Happiness Mchomvu: An unsung heroine

Dar es Salaam. Happiness Mchomvu went unnoticed in her resolve to empower women entrepreneurs but those who worked with her attest to the fact that she was a force to reckon with.

Happiness, fondly known as, Mama Pina, passed away on May 15, 2021, at the age of 64 after a battle with cancer for a decade, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honour her legacy by living their lives to the fullest.

After going through various education and career levels/positions, Mama Pina joined Small Industries Development Organisation (Sido) in 1992 and a year later, she was appointed coordinator of the Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme – Tanzania.

The programme, run jointly between Sido and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), saw Mama Pina working around the clock to turn talented and non-talented women into entrepreneurs.

“She taught me one thing, how patiently one educates those slow learners to realise their potentials as entrepreneurs,” said