THE ORIGN OF PARE TRIBE FROM TANZANIA..

 

Tanzania is a country with over 120 ethnic groups where pare tribe is among of such group. Have you ever known anything about the tribe? Who are the pare people? What is their origin?  Where do they live? What is involved? But also what practiced in their culture?

 Pare tribe found at Kilimanjaro region in northern Tanzania at Same and Mwanga districts though there some of Pare living around Moshi municipal at the areas like chekereni, Himo, Uchira, mabungo as well as in the villages like Rundugai and  weruweru river basin. In Tanga region Pare found mostly in Lushoto and  Bumbuli.

Naturally the originality of Pare tribe was Taveta in Kenya, where they lived in more than one century and a half ago were known by the name of "VAASU" using language known as "CHASU" before entering Tanganyika through border of Taveta. Historian states that Pare of that time reached the slopes of mountain kilmanjaro led by their chiefs celebrities such as Mfumwa means “chief” Boaz Mashambo where they quarreled with the inhabitants found in those areas that are Chagga who drove them from the land, of them eventually moved to mountains of Same and Mwanga which nowadays known as the Pare mountai

Pare are divided into two groups exist Pare of the north known as "vampare va mpare ya ughu" where in Pare language means Pare of hand on these live in Mwanga district on areas like Ugweno who is fluent known as "Wagweno" who also speak gweno language which is similarto pare language in term of spellings, grammar and meaning of the words and some live in Usangi, these use Pare language purely. The second group is the south Pare " vampare va mpare ya kusea", means the Pare of down turn these live in Same district where they speak Pere language the same to those of Usangi but some time they differ in term of  pronunciation (accent).

This tribe is more concerned with the cultivation of maize, beans, rice, and garlic mainly in the valleys that blessed with enough water and nutrients such as Ruvu and Ndungu valleys both found in Same district. In the areas like Ugweno and Usangi found in Mwanga district the cultivation of bananas is dominant. There are a lot of villages located on the slopes of Pare mountains alongside Shengena forest for instance Mbaga, Vudee, chome and Gonja where cultivation of bananas and grains like beans and maize are expected more as a staple in the lives of everyday .Mamba miamba and Kanza are the fomous villages credited more to the cultivation of ginger also there are aviation projects in fishing activities found in Pare areas such as Nyumba ya mungu dam, Ndungu and Msangeni dam.

Similarly to other Tanzania societies and ethnic groups, Pare people earliest engaged in hunting activities especially those who grew up living on flats areas and valley like Igoma, Njiro, Maore, , Mpirani, Ndungu while those who living on the slopes were concentrated in agricultural activities.

In Pare tribe the issue of technological development was also existed in some of clans that dealt with  iron nappy  since the 18th century, grounded more familiar with these operations was that of Shana producing various metal materials such as shovels, axes, knives, arrows and swords that are used in trade with neighboring tribes such as the Chagga and Sambaa.

In addition to the presence of admired land as given prominence as the land of God with good fertile for agriculture in the mountains and valleys of Pare also there are a couple of natural tourist attractions o in these areas, including famous river such as Hingilili, Rika, Nakombo, Mhoke vuta, Yongoma, Mwetanano with waterfalls seem to be longer than that of lake Victoria known as "Ndurumo" which found in Gonja.

  

There is also a natural forest known as Shengena that is said to be the next one to bring good weather in the world after the Amazon, more over there is Ngagheni Mpinji forest found in  Vudee that believed to be used in rituals within Pare tradition, it used between 17th century and 19

On the other hand there is forest known as Mbughu prevailing near the Dangaseta village where by one of the Pare clans by name Wambughu mostly live in Tanga are the one who used to worship under one of mango tree prevailing in the forest, however there is a forest and water source known as Kwachengo which is water wonderful running from the bottom up.

   

Likewise, there is a largest national reserve known as Mkomazi, Kalimawe Dam and the Nyumba ya mungu, Kindoroko mountains, Okanda and Sheko found in Vudee ndolwa village. Compare to that pontentality in blessed Pare areas the big rocks is there where always both domestic and international tourist prefer to visit at Malameni street as such wounderful rock named “Malameni rock” in Mbaga Manka which reportedly grew old overhead the voices of the three girls inside the stone speak out with different voices, other  big rocks in Pare are  Mhewe rock found in Vudee ndolwa,   Ikamba, Finga and Lubegho found in Usangi.

Eliapendavyo Elisa Mruth is among of the Pare elderly who knows well the history of such tribe, where he said that the customs of Pare emphasize good teaching among all generations since Pare tribe has a history of justice, respect, love and peace within the society. He said the former youth Pare that reached puberty were given instruction specific to customary known as "maluthumo" where young men were separated with girls in the special forest called "mshitu wa ngasu" meaning forest of service, the boys were given the doctrine known as "Ngathu ya mshitu "and girls were taught in training known as " Lueko " where were taught how to make the best family and respect for parents and the whole community.

Women in labor were commended for the special celebration called "mchumbi" which it presents numerous gifts to women in baskets packed with fabrics like kaniki, these were often honey, and banana dried known as "makafi", milk, maize and drained cassava.  These celebrations of women are held until today in Pare tradition where gifts such as sugar, maize, beans and cooking oil are preferred more by now.

Young Pare also can keep the environment around them from the teachings and sayings full of wisdom were given to the elderly in their families for instance were taught to protect the water sources they believe expressions of their elders were called "vakaka" who said that once they defecate in the water breast of their mothers will be destructed.
 

Sayings elders helped them discipline, love and solidarity, words like "chambi ni kuonjanya" as meaning the union is presenting affinity courage to do the work together and in love.

Moreover  Mruth  said that at the beginning before the arrival of the Arabs and missionaries where religions of Islam and Christianity were not grew transit in communities Pare children were given names from special events during child birth model child boy born during the war was called Senkondo when the female was named Nankondo, More over children born during the rains were called "Namvua" while at night they called "Nakio" even born the time of trouble such as hunger were called names in line with the same time pattern for istance "Senzota"  the word “Nzota “with a sense of hunger.

Also the names of the different areas influenced by Pare names of clans living in these areas for example Chome living “Wachome”, in  Gonja the clan were “Wagonja”, Mbaga live wambaga, Ugweno live Wagweno and many other areas were given names based on it.

However customs of Pare changed greatly in recent years due to changes in science and technology, the development of globalization, western education with religious instruction that has changed faith of the people in the tribal state that led to completely stop their religious rites and rituals in thick forests and rocks and find themselves followed by biblical texts and Msaafu as worshiping god in churches and mosque
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