2008 Woodie Awards
Masare: a treasure found 24 years ago
Date created: 12/7/04 Section: FEATURES
- Page 1 of 2 next >
 Media Credit: Diana Diroy Masare left his home of Tanzania, refused the French and flew half way round the world to grace Skyline students with his presence. |
"An agent of the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry came to talk to me and said, 'We would like to train you as a diplomat and to work as the ambassador in the embassy in France."
When approached with this offer at the age of 26, Johannes Masare was quite flattered, but did not accept such a proposal.
"Many of my students know that I can't be a diplomat," Masare said with his distinct but articulate accent. "If I'm working for the United Nations and there's something my government supports, and I oppose it, I'll vote against my government. I can't be a diplomat because I say and act in what I believe in."
Although Dr. Masare, a Tanzania native, is a political science teacher at Skyline, he does not fail to teach and share his own history and values with his students and colleagues. In fact, it is this passion of teaching that overrode the option to be an ambassador.
"I turned down the offer," Masare said with a warm smile, "because I wanted to be a teacher."
Masare who came to the United States as a student, to further study economics and political science at UC Berkley, was originally from the Wanajimba clan, which means "Sons of Lion."
He described bravery as the Wanajimba's most important value. They are the protectors of the tribe, the Iraqw tribe, and it is their duty to be at the forefront of any battle. Masare's father and brother once had to battle the Barbaig, another tribe that was stealing their cattle, but since society has changed and grocery stores have resolved such livestock problems, Masare has never been in such confrontation.
"Since my lifetime many things have changed," Masare said, "We don't do the traditional things we used to because now we can get food at the store and supermarket."
Masare did not lose touch of all his traditions. In fact, when he was younger, he had gone through initiations. According to the Wanajimba, in order to be a man, Masare had to survive out in the wild for a week having to find fruits to eat, poisonous plants to avoid, and recognize herbal medicines.
"We didn't have any doctors or nurses," Masare explained, "So in my tribe, most people are taught how to recognize many, many kinds of herbal medicines...through a bark of a tree or through many medicinal plants that can treat a wound or a headache."
