Pare
Encyclopedia
The Pare people are members of an ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

 indigenous to the Pare Mountains
Pare Mountains
The Pare Mountains are a mountain range in north eastern Tanzania, north west of the Usambara Mountains. There are two mountain ranges - North and South Pare ranges, which rise to 2,463 m at Shengena Peak. They form part of the Eastern Arc of mountains. The Pare people live in the area.The Pare...

 of northern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

, which are part of the Kilimanjaro Region
Kilimanjaro Region
Kilimanjaro is one of the 26 regions in Tanzania. The capital of the region is Moshi. Kilimanjaro region is home to Mount Kilimanjaro.Kilimanjaro Region is bordered to the North and East by Kenya, to the South by the Tanga Region, to the Southwest by the Manyara Region, and to the West by the...

 of Tanzania. Pareland is also known as Vuasu (Asu the root word and Chasu or Athu, the language). The area was very strategic as one of the northern routes of the East African long distance trade connecting the hinterland with the Indian ocean coast.

Historically, the Pare were the main producers of highly demanded iron for peoples who occupied the mountain regions of north-eastern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

. The Chaga
Chaga
The Chaga are Bantu-speaking indigenous Africans and the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. They live on the southern and eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, as well as in the Moshi area...

 were among their consumers. The Pare were also known as rainmakers. One of the most known Pare rainmakers was Mfumwa (Chief) Muhammad Kibacha Singo, a local ruler of Same (a district in Kilimanjaro Administrative Region) since the German colonial era until 1963 when chiefdom was abolished by an independent Tanganyika government. He died in January 1981 estimated to be aged between 120 and 140 years.

The residents of North Pare divide their mountains into two areas based on ethnolinguistic differences: Kigweno-speaking Ugweno to the north and Chasu-speaking Usangi to the south.

Pre-Colonial Pare

Among the Pare, the Ugweno Kingdom of northern Pare emerged in the 17th century.

Traditional Pare Medicine

Before the introduction of western medicine there were certain symptoms which were being cured using traditional medicine. Children used to suffer Wintu (mouth sore) was a fungal ailment thought to come from the mother’s breast. It was treated by giving the child sheep’s milk instead of the breast.
Kirumu, kirutu, and kinyoka (eye infection of the newborn). This may be neonatal conjunctivitis.
The juice of leaves from a plant called mwore was used as a cure. Mtoro (diarrhea), made ‘the child as thin as firewood.’ Ash of the root of wild banana was administered orally as medicine.
Mwana equhiwe ntembo was believed to be caused by a witch who had been able to take a piece of the placenta. The child died with difficulty in breathing after a short time for no apparent reason, as if it had been buried alive.

Colonial Pare

At the start of the 20th century the population of South Pare (now known as Same district) was estimated at 22,000 (Naval Intelligence Division, 1920, p. 28) comprising an ethnic group called Asu or Pare who are speakers of Chasu, a Bantu language. They are patrilineal and were in several areas organized into small chiefdoms.

Pare contribution to the independence struggle

The Pare Union formed in 1946 was one of Tanzania's first ethnic-based nationalist movements to begin activism against the colonial system. Among many grievances, was the exploitation through the production of export crops particularly Sisal and Coffee. Like many other ethnic-based political groups in Tanganyika, The Pare Union then became part of the Tanganyika African Association
Tanganyika African Association
The Tanganyika African Association was a Tanganyikan political association, formed in 1929. It was founded by civil servants including Ali Saidi, members of an earlier association called the Tanganyika Territory African Civil Service association. It was transformed into the Tanganyika African...

 (TAA) which later became the Tanganyika African National Union
Tanganyika African National Union
The Tanganyika African National Union was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika . The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyerere in July 1954 when he was teaching at St. Francis' College...

 (TANU) in 1954. This avoided groups like the Pare Union forming into full political parties that were ethnic in orientation.

Moses Seenarine writes of the contribution of Pare women in the struggle: 'The Pare women's uprising in northwest Shambaai, Tanzania, occurred in early January 1945 and continued with demonstrations into 1946, involving thousands of women. It began in Usangi, one of the chiefdoms, when the district commissioner arrived for discussions with the local chief. A crowd of five hundred women appeared, demanding an explanation of mbiru, a system of graduated taxation. When the commissioner tried to leave without addressing the women, they became enraged and mobbed the assembled officials. Two days later, women surrounded the chief's house singing songs, and ultimately stoned officials and battled police.'

Ms. Damari Sefue (née Kangalu), was the first Tanganyikan (Now Tanzania Mainland) woman to qualify as a teacher. (For more please see The Development Of the SDFA Church in Eastern Africa, Edited by K.B. Elineema, p. 56).

