river people
june 2021
7°46′26″S 39°21′50″E
favourably situated on the edge of a national park and in the proximity of an essential infrastructure project, Mloka is a successful settlement in Tanzania’s Pwani Region. but the village’s growing population of over 4000 still has hurdles to overcome before it solidifies as a significant economic centre in the region.
Mloka would have likely been unremarkable just a few short years ago. sitting right off the banks of River Rufiji in south western Tanzania, the tiny village the name of which broadly translates to “ferry” has found itself not only at the intersection of land and water or bushy plains and thick jungle, but also in the epicentre of economic upheaval. it is not an uncommon story for Tanzania - people from across the country flock to areas with touristic, ergo economic potential. hence, deep in the bush, dusty subsistence farming settlements can slowly turn into diverse and prosperous towns.
a little over 200 kilometres separate Mloka from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and economic centre. surely, a well put together SUV could easily make it from Dar to Mloka in a couple of hours, right? - not exactly. navigating Tanzania’s economic capital alone can easily take several hours. should travellers choose to discount this leg of the journey, they would still have to contend with the unpaved roads starting just outside Dar. i chose to take no chances and rented what effectively was an armoured car, a vehicle well suited for rough roads.
nothing less than a tank.
for those seeking a more budget-friendly alternative, a journey by coach will set you back significantly less, perhaps just a few dollars. however, this can take up to eight hours - the unpaved roads are often fragmented by mud pools, particularly during the rainy season. the worn out vehicles sometimes break down owing to all the bumps, rocks and irregularities of the road and passengers may even be seen pushing the coach by the roadside. nonetheless, coaches leave to and from Mloka thrice a day, virtually every day of the week - though unpretentious, transport is readily available, stimulating Mloka’s development as a “cosmopolitan” settlement.
for locals traveling shorter distances between the many micro-settlements on the road from Dar to Mloka, the motorbike appears to be the vehicle of choice. though significantly more agile and likely less vulnerable than larger automobiles, motorbikes still break down regularly, but let’s just say factors other than the quality of the road may have to do with that.
i must admit i found the last couple of hours of our journey by panzer slightly unsettling. as would be the case with the majority of Tanzania’s backwater roads, there is little (if any) signage to guide travellers and virtually no illumination. upon nightfall, each mile appears endless as the vehicle braves bump after bump after bump; the mind begins to wander as silhouettes of wildlife move about in the bush; equally, the slender figures of Maasai shepherds heading homeward are bound to make any traveler uneasy. happily, we reached our destination not too long after complete darkness had swallowed up the landscape. i promptly fumbled out of the car into Nje Bush Camp, an establishment i would make into my homebase over the following days.
while i suppose each bush camp has its own set of unique characteristics, what Nje Bush Camp really does well is to build a sense of exclusivity - at the ends of seemingly labyrinthian (yet clearly marked) passageways through the thick jungle await private little clearings for you and your party’s delight. as one looks upon the river from their remarkably comfortable tent, with several thick layers of net separating you from all the insects outside, a feeling of coziness sinks in. thanks to the favourable positioning of the tents, one can listen to the river flow while also delighting in the sounds and smells of lush vegetation. yet the camp is not particularly cut off from other similar establishments, as well as Mloka itself, making it safe, but surprisingly private accommodation.
Nje Bush Camp is just one of the tourism focused establishments in the area. in fact, tourism has been one of the key drivers of development in Mloka. its proximity to the famous Selous Game Reserve, a vast stretch of protected land, has created jobs for those interested in and qualified for tourism work. but the existence of the game reserve and more recently, the upgrade of large swathes of land from the reserve to the status of National Park have shaped other facets of life in Mloka. as crossing Rufiji gets you very close, if not right into the conservation area, farmers have started commuting to temporary agricultural settlements. these settlements are typically used between december and june and many locals will be seen crossing the river by boat. in fact, fiberglass and wooden boats make up most of the area’s public transport infrastructure.
a view of Nje Bush Camp from the river. basking in the warm morning sunlight, the tents are as comfortable as they are aesthetically pleasing.
in other words, even as Mloka accelerates to a more modern way of life, the river will in all likelihood continue playing a pivotal role in the lives of locals. similarly to Nje, most bush camps are in fact built on the banks of the river - not only does the water help with the otherwise scorching temperatures of the Tanzanian climate, but is also home to incredible biodiversity and some of the most spectacular sunsets i have ever been blessed to see.
but a particularly rich rainy season and Rufiji river overflowing has led to the destruction of many touristic establishments. with few travellers coming to visit over the past year, river camp owners have had little incentive to rebuild.
markers of a frighteningly swollen Rufiji.
for some residents of Mloka, the slowing down of tourism has not changed everyday life too much. however, for those working in hospitality, the year has been particularly tough.
