Mary Slessor — Nnaabakyala Omuzungu Eyasaba Ebigo ne Bigwa

Ye Yali Ani

Mary Mitchell Slessor yazaalibwa nga 2 Desemba 1848, mu Aberdeen, mu Sukotolande, ng’ye mwana ow’okubiri ku baana musanvu ab’omukozi w’engatto, era obutamiivu bwa kitaawe bwaleeta ekisiikirize ekiwanvu ku buto bwe.

Yakola mu kkolero ly’engoye e Dundee okuva ku myaka kkumi n’ogumu ng’ayamba okulabirira ab’ewaabwe, ng’azuukuka ku makya ennyo okweyigiriza nga tannagenda ku mulimu. Okufa kwa David Livingstone mu 1873 bwe kwamukubiriza okuwaayo obulamu bwe eri Afirika, yasaba okwegatta ku Calabar Mission (mu Nayijeerya ey’olwaleero) n’atuukayo mu 1876. Mu myaka amakumi asatu mu munaana egyaddirira, yagenda yeeyongera munda mu bitundu ebyali bitannabuulirwamu Njiri, okutuusa lwe yasenga mu bantu b’Okoyong n’ab’Ibibio, awaali tewabeerangako Muzungu yenna. Yayiga ennimi zaabwe, n’agoberera empisa zaabwe, n’awonya abalongo bikumi na bikumi — abattibwanga nga baakazaalibwa, kubanga okusinziira ku nzikiriza z’omu kitundu baali kabonero ka kabi — era ne yeesigibwa nnyo ne kiba nti gavumenti ya Bungereza yamulonda okuba omulamuzi. Yafa nga 13 Janwali 1915, mu Use Ikot Oku, mu Nayijeerya, gye yali amaze emyaka mingi ng’abeera mu kayumba ak’ebbumba akaali ak’ekyangu ennyo, era yali amanyiddwa mu kitundu kyonna nga Ma — Maama.

Enjigiriza Ye Enkulu ku Kusaba

Mary Slessor yasabanga n’obwesimbu n’obwangu ebyafaanana embala ye. Yasabanga ng’afukamidde, yasabanga mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka ekiro, yasabanga ku baana nga beebase, era yasabanga ng’ayimiridde wakati w’abalwanyi abakutte eby’okulwanyisa abaali bagenda okuttiŋŋana. Obulamu bwe obw’okusaba tebwali bweyawufu ku bulamu bwe obwa buli lunaku, wabula bwalukibwa mu buli kaseera kaabwo — emboozi etakoma ne Katonda gwe yatwalanga si mu ngeri ya kitiibwa eky’ewala, wabula n’obuntu obw’oku lusegere, ng’omwana ayogera ne Taata gw’eyesiga, ow’amaanyi, era bulijjo amuli kumpi ddala.

Okwagala kwa Slessor okugenda omuntu omulala yenna gye yali tayinza kugenda, n’okwolekera obulabe abaminsani abasinga bwe baagaananga okusemberera, kwasibuka mu bwesige obw’enjawulo mu mbala ya Katonda. Yali afunye omulanga gwa Katonda mu bigambo bye bimu Katonda bye yali bulijjo akozesa ng’ayita: “Totya era toterebuka kubanga Mukama Katonda wo anaabanga naawe buli gy’onoogendanga” (Yoswa 1:9). Ekisuubizo kino yakitwala nga bwe kyogera ddala, kigambo ku kigambo. Ebyalo eby’ewala ebya Calabar tebyali wala nnyo ekisuubizo kino ne kitabituukako. Okwolekagana n’abasajja abakutte eby’okulwanyisa mu ttumbi tekwali bweru w’obuyinza bwa Katonda eyayogera ebigambo bino. Yagenda kubanga yakkiriza nti Katonda agenda naye, era obujulizi bwe yakuŋŋaanya mu myaka amakumi asatu mu munaana bwakakasa okukkiriza okwo awatali kubuusabuusa kwonna okw’amagezi.

