The issues of mourning, depression, loss of work, financial burdens, being far away in a foreign land etc. the list goes on and on. When such stragedy happens we gather as a community to console the friends and family of the deceased as our culture dictates us to do. Many of us may not even know the deceased personally nevertheless if you are from Tanzania you feel without a doubt it's an obligation to go and give "pole" and of course financial assistance as we do back home.
Having said this I feel there's an increasing number of people who I think are very dishonest and selfish to the point I am even tempted to call it a crime when it comes to collecting for funeral assitance and you are doing this under false pretence. I recently attended a funeral where as soon as I entered the deceased family's house I was not even given a chance to greet anyone nor give my condolences. Instead I was greet by a young lady standing at the door with a book and a piece of paper collecting people's names and money.
As you can imagine I was extremely disturbed by this behavior especially when I found out the deceased had life insurance and this information was not disclosed to the Tanzanians in the DMV. I personally feel funeral assistance is for those who are financially vulnerable and who cannot afford to pay for their loved ones to be buried and costs associated with this e.g funeral home expenses or for their loved ones to be transported to Tanzania to be buried. IT IS NOTfor those who have life insurance and/or other savings and the deceased has left the money for exactly this purpose. As a whole I think Tanzanians have a good heart and will contribute to assist in funeral expenses, however in my opinion it is not right to ask for contributions knowing well your loved one has left savings and/or life insurance and you have not been forth coming with this information. To me it is a form of stealing from the community and may even be a crime in the United States.
I don't want to be misunderstood and I encourage people to continue to assist but the problem comes when it's done under false pretence. I for one will continue to assist both financially and physically when I can whether someone has insurance or not but will like to know how destitute the family is so I make an informed decision on how much to give. I would like the Tanzanian community and it's leaders to examine this issue and take it seriously because we all work hard in this country for the dollar and is it not right for someone to ask for assistance under false pretence. It just makes you wonder if you have collected this money from the community then what about the life insurance, how is that money getting spent? I think some of the things we do we give excuses that we do it in the name of "culture", however our culture doesn't condone dishonesty and selfishness. We also have to remember in Tanzania there is no life insurance for the majority and so people really do need this help.???
MwanaDMV
16 comments:
Please name the host of the deceased if u will ,so we know for the furture.
I like the way you explained in details, I wish you could use the same audience to detail and educate tz people the importance of have life insurance the cost can be to a fraction of "$1" instead of what we are witnessing. It is a serious issue and need to be addressed
Do you understand how life insurance works after somoene is dead. Be informed that its not instant like tanzania cofee it takes time. So in your view we should wait until life insurance kikcks in. Listen idiot kutoa ni moyo si utajiri,if you feel you are short changed nobody forces you hand out of your pocket. Discrepancy will always arrise in issues of such nature so get a life buddy!
I would like to take this opportunity to share my few words re-life insurance.
If the person who died was the only one who knows that he/she has a life insurance,How could we know about it, because there is no any family member/friend who can provide us/community with this information. It's good to have an insurance but it's hard to tell who has it or who doen't have it. "UMOJA NI NGUVU" MUNGU IBARIKI TANZANIA
Jina lako nani? kwanza wewe sidhani hata kama huwa unatoa hata michango yeyote...ni $20 tu, hata kama life insurance hizo fedha tunazochanga zinasaidia mambo mengine, acha hizo....
This is a very good debate ladies and gentlemen. I'm so thankful for Tanzanian community in assisting for funeral expenses of our deseased despite living pay-check-to-pay-check. However, were are all encoureged to join WESTADI which offer not only full coverage funeral expenses regardless of internationa jurisdiction, but also also provides heath insuranse to four of an insurerer's reatives back home. With all due respect to those unemployed with budgetary constrants and sometimes immigration trouma, If some of us can live laxarious life in terms of expensive outfit per every public appearanse and 22" bling-bling rim rides, why not #300 annual WESTADI installment plan?. This money can easily be paid from our tax return rceivables for those filling taxes. Unlike may other insuranse plans, WESTADI kicks in on the spot. We are increasingly dying ladies and gentlemen. Instead of whining, or finger pointing, let's get real beacause death (God forbid) can happen to anyone of us at any time, and any where.
take while be 4fore you get the money for insurance to cover funeral also sometime personal information is hard to get from someone, i think b4 we are accuse someone or some people we also need to know that.Belive me this is kind of comment divide us
yaani kweli wewe hapo juu unayejiita wajinga ndo waliwao kweli wewe ni mjinga..... unajifanya unajua kuhusu life insuarance life insuarance atleast awamu ya kwanza ya mazishi huwaga wanatoaga hela ila ni cost ya mazishi nyingine zinazobaki ndo hutoa baadaye. wewe ni jingaa tena la mwisho
Knowing Tanzanians living in Americas, they have that special human touch and feeling about the others. With special circumstances, they meet together during the time of sorrow and happiness. Most of the time, however, the costs of meeting arrangements exceeds the donations, if any. That is how Tanzania we are. For those who feel betrayed, at present, have strong community leaders who can intelligently solve problems based on evidence. Let us not start speculating things that are worthless to the community that so much we admire. The author of this article may be right to discuss about this topic, please let us not silence him/her. The discussion from this topic strengthens the community and may removes obstacles that may affect social economic development, not only for the Tanzanians living abroad but also for those living in Home land.
