Abaguma bobalwa amatumu. (Mashi) Ndugu wakisikizana vizuri wanashinda adui kila mara. (Swahili ) Les frères qui s’entendent bien ils arrivent toujours à vaincre l’ennemi. (French ) Brothers who get along will always defeat the enemy. (English)

Mashi (Democratic Republic of Congo — DRC) Proverb

Background, Explanation, History, Meaning and Everyday Use

The alternate names for the Mashi language in Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC) are Shi and Nyabungu. The population is 654,000 (1991 UBS). The location is Sud-Kivu Province: north, west, and south of Bukavu.

African love community life contrary what one finds elsewhere such in Europe, Asia and America. The reason why — most African families are large families. Historically, the Shi or Banya Bungu people considers cousins as their own brothers and sisters. Thus in happiness or unhappiness they are always united. In the Shi culture, in addition to the unity, family members or the community must agree to the realization of a work. Everyone must bring his or her expertise and his or her contribution in order to achieve a good result.

Biblical Parallels

“When Moses hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.
Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on one side, one on the other so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword (Exodus 17: 12-13).

“Then Jesus mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, your mother and brothers are outside looking for you. Who are my mother and my brothers? Then he looked at those seated in the circle around him and said “here are my mother and brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:31-35).

Contemporary Use and Religious Application

In contemporary society people are not united and do not love each other. That why in today’s world we experience of war, rebellion, tribalism, negative ethnicity, xenophobia, etc. The continent of Africa is full of examples. People are becoming selfish and do not want to share. Unfortunately most of this situation is finding its way into Africa. This is the reason why in our continent there is poverty and instability. If we can follow Jesus’ example and consider others like ourselves, we will make this world a great place to live in.

Tyty Mukeni wa Mulumba
P.O Box 00625-23300 
Nairobi, Kenya
Cellphone: 0722-885-013
Email: mukendiwamulumba@yahoo.fr 

Photographs provided by:

Professor Cephas Yao Agbemenu 
Department of Fine Arts
Kenyatta University
P.O. Box 43844
Nairobi, Kenya
Cellphone: 0723-307992
Email: cyagbemenu@yahoo.com