By Corona Kimaro Cermak
Jai the albino cow is a beautiful story. Why did you decide to write about albinism?
The original idea, as is in my morgue file, was neither African nor about albinism.
The idea to write about a cow protagonist came to me while on a nature holiday in Austria, after a calf licked my sweaty, salty face. As any writer would know, the genie will find ways to nudge you to write a story that wishes to be written. In the process of inspiring myself, I looked at photos of cows. One picture I took during a forest walk in Germany, was of mating white cows. I recall thinking, I don’t think I have ever seen entirely white cows. My mom kept a cow for milk, and my dad owned several. But a white cow with no patch was a first for me. The idea to make the cow protagonist different from others stemmed from this experience.
I keenly observed cows dotted on the Usambara pastures for more inspiration when I visited Lushoto for holiday (I studied at Kifungilo and I went to show my husband my former school).
Additionally, Tanzania was making headlines about the mistreatment of people with albinism.
All these events added to the story development.
Jai Ng’ombe Zeruzeru ni hadithi nzuri sana. Kwa nini uliamua kuandika kuhusu ualbino?
Wazo asili la hii hadithi kama lilivyo kwenye faili langu la mawazo ya ubunifu, halikuwa la Kiafrika wala kuhusu ualbino.
Wazo la kuandika kuhusu mhusika mkuu kuwa ni ng’ombe lilinijia nikiwa likizo kule Austria, baada ya ndama kulamba uso wangu wenye chumvichumvi ya jasho. Kama mwandishi yeyote anavyojua, jini la fikra linaweza kukushawishi kuandika hadithi inayotaka kuandikwa na siyo unayotaka wewe. Katika harakati za kujipa hamasa, nilitazama picha tofauti za ng’ombe. Picha moja niliyopiga wakati wa matembezi ya msituni huku Ujerumani, ilikuwa ya ng’ombe weupe wanaopandana. Nakumbuka nilifikiria, sidhani kama nimewahi kuona ng’ombe weupe kabisa. Mama yangu alifuga ng’ombe kwa ajili ya maziwa, na baba yangu alikuwa na ng’ombe kadhaa. Lakini ng’ombe mweupe asiye na baka la rangi nyingine ilikuwa ni mara ya kwanza kwangu kumuona. Wazo la kumfanya mhusika mkuu wa ng’ombe kuwa tofauti na wengine lilitokana na hiyo picha.
Pia, nilitazama kwa makini ng’ombe waliokuwa kwenye malisho ya milima ya Usambara kwa ajili ya kupata hamasa zaidi. Nafasi hii niliipata nilipotembelea Lushoto wakati wa likizo (mimi nimesoma Kifungilo na nilimpeleka mume wangu huko kumuonesha shule niliyosoma).
Zaidi ya hayo, Tanzania ilikuwa ikigonga vichwa vya habari kuhusu unyanyasaji wa watu wenye ualbino.
Matukio haya yote yalichangia ukuzaji wa hii hadithi.
Read the interview further here.
Endelea kusoma mahojiano hapa.