Stop being so secretive, Have you had the so called lawyers? That is part of what they do, also instead of spending everything to look good, make your bank statement look wonderful, do something for yourself instead of thinking what others can do for you. We are talking about even traveling to the funeral back home or transporting the loved once? This issue is wider than that & we are known of not having healthy discussions and educating illiterates. We never serious in anything & that is the shame. We come here and adopt their way of living and dig ourselves in deeper holes of debts that even when you are really in need of using your credit card no credit company is willing to have you, for the simple reason that you went on shopping spree! Lol
"Wajinga ndio waliwao" it is not true life insurance takes long to receive services for your loved ones .All insurance companies pay out almost immediately when death is not questionable. There are thousands of people out there who use the money from these policies to pay off funeral costs directly using just verified life insurance policy number , all funeral home will work with you as soon as they verify you have a valid life insurance policy of diseased family member or friend. YES IT IS LIKE INSTANT COFEE ., for luck of better words . Mdau
NADHANI NI ANDIKO ZURI NA LA MAENDELEO.
Lakinii........
Kuandika ARTICLE YA "MAENDELEO" bila kutaja mambo muhimu kuhusu maendeleo ni sawa na KUWASHA TAA YA WATTS 1000 LAKINI BULB YAKE INA RANGI NYEUSI.
Mwenye kuandika ARTICLE hii angetenda haki iwapo.
1: Angejua kuwa anaiandikia jamii ya waTanzania ambao wengi wetu si wazungumzaji wema wa lugha iliyotumika. Angetumia kiSwahili
2: Angeeleza tukio halisi
3: Angejieleza yeye ni nani.
KWANI ANAOGOPA NINI?
I want to answer and educate the above people on life insurance. When someone dies the money on most cases is made available for funeral, burial expenses etc. right away as long as u show them the paperwork that you will be cashing it in a few days so contributions from the community are really not necessary. To also answer the above person on how would we know if the deceased has life insurance? Well most life insurance plans will not sell you a policy without a beneficiary ( yani mrithi wako) including their information address, phone numbers etc. I think more education is needed on this topic. Also this topic does not pertain to funerals only. Sherehe nyingi in DMV kama baby showers, harusi, birthday parties etc. people need to stop asking for contributions. This is not our culture and maybe some of our elders can support me on this. Eti upate mimba wewe lakini mimi ndio nikuchangie kwenye baby shower. Didn't u think of saving before you had he baby?I am not saying people should not contribute lakini kwa nini wabongo tunapenda kutegemea michango all the time. Be proud of having your children's baby shower urself and if u get contributions it's all well and good lakini don't make it a habit to depend on other people all the time. Or if I can't afford to contribute a certain amount to your wedding then I wouldn't get a wedding invitation. Who cares?? First of all why am I even getting "kadi ya mchango" if I don't know you. People save your money for more constructive things. This is why we are always broke. Money should be put aside for your kid's education or for paying your school tuition or for a rainy day sickness,emergency etc.. If I am gonna contribute I wanna do it out of my own free will sio kuletewa kadi ya mchango. Eti ni mira zetu, what a load of Bu------- Sh-----!
Don't divert this healthy conversation to nagging & out of contents issues, name for what, grow up or act like one, why did it touch you so bad, is it a DEJAVU on your doing? If so stop and do the right things, if you leave here/ abroad and you can talk or write in this language you need to think again, keep in mind this is our second language & you should speak & write even kwa kuboronga tuuu. Lol
Lakini huko DMV kuna vituko!But I like the article. Ningependa kumpongeza the writer of the article and also kukushukuru DJlukejoe kwani the goal of the article is not kutenganisha, kuaibisha au kukomesha jamii bali kuelimisha na kufunguwa macha ya wa bongo especially huko Marekani.I wish huyu writer angekua na ujasili wa kujitambulisha ni nani. It appears ni msomi ambaye ameishi ulaya labda miaka mingi. Keep it up and djlukejoe endelea kutuletea debates kama hizi za kujenga jamii yetu. Asante sana.
Namuunga mkono mzee wa changamoto,naona watu hiki kikiristo kinatupelekesha angalia tu wabunge wetu na mawaziri na siyo kwamba hawana akili hapana hatukwa na msingi huo toka nyuma,ni wazuri tu tena hata ukileta huo mtihani wakafanya na Hao wenyelugha watashinda ila ukiwaambia waongeee utashangaa,sasa wewe uliyeleta mada hii mie naona uandike tena kwa Kiswahili ambacho walengwa wengi watachangia hoja,tunawazee wetu,mama zetu angalau kuingia tu kwenye vijimambo hiyo wanajua na wanasoma Kiswahili lakini akiona inaanza tu kiingrishi ndiyo mwisho.hata jina lako usipoweka sawa maadamu haujachafua Hali ya hewa.
Wewe unaelalamika mambo ya baby shower,birthday na harusi ,na kukaa kote hapa sijasikia mtu akichangisha sababu ya birthday na birthday nyingi sidhani Kama mtu anamfanyia mke ,mume,mtoto,rafiki nadhani wanakuwa na hutaratibu wao.na unapoletewa card ya mchango wanharusi sidhani Kama inatoka tu hewani kwamba mtu humjui aliyekultea wewe ndiyo anakujua na siyo lazima uende kwenye shuguli ya Kila mtu Kama huna au unacho kaanacho au ndiyo nyie mnaotaka mwe de kwenye vitu vya watu mle na kunywa na kubeba?au uwakataze watu wasifanye sherehe zao wivu huo
Post a Comment