communities. They go to fetch firewood and water very far hence risking being raped or harmed in various ways. This is a rural woman. Men, CSOs and the government need to support these beings who give and give and give and keep giving their love to their families and communities. They demonstrate that through hard labour. They endure a lot.  It is time to bridge the gap between rural and urban women, especially bearing in mind that the majority of the population lives in the rural areas, most of whom are women, according to statistics. We need to harness their potentials and channel it to bring about development for this country. There are many benefits for the whole nation if the gap between the rural and urban women is bridged. Such benefits range from healthy families to increased family income and community development.The future development of Tanzania and any other poor country depends on how we empower women, especially rural women. Efforts should be put in educating more  girls .October 15 was  the World Rural Women’s Day, celebrated internationally for the first time back in 2008, as a way to honor rural women who make up a quarter of the world’s population. In Tanzania they contribute up to 80% of food production.According to United Nations rural women play a critical role in the rural economies of both developed and developing countries. “In most parts of the developing world they participate in crop production and livestock care, provide food, water and fuel for their families, and engage in off farm activities to diversify their families livelihoods. In additional they carry out vital functions in caring for children, older persons and the sick,” reads a section on the UN website.This day is also important as it is used to raise the profile of rural women, sensitize both the government and the public to their crucial, yet unrecognized role and promote actions in their support.As we celebrate The World Rural Women’s Day it’s time to bridge the gap!The author, Kenny Simbaya is a Teacher, Journalist, Activist for youth participation, and a consultant in management and community engagement. Kennethsimbaya1@gmail.com