SIERRA LEONE NA GUINÉE
1915-1947 Mu myaka ya mbere (Igice ca 1)
Umuco w’ukuri utangura kwaka
Inkuru nziza yashitse muri Sierra Leone mu 1915 igihe abanyagihugu bo ng’aho bagaruka bavuye mu Bwongereza bafise ibisohokayandikiro bishingiye kuri Bibiliya. Nko muri Mukakaro muri uwo mwaka, umusavyi wa Yehova wa mbere yabatijwe yarashitse i Freetown. Yitwa Alfred Joseph. Yari afise imyaka 31, akaba yari imvukira yo muri Guyana, muri Amerika y’Epfo. Yari yabatijwe mu ntango z’uwo mwaka, abatirizwa muri Barbade, muri Karayibe, akaba yari yaronse akazi ko gukanika ivyuma vy’amagariyamoshi i Freetown. Alfred yaba mu kigo c’amagariyamoshi i Cline Town, hakaba hari nko ku bilometero bitatu uvuye kuri ca giti c’umusufe c’i Freetown. Yaciye ubwo nyene atangura kubwira abo bakorana ubutumwa bwo muri Bibiliya.
Mu mwaka wakurikiye, hari uwitwa Leonard Blackman yahora akorana na Alfred i Barbade yaje aho i Freetown, nyina wiwe Elvira Hewitt akaba ari we yari yarabwiye ukuri Alfred. Leonard yaba ku muryango ukurikira uwo Alfred yabako, kandi barahurira hamwe ubudahorereza kugira baganire kuri Bibiliya. N’ikindi kandi, baraha abagenzi babo be n’abandi bantu baba bashimishijwe ibisohokayandikiro bishingiye kuri Bibiliya.
Alfred na Leonard barabonye ko Freetown wari umurima ‘weze, ugeze kwimbura.’ (Yoh. 4:35) Mu 1923, Alfred yarandikiye abavukanyi bo ku cicaro gikuru i New York, ati: “Ino abantu benshi barashimishwa na Bibiliya. Mwoba mwoshobora kurungika umuntu aza kubitwararika no gufasha guteza imbere igikorwa co kwamamaza muri Sierra Leone?” Yaronse inyishu igira iti: “Tuzorungika umuntu!”
Alfred yiganye ati: “Umusi umwe ku wa gatandatu mw’ijoro, haheze amezi atari make, hari umuntu yanterefonye ntari ndavyiteze.
“Uwari anterefonye yambajije ati: ‘Woba uri wa muntu yandikira ishirahamwe Watch Tower asaba abamamaji?’
“Nanje nti: ‘Egome.’
“Uwo muntu yaciye avuga n’urujwi runini ati: ‘Barungitse jewe.’
“Uwo muntu yari William R. Brown. We n’umukenyezi wiwe Antonia be n’agakobwa kabo bari bashitse kuri uwo musi bakaba bari bashikiye mw’ihoteli yitwa Gainford.
“Bukeye, twe na Leonard twariko turagira inyigisho ya Bibiliya twagira buri ndwi igihe twabona urugabo runini mu muryango. Yari William R. Brown. Yari afitiye umwete ukuri ku buryo yipfuza gushikiriza insiguro y’icese bukeye bwaho. Twaciye ubwo nyene dukotesha inyubakwa nini kuruta izindi z’i Freetown yitwa Wilberforce Memorial Hall maze dutegekanya ko insiguro y’icese ya mbere muri zine zoshikirijwe yotangwa ku wa kane ku mugoroba.
“Uwo mugwi wacu mutoyi warakoze uratama mu gutangaza ivy’izo nsiguro biciye ku binyamakuru, ku dupapuro tw’ubutumire no ku munwa. Twaribaza ingene abantu bo ng’aho
bovyakiriye, ariko ntivyari bikenewe ko duhagarika umutima. Abantu nka 500 ni bo bari muri iyo nyubakwa, harimwo na benshi mu bakuru b’amadini b’i Freetown. Twararyohewe cane!”Mu kiringo cose c’isaha iyo nsiguro yamaze, umuvukanyi Brown yarasubiyemwo cane amajambo yo mu Vyanditswe yongera arakoresha mwene ca cuma cerekana amashusho (citwa projecteur) mu kwerekana ivyanditswe vyo muri Bibiliya. Muri ico gihe nyene, yaguma avuga ati: “Si Brown abivuze, Bibiliya ni yo ibivuze.” Abumviriza baratangaye cane, kandi baguma bakoma amashi uko ahejeje gushikiriza iciyumviro. Ntibatangajwe n’ukuntu umuvukanyi Brown yavugana ububasha ahubwo batangajwe n’ukuntu yatanga ibimenyamenya bikomeye akoresheje Ivyanditswe. Nk’uko vyavuzwe n’umunyedini umwe akiri muto, ‘umushingantahe Brown yari azi Bibiliya yiwe!’
Insiguro z’umuvukanyi Brown zarakanguye ico gisagara, kandi abantu barasegenyuka baza kuzumviriza. Ku w’iyinga wakurikiye, abandi bantu benshi barumvirije insiguro yavuga ngo “Kuja mu muriro udahera no kugaruka! Ni bande bariyo?” Ukuri gukomeye umuvukanyi Brown yashikirije kuri uwo mugoroba kwaratumye n’abanyedini bazwi cane bava mu madini yabo.
Insiguro igira kane ikaba ari na yo yari iya nyuma muri rwa rukurikirane rw’insiguro rwavuga ngo “Abantu amamiliyoni bariho ubu ntibazokwigera bapfa,” yarakwegereye iryo sinzi ku buryo umuntu umwe yaba i Freetown mu nyuma yavuze ati: “Amasengero yabwirijwe guheba ivyo gusenga ku migoroba kubera abanywanyi babo bose baja kwumviriza insiguro y’umuvukanyi Brown.”
Kubera ko umuvukanyi Brown yama akoresha Bibiliya, akerekana ko ari yo ifise ijambo rya nyuma, abantu baciye batangura kumwita ngo Bibiliya Brown. Iryo zina bamutaziriye ryarafashe kandi ryaramenyekanye hirya no hino muri Afrika y’uburengero. Kandi gushika William R. Brown arangije ubuzima bwiwe bwo kw’isi, yarahimbarwa cane no kwitwa iryo zina.