Rufiji has played a central role in the lives of numerous settlements along its banks, all the way to its delta on the shores of the Indian Ocean. yet the grand river could become essential to nationwide growth through the Nyerere Hydropower Station, a colossal project which is in progress as of may 2021. conceptualised as early as the beginning of the 20th century, a dam within what is today Selous Game Reserve is meant to harness the energetic potential of Rufiji and produce significant amounts of electricity. the reservoir, currently being built in Stiegler’s Gorge, is projected to take up to 1200 km² within Selous Game Reserve, a comparatively tiny slice of the protected area’s over 50,000 km². the reservoir itself, based on a range of studies, is unlikely to damage the conservation area profoundly, though concerns have been raised about select ecosystems in its vicinity.
the usefulness of the dam, at least on a theoretical level, is not easily disputed - its capacity would nearly double Tanzania’s overall electricity generation. this would stimulate nationwide economic growth and help keen pace with the developing nation’s increasing demand for energy, while also preventing the power outages Tanzania’s grid is (historically speaking) guilty of. on a practical level however it remains to be seen whether the country will ever require such amounts of electricity; equally worrying is the likely impossibility to sell off excess electricity, as several purpose-built generation facilities for export will soon become operational in the area (see Uganda’s plans for the Nile Valley).
for the people of Mloka the dam could in the long run be either a blessing or a curse. it may create jobs locally, as it could be said that Mloka is favourably positioned to supply workforce to any project within Selous Game Reserve. equally, it could be argued that if government’s vision regarding nationwide growth comes to fruition, Mloka would be in an excellent position to benefit from nationwide economic growth. however, these unquestionably positive outcomes dangerously edge on speculation.
the much more likely negative consequences of the Nyerere Dam project could directly impact the livelihood of Mloka. broadly speaking, it is unclear how the reservoir will change the morphology of the river, but the “seasonal pulse” of River Rufiji is undoubtedly essential to agriculture. as i am in no position to discuss the impact of altering flood seasonality in greater depth, i will refrain from speculating; however, it has been suggested that any risks associated with the building of the reservoir could be mitigated by meticulously managing the flow of water through the dam, thus emulating seasonal flooding. the problem with that? - this may affect the capacity of the hydropower station to generate electricity, perhaps undermining the premise of the entire project.
predictions aside, the construction of the dam is already having an effect. while it is clear that Mloka has become a popular stopover for long haul truckers and the local economy could only benefit from this, the frequent transportation of construction materials from the village into the conservation area has visibly altered the landscape: the many trucks stir up the dirt, leading to the appearance of dust storms along the roads, which fail to settle for hours. not at all unexpectedly, the otherwise curious and easily visible local wildlife rushes to the bushes as traffic accelerates. while this may not truly have long lasting effects over the animals, it does get in the way of tourism - as long as the hydropower station is in construction, Selous Game Reserve is unlikely to feel to visitors like the bastion of untouched wilderness it actually is.
in spite of the many changes it is facing, Mloka retains some of the markers of a traditional way of life. these intermingle with signs of modernity, coexisting in an often confusing amalgamation. just outside what is currently understood to be the territory of the village are clusters of traditionally built mud huts which, my guide explained, would have been built and subsequently abandoned in favour of more modern housing. paraphernalia pertaining to (previous?) occupants’ professions had been left within the simple, earthen rooms; even here, the presence of the river is clearly visible.
for the sake of avoiding a crasser violation of privacy, we elected to continue our exploration of the village and walked to an area where newer buildings had been erected.
newer dwellings showed a similar weave of tradition and modernity - the very walls of such establishments are born of modern mortar and cement, but the block of choice for most builders is the traditionally crafted sand brick. this is not to say that mud cottages have completely gone out of fashion - a young man has been kind enough to demonstrate the traditional process of erecting and consolidating the walls of his simple homestead. naturally, the traditional approach to building a house comes with a specific set of challenges - thatching with palm fronds is cheap, yet this is a process which has to be done annually. with its comparatively high price, metal roofing is said to be a minor symbol of status, but also a highly valuable asset in practical terms. to ease the financial burden of such an investment, people will “upgrade” to metal roofing gradually, one metal sheet at a time, a principle which, my guide suggests, also applies to cement or even bricks. as such, it would not be unexpected for the young man whose home we had invaded to eventually transition to a new, better built house nearby, abandoning the mud hut he had been constructing.
Mloka’s understanding of medicine appeared to be caught in a similar process of transition, where the traditional usefully coexists with the modern. many of the locals i have spoken to had an encyclopaedic knowledge of medicinal vegetation and i noticed no confusion over its claimed uses and effects. yet it goes deeper than that - existing on the thin border between superstition and science, some of these plants serve both as symbols and traditional medicine reagents. take for instance the so-called “snake tree” - planting one of these close to your home is meant to ward off snakes. its bark, if processed appropriately, may conveniently help alleviate wounds of varying severity as well.
yet this striking dualism is best illustrated by the concomitant existence of a modern hospital and a witch doctor’s hut within the village. ironically, the witch doctor’s “office” was built of the same modern materials as the hospital, but i chose to interpret that as proof of this institution’s resilience. i must admit that i have failed to clarify the exact role of the witch doctor, though i suspect it had more to do with the spiritual dimensions of healing rather than the physical. my guide kindly confirmed the locals “sometimes” visit the witch doctor, yet what a visit would entail remains a mystery to me.
