Anagulitsidwa Kukhala Kapolo

Ndi mtolankhani wa Galamukani! mu Afirika

OLAUDAH EQUIANO anabadwa mu 1745 kudera limene tsopano lili kummaŵa kwa Nigeria. Moyo m’mudzi wawo unali woyenerana ndi nthaŵiyo. Mabanja anali kugwirira ntchito pamodzi kulima chimanga, thonje, zilazi, ndi nyemba. Amuna ankaŵeta ng’ombe ndi mbuzi. Akazi ankapota ndi kuomba thonje.

Atate ake a Equiano anali mkulu wa fuko wolemekezeka ndi woweruza pamudzipo. Equiano anali pamzera wodzaloŵa malo amenewo tsiku lina. Zimenezo sizinachitike. Pamene Equiano anali kamnyamata, iye anabedwa nagulitsidwa kukhala kapolo.

Pogulitsidwa kwa amalonda osiyanasiyana, iye sanaonane ndi Azungu kufikira atafika kugombe. Patapita zaka zambiri, iye anafotokoza zimene anaona: “Chinthu choyamba chimene ndinaona nditafika kugombe chinali nyanja, ndi chombo cha akapolo chimene panthaŵiyo chinali chokocheza chikumayembekezera katundu wake. Zimenezi zinandidabwitsa, ndipo posapita nthaŵi kudabwako kunasanduka mantha pamene anandikweza m’chombocho. Amalinyero ena anandigwira ndi kundiponyera m’mwamba kuti aone ngati ndinali wabwinobwino, ndipo tsopano ndinaganiza kuti ndaloŵa m’dziko la mizimu yoipa ndi kuti inali kudzandipha.”

Atayang’ana ponsepo, Equiano anaona “khamu la anthu akuda a mtundu uliwonse atamangidwa unyolo pamodzi, onse anali ndi nkhope zakugwa ndi zachisoni.” Pochita kakasi, iye anakomoka. Aafirika anzake anamtsitsimula nayesa kumtonthoza. Equiano akuti: “Ndinawafunsa ngati azungu amenewo sadzatidya.”

Equiano anatengedwa pachombo kupita ku Barbados, ndiyeno ku Virginia, ndipo pambuyo pake ku England. Popeza kuti anagulidwa ndi mkulu wa amalinyero, iye anapanga maulendo ambiri. Anaphunzira kuŵerenga ndi kulemba, m’kupita kwa nthaŵi anagula ufulu wake, ndipo anachita zochuluka m’timagulu tomenyera nkhondo kuletsa ukapolo ku Britain. Mu 1789 anafalitsa nkhani ya moyo wake, imodzi ya nkhani zingapo (ndipo mwinamwake yolembedwa bwino kopambana) yonena za malonda a akapolo yolembedwa ndi Mwafirika amene anagwidwa ukapolo.

Aafirika ena mamiliyoni ambiri analibe mwaŵi umenewo. Atachotsedwa kwawo ndi ku mabanja awo, anatengedwa pazombo kudutsa Atlantic mwankhalwe kwambiri. Iwo, ndi ana omwe amene anabala, anagulidwa ndi kugulitsidwa ngati ng’ombe nakakamizidwa kugwira ntchito zolimba popanda malipiro kuti awonjezere chuma cha anthu achilendo. Ochuluka analibe ufulu ndipo anali kulangidwa, kuchitidwa nkhanza, kapena ngakhale kuphedwa malinga ndi zimene mbuye wawo anafuna. Imfa yokha ndiyo imene inalanditsa unyinji wa oponderezedwawo ku ukapolo.