Nyerere honoured with prestigious award
MARA: THE late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s founding president, has been posthumously honoured with the prestigious ‘Professor of Harmony’ award by the Tuko Sawa Society, a voluntary organisation offering an alternative approach to traditional NGOs.
The accolade recognises the enduring values that Nyerere embodied and championed, particularly his unwavering commitment to equality and self-reliance.
The award was presented to the son of Mwalimu Nyerere, Madaraka Nyerere who is also the patron of the Society over the weekend at Nyerere family residence in Mwitongo, Butiama District in Mara Region.
The event marked the official launch of the Harmony Generation sustainability campaign. Founded in 2020 by UK-based Tanzanian media anthropologist and international development researcher Dr Regina Kessy Wilkinson, Tuko Sawa promotes inclusive, grassroots-driven social change through innovative, community-centred approaches.
The campaign calls on Tanzanians from all walks of life and every region of the country to embrace a vision of restored harmony, promoting mutual care, community cooperation and responsible environmental stewardship. Young Harmony Ambassadors from Itumbili Secondary School’s Tuko Sawa Club presented their inspiring vision for a better world, one where people respect each other and the environment.
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“Tanzania is proudly known around the world as a haven of peace,” they said. “Our dream is for our nation to become a beacon of global harmony, where both people and nature thrive.” They envision a future where visitors to Tanzania don’t just marvel at the majesty of national parks but also experience the warmth of the Tanzanian people, the richness of traditions and the quiet strength of a society rooted in respect, unity and love.
“We long for the day when tourism in Tanzania is about more than lions and landscapes. It will be about relationships, visitors sitting in our villages, sharing stories, breaking bread and carrying home not only photographs, but a renewed sense of what it truly means to be human.”
Officially inaugurating the Harmony Generation campaign, Japhet Wanzagi, chief of the Wazanaki tribesmen, urged attendees to honour Mwalimu Nyerere’s legacy, founded on equality and the triumph of humanity over segregation and discrimination.
“Let Mwalimu Nyerere’s humanitarian principles be our guiding light. By embracing these values, we truly honour his memory,” he affirmed.
“Our unity is our shield. Let us protect it, for it is the foundation of our nation.” Madaraka Nyerere, patron of the Tuko Sawa Society, revealed how the society embodies his father’s lifelong principles that positioned Tanzania on the global stage as a vibrant and peaceful nation admired worldwide.
The launch of Harmony Generation brought together representatives from across the regions, including government officials and local residents of Butiama.