Another important historical event is that of Mbiru, a protest during the colonial period by the Pare people which involved refusal to pay tax. It was led by Paulo Kajiru of Mamba. Professor Kimambo of University of Dar es Salaam has written a book describing this event.

Post-Colonial Pare

Sheridan (2004) documents on archival sources and oral histories to explain how the altering of post-colonial land management in the North Pare (currently known as Mwanga) Mountains affected environmental conditions. Colonial forest management and water policies were all abandoned affecting villagers in many aspects including environmental degradation and a drop in management capacity.

The Economy of Parelands

The area's chief produce is tea, Coffee, sisal, and cinchona. Rice is grown in the swampy plains. The Parelands are by Tanzanian standards, quite prosperous as its infrastructure of roads, electricity, telephones, and piped water supply attests. An older infrastructure of irrigation furrows, stone-lined terraces, and sacred forests lies alongside these newer technologies and shows that the Pare landscape has been carefully managed for centuries. In 1890, for example, a German geographer praised the area's stone terraces as being. similar to European vineyards and stated that the North Pare irrigation system
was a "truly magnificent achievement for a primitive people" (Baumann, 1891:229).

Places of interest

Usangi is a small, spread out town 3 hours from Moshi, located in some kind of crater surrounded by a bunch of peaks that is the Northern Pare Mountains.

Ugweno is located in North Pare Mountains about 80 km from the capital of Kilimanjaro,
Moshi.

Suji, Kilimanjaro
Suji, Kilimanjaro
Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro region of north-eastern Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of around 8,072 . The majority of the villagers are of the Pare tribe Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro...

 is located approximately 20 km from Makanya, a town on the main Dar es Salaam - Moshi road.

Famous Wapare

  • Cleopa Msuya, who was (born 4 November 1931) Prime Minister of Tanzania
    Tanzania
    The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

      from 7 November 1980 to 24 February 1983 and again from 7 December 1994 to 28 November 1995.
  • Daniel Yona was minister of Finance from 1995 to 2000,minister of energy from 2001 to 2005.
  • Prof Maghembe current minister of education.
  • Dr Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro deputy secretary general United nation.
  • Nathaniel Kitururu deputy permanent ambassador of Tanzania to United Nation.
  • Dr David Mathayo David deputy minister of Agriculture.
  • Dr Senkondo Mvungi presidential candidate by NCCR-MAGEUZI paty 2005.
  • Pr Geoffrey Mbwana vice president of General Conference S.D.A Church.
  • Pr Elinaza Sendoro famous and respected Lutheran church pastor.
  • Pro John Mshana chief administrative officer Kigali University-.
  • Prof Keto Mshighen winner of Boutros Boutros Ghali award and founder of Namibia University.
  • Professor Gad Kilonzo from Suji
    Suji, Kilimanjaro
    Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro region of north-eastern Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of around 8,072 . The majority of the villagers are of the Pare tribe Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro...

     is one of the most prominent Psychiatrists at Muhimbili.
  • Dr Amani Y. Mgeni,Epidemiologist. WHO representative to Ethiopia, consultant to governments in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana and Liberia.
  • Ambassador Ombeni Sefue (from Suji
    Suji, Kilimanjaro
    Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro region of north-eastern Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of around 8,072 . The majority of the villagers are of the Pare tribe Suji is a small village in the Pare Mountains, in the Kilimanjaro...

    ) is the current representative of Tanzania to the USA.
  • R. Felix H. Mlaki - A young international banker who worked for Standard Chartered, Kenya commercial Bank. he is diverse in entreprenual ventures and eloquent young public speaker. he is currently a director of Intercapital - Corporate finance, CEO of Economic and Business Foundation (t)ltd. He is also a resource person for University of Dar es Salaam Department of Economics
  • Professor Gideon Dan Mjema vice chancellor Institute of Finance and Management (IFM)
  • Elangwa Shahidi the first Tanzanian Inspector General Police IGP
  • Justice Amir Manento retired Chief Justice
  • Ngorika company,the reliable transport company in the country especially in Northern corridor.
  • Senzotta Mshana Director of Tanzania Broadcasting Company TBC.
  • The Late Justice Nassor Suleiman Mnzavas(Died at 69), Former Principal Judge of Tanzania.
  • Grace Mapunjo permanent Secretary of Ministry of Trade and Industries
  • Dr Tenga the famous and respected advocate in Tanzania.
  • Dr Mselly Nzotta Mbwambwo the senior metallurgist in Sweden steel Industry
  • The late Dr Robert N Mshana, worked in UNDP and died on Kenya aiways plane crash on Nigeria.

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