1945-1990 ‘Kuzana benshi ku bugororotsi.’​—Dan. 12:3. (Igice ca 1)

Hashika abamisiyonari basohotse Ishure rya Gileyadi

Muri Ruheshi 1947, abavukanyi batatu basohotse Ishure ry’ivya Bibiliya rya Gileyadi, ari bo Charles Fitzpatrick, George Richardson be na Hubert Gresham, barashitse i Freetown. Abo bavukanyi bari aba mbere mu bamisiyonari bari kuza.

Abo bamisiyonari barabonye ko abamamaji bo ng’aho bari bashashaye kwamamaza, ariko ko bari bakeneye kurushiriza kuba abigisha kirumara. (Mat. 28:20) Ku bw’ivyo, abo bamisiyonari batanguriye ku kwigisha abo bamamaji ingene bokurikirana abashimishijwe be n’ingene boyobora inyigisho za Bibiliya. Barabaronkeje kandi ubuyobozi bwari bugezweho ku bijanye n’amakoraniro y’ishengero be n’intunganyo za gitewokarasi. Harabaye ikoraniro ry’icese ryabereye ahitwa Wilberforce Memorial Hall. Abo bamisiyonari baratangajwe no kubona iryo koraniro ryitabwe n’abantu 450! Mu nyuma, abo bamisiyonari baratanguje umusi wo gushikiriza ibinyamakuru buri ndwi. Ukwo kumenyerezwa kwararemesheje ishengero kandi kwaratumye hashingwa umushinge w’iyongerekana ryobaye.

Muri ico gihe, abamisiyonari bariko bararwana urugamba kugira ngo bamenyere ikirere caho. Mu 1948 raporo y’ishami yavuze iti: “Ikirere muri Sierra Leone kiragoye cane. Ikiringo c’imvura kimara amezi atandatu mu mwaka, kandi imvura igwa ari nyinshi cane, ari isegenya kandi idahita. Rimwe na rimwe iramara indwi zibiri zose iriko iragwa kandi idahita. Mu gihe c’ici, harashuha cane kandi harakanya cane.” Abanyaburaya ba mbere na mbere baje muri Sierra Leone bahise ngo ni imva y’umuzungu. Malariya, fièvre jaune be n’izindi ndwara zikunda kuba mu turere dushushe zariraye. Abo bamisiyonari bagiye bararwara umwumwe bica biba ngombwa ko baza baragenda.

Birumvikana ko abamamaji bo ng’aho bahagaritswe umutima n’ico kintu. Ariko ntibatanye n’akabando. Hagati y’umwaka wa 1947 n’uwa 1952, igitigiri c’abamamaji cariyongereye kiva kuri 38 gishika kuri 73. I Waterloo, mu gisagara kiri hafi ya Freetown, abatsimvyi bakora bagatama barafashije gushinga ishengero rishasha. Haravutse imigwi mishasha y’inyigisho za Bibiliya i Kissy n’i Wellington, ivyo bisagara vyompi bikaba biri ku mpera y’igisagara ca Freetown. Sierra Leone yasa n’iyigeze gutera imbere. None ni igiki cari gutuma ivyo bishoboka?

Haba urugendo rukomeza

Muri Munyonyo 1952, umugabo w’Umunyamerika muremure mutomuto yarenza gato imyaka 30 yarashitse ku kivuko c’i Freetown maze arinjira muri ico gisagara cari gitangaje. Uwo mugabo, uno akaba yari Milton G. Henschel wo ku cicaro gikuru, yavuze ati: “Naratangajwe no kubona ico gisagara cari gisukuye kuruta ibisagara vyo mu yindi mihingo y’isi. . . . Hari amabarabara ashashemwo amabuye, amamangazini arimwo uruja n’uruza, imiduga mishasha be n’uruja n’uruza rw’abantu.”

Umuvukanyi Henschel yaragiye ku nzu y’abamisiyonari y’i Freetown, ino kugira uyishikire ukaba warengana inyubakwa zibiri uvuye kuri ca giti c’umusufe kizwi cane. Yaciye amenyesha abavukanyi bari bakoraniye ng’aho ko Sierra Leone yari igiye kuronka iyindi mfashanyo. Ku w’iyinga wakurikiye, abantu 253 barakoraniye muri ya nyubakwa yitwa Wilberforce Memorial Hall kugira bamwumvirize igihe yariko arashikiriza amatangazo ateye umunezero yavuga ko Sierra Leone yoronse ibiro vy’ishami vyayo hamwe n’umucungezi w’umuzunguruko kandi ko yogiye iragira amateraniro y’umuzunguruko; hoshinzwe ishengero rishasha i Kissy; kandi igikorwa co kwamamaza mu ntara cotejwe imbere cane. Abari ng’aho barahimbawe cane!

Umuvukanyi Henschel yiganye ati: “Bagumye bavuga ngo kusheh, ijambo riserura inyiyumvo risobanura ngo ‘Ni vyiza cane!’ Abo bavukanyi bari bafise umunezero mwinshi. Bavuye muri ico kibanza buhwibiriye, . . . bamwebamwe bakaba bagenda bararirimba.”

Umumisiyonari yaheruka gushika, uwitwa William Nushy, yaragenywe ngo abe umuhagarikizi w’ibiro vy’ishami bishasha. William yari yahoze adandaza amakarata y’urukino bita kazino muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. Aho abereye umukirisu, yaciye aheba ako kazi maze arashigikira ashikamye ingingo ngenderwako zigororotse, ivyo bikaba vyotumye akundwa kandi akubahwa n’abamamaji bo muri Sierra Leone.