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As the first doctoral holder in his village, Tanzanian historian Herbert Ndomba believes that he has a duty to study the history of his community. African history, he thinks, should be rewritten from an African point of view.
Herbert Ndomba can now put "Doctor" in front of his name. He successfully defended his thesis at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa with the support of a German non-profit organization, the Gerda Henkel Foundation. Ndomba had studied peasant tobacco production in southern Tanzania, from where he himself came. This is a subject that is close to his heart.
"Historians and even agroeconomists have not emphasized this point," says Ndomba. "Even the region itself – the Ruvuma region – has received little attention." He took it upon himself to make the voices of small farmers in southern Tanzania heard
The Need for Historical Research
Ndomba is the first to compile a history of tobacco growing from its beginnings to the present day. But why should we care? Historiography is an important tool, he says, for making future political decisions
"This helps us to understand the socio-political dynamics of the past". The cultivation of tobacco, he says, appeared in the colonial era. Ndomba does not doubt that understanding historical dynamics and their implications for the present will help to find a way forward.
Especially with regard to Africa, Ndomba believes that historians have an important task to accomplish. "African history was written by people from outside Africa, writing in a European perspective."
The consequence of this was that Africa was considered a continent without progress. Ndomba has set itself the task of adding African sources to the existing narrative. "I have a duty to rewrite, to replicate history to explain that Africans, like all other societies, are developing."
The Laurels of Higher Education
Considering the importance of historiography, Ndomba hopes that the job market will be more welcoming to historians in the future. Today, the chances of getting one of the few academic positions are slim because the humanities do not have strong lobbying. While many families are not happy with history as a career choice, Ndomba was luckier. His parents and the entire community were proud of his work and obtaining his doctorate.
"It's a success, not only for me, but also for the men of the village, because I'm the first doctoral holder in the village.At this moment, they celebrate that even their village can produce thesis material. "There is much to celebrate for Herbert Harald Ndomba. Enough to let him breathe for a moment before undertaking the difficult task he has chosen for himself
This report is part of the series African Roots, a project realized in cooperation with the Gerda Henkel Foundation .
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