Okusaba kwe okw’okwegayiririra abalala kwalimu obuvumu obutukuvu obwava mu kumanya ennyo Katonda gwe yayogeranga naye. Teyasabanga mu ngeri ya mpisa ey’okwegendereza. Yasabanga n’obwangu, n’obwesimbu bw’omuntu amanyi nti obulamu bw’abantu bwesigamye ku kuddibwamu. Yali ayingizza mu mutima gwe ekyo Isaaya ky’annyonnyola ku kuyita kwa Katonda okuggule: “Nze wendi! Tuma nze!” (Isaaya 6:8) — era naye yali akyogedde, Katonda n’amutuma, era kaakano yasabanga n’obuyinza bw’omuntu akola mu bujjuvu, ng’amanyi bulungi, wansi w’omulimu Katonda gwe yamukwasa. Okusaba kwe ku bantu ab’enjawulo, ku mbeera ez’enjawulo, ne ku bigo eby’omwoyo eby’enjawulo mu Calabar tekwali kuteesa okw’okulonzalonza, wabula kwali kwegayiririra okw’amaanyi era okw’obuyinza, okwakolebwanga mu linnya ly’Oyo eyali amutumye.

Ekimu ku bintu ebyawandiikibwako ennyo mu buweereza bwe yali ngeri ye ey’okweteeka n’omubiri gwe wakati w’abalwanagana, n’asaba ng’obuzibu bugenda mu maaso nga bumwetoolodde. Yeesiga ddala nti Omwoyo wa Katonda yali ayinza okutuukiriza mu sikonda ntono ekyo okuteesa kw’abantu kwe kwandyetaaze emyezi okutuukako. Yakolanga ng’akkiririza mu ekyo Zekkaliya kye yayogera: “Si lwa maanyi so si lwa buyinza naye lwa Mwoyo wange,” bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye (Zekkaliya 4:6). Tewali maanyi ga muntu, tewali buyinza bwa byabufuzi, tewali kiziyiza kya mubiri, ekyali kisalawo enkomerero mu maaso g’okubeerawo kw’Omwoyo. Okusaba kwe kye kyali ekkubo eryayitibwangamu okubeerawo okwo ne kuteebwa mu mbeera ezandiwangudde okuyamba kwonna okw’abantu obwabwe.

Mary Slessor era yasabiranga n’obugumiikiriza obw’ekitalo abantu b’ebitundu bye yaweerezangamu. Yali amaze emyaka mingi ng’abeera mu bantu b’Okoyong nga tannalaba bakkiriza abaasooka — emyaka nga tewali kirabika kikyuka, empisa enkadde n’okutya okw’edda nga bifaanana ng’ebitayinza kumenyebwa. Yanywerera ku kisuubizo nti tewali kizikiza kya lubeerera: “Abantu abaatuulanga mu kizikiza, balabye Omusana mungi. Abaatuulanga mu nsi ey’ekisiikirize eky’okufa, omusana gubaakidde” (Matayo 4:16). Yasaba omusana ne gukka. Yasigalayo ng’ayise nnyo ekiseera abaminsani abasinga kye bandisazeewo nti ennimiro tebala. Era ku nkomerero — bulijjo ku nkomerero — omusana ne guwaguza.

Omusika gwe gwe musika gwa buli muminsani omwegayirizi eyagenda awaali obulabe, n’asigala awaali obuzibu, n’asaba awaali okukaluubirirwa. Mu buntu bwe yalaga ensonga Abaebbulaniya gy’ejaguza mu kibiina kyayo ekinene eky’abajulirwa: “abaawangula bakabaka olw’okukkiriza, be baakola eby’obutuukirivu, be baafuna ebyasuubizibwa, era be baabuniza obumwa bw’empologoma, be baazikiza omuliro ogw’amaanyi, be baawona obwogi bw’ekitala. Be baaweebwa amaanyi okuva mu bunafu, era be baafuuka abazira ab’amaanyi mu ntalo” (Abaebbulaniya 11:33–34). Obunafu bwa Mary Slessor — omukazi omutono, ow’enviiri emmyufu, omukozi w’ekkolero okuva e Sukotolande — bwafuulibwa amaanyi ag’ekitalo, era ebigo ebyali biyimiridde emirembe mingi byagwa mu maaso g’okusaba kwe.

Essaala

Ayi Mukama Katonda, tuwe obuvumu bwa Mary Slessor — okugenda gy’otutuma, okusigala bwe tugezesebwa, n’okusaba ng’obuyambi bwonna obw’abantu buweddewo. Bwe tutiisibwa ekizikiza ekitwetoolodde, otujjukize nti Ggwe wakiwangula. Bwe tukemebwa okudduka okuva mu nnimiro enzibu, tuwe obukakanyavu obutukuvu obugaana okuleka ekyo Ggwe ky’otukwasizza. Obunafu bwaffe bufuuke amaanyi go. Amiina.