the existence of a hospital in a village the size of Mloka could potentially be read as a voucher of trust in the area’s future development. granted, the hospital likely serves the entire region - Mloka would have just been the most conveniently placed settlement. a closer look at the public health centre reveals a general lack of facilities, though my guide swiftly reassures me of progress being made on the matter. i was lucky enough to have a brief conversation with one of the medical staff, a personable gentleman who briefly explained his training and professional focus. i was surprised to find that they had in fact been assigned to practice in Mloka, having studied in Dar es Salaam.
in spite of the status of the hospital as “work in progress”, i was surprised to find that part of its remit was to hand out condoms, free of charge. digging a little deeper (i.e. questioning my guide, perhaps a bit too aggressively) revealed that Mloka is gripped by a fierce HIV epidemic, the magnitude of which is not entirely clear. Mloka’s development as a “cosmopolitan” settlement has fuelled the epidemic, yet a darker phenomenon of a different nature has certainly not helped: outward migration, particularly of young men. in search of better economic opportunities, young men will move to Dar es Salaam, a city of over five million. this broadens the pool of potential sexual partners, increasing the risk of contracting HIV. some of those unlucky enough to catch the virus and perhaps lucky enough to find out, my guide explains, often rush back to Mloka. afraid of early death, some start families, keeping the knowledge of their condition to themselves.
as i flick through the photographs of Mloka’s empty classrooms - it would have been the weekend when i visited - i cannot help but wonder how many of Mloka’s pupils have been born with their parents’ deadly disease. i quickly dismiss the thought.
while it is still unclear how many of Mloka’s children are actually in school, about 700 attend classes. each classroom can host up to 100 children, all taught by a single teacher. yet this should not necessarily be understood as negative - Tanzania’s literacy percentage sits at almost 80%, a good number for a country with modest average income. as such, teachers’ stoic practice of imparting knowledge to 100 children at once should perhaps be understood as a feat of strength. i was particularly impressed with the transparency of the school’s spending - the budget of the school is displayed openly and is accessible at all times, even to visitors like myself.
as we made our way to the centre of the village, it dawned on me how Mloka is, for lack of a better term, socially peaceful in spite of its diversity. as Tanzania is home to over 120 tribes, it comes as no surprise that most of Mloka’s 4000 residents can trace their roots to three different groups: the Zaramo, the Pogolo, and the Hehe.
peaceful cohabitation of Mloka’s locals is certainly aided by Tanzania’s land management regulations - while i have not noticed anything actively encouraging investment or small business ownership, i have not identified any sign of active discouragement either. Mloka itself, in spite of its size, did have a fair number of small businesses, such as “Victor’s”, a tiny, yet excellent eatery in what appeared to be the centre. it could be assumed that any tensions which may erupt in Mloka and perhaps Tanzania more broadly are quelled by an ingenious land leasing system: permanent ownership is out of the question, while temporary leasing is the norm. further, any business minded individual would first have to gain the approval of the General Assembly - a body of voters constituted by any resident over the age of 18. in other words, many of the decisions pertaining to land or the village more broadly are discussed, voted upon and taken collectively. finally, any business active on local land would have to pay a monthly “development contribution” to the village, though my guide did not go into too much detail about how these funds are invested.
the village hall is where the General Assembly congregates, but it also serves other administrative purposes.
a discussion of Mloka could never be complete without considering nearby Nyerere National Park. i have been lucky enough to go on safari on my own, using the very same armoured car which had driven us from Dar es Salaam. between me and our extraordinary driver, the journey was smooth and the game plentiful. what truly made the safari special was the driver’s initiative to go completely off-road, cruising seemingly uncharted ways.
probably the closest i have ever gotten to unbridled wilderness.
the driver did unequivocally know the way, just to clarify, though he had to scout around on foot once the wetlands had swallowed up our tracks. in its vast conservation area Nyerere National Park covers a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from somewhat arid savannah to ever-humid wetlands. to my untrained eyes it appeared that we had passed through quite a few of these markedly different ecosystems, though i suspect much better examples of each could be found deeper into the conservation area. even there could the signs of a plentiful rainy seasons could be observed, particularly around the park’s numerous bodies of water, where adjacent the adjacent vegetation had been swallowed up.
i doubt that was meant to be an aquatic tree.
it is understood that Nyerere National Park is host to numerous species - elephants, hippos, zebras, lions, even black rhinos. where my safari excelled was in the giraffe department - i am not at all unhappy about that.
a safari in the Nyerere National Park is bound to convince anyone of the area’s wealth and economic potential. it is difficult not to see why Mloka has been developing steadily over the past years and it is equally difficult not to worry about the fate of the village given all the impending changes. i may be out of my league here, but i am not worried at all. what I have witnessed as i explored Mloka and more broadly, the entirety of Selous, was resilience, adaptability, and a way of life which was delicately in tune with nature.
a special thank you to Nje Bush Camp and Msafiri Travels for all the support and patience. none of this would have been possible without you.
