The Happy Mzungu

One Word of Swahili

There was a young scruffy guy with a beard. It looked like he had not showered for a week or two. He was alone, but he carried a big backpack with many strange things attached to it.

When he walked through the little town of Rongai, which is nestled right at the border of Tanzania and Kenya, he sounded like a cow wearing many bells.

His backpack was very loud, but he always had a big, big smile on his face.

He knew only one word of Swahili: Jambo, which means hello.

As he jingled down the street, he would say Jambo to each and every passerby.

Some people were shy. They tried to look away, but that didn't stop the man with the wild beard.

Everyone started to call him the Happy Mzungu.

Mzungu means foreigner in Swahili. Really, it means white person.

One day a little girl named Esther was crying on the street. Her older brother always bullied her. She didn't know why.

Esther was sitting on the curb of the street — not a very safe place to be.

Just then the Happy Mzungu came jingling by.

Esther knew about him. Everyone knew about him.

So she quickly turned away.

But that never stopped the Happy Mzungu.

"Jambo," he said with a great big smile.

But Esther just kept crying.

Then the Happy Mzungu stopped.

"What is the matter? Come up from there. It is dangerous to sit on the curb with the cars and trucks that go by."

He waved for her to come up.

Esther understood the gesture. She appreciated his look of concern.

He looked Esther in the eye as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hakuna Matata," he said.

That means don't worry.

Esther was surprised. No one knew the Happy Mzungu could say anything more than Jambo.

Esther smiled and said,

"Asante sana."

Thank you very much.

"Karibu," said the Happy Mzungu in Swahili.

"You are welcome. My name is John. Nice to meet you."

Esther spoke a little English. She loved to learn.

"My name is Esther. Nice to meet you."

Esther told her mom the story of John.

Her mom told her friends.

Her friends told the whole town.

From that moment on, the man with the backpack who jingled when he walked was no longer the Happy Mzungu.

To the people of Rongai,

he was John.

A story by Pemba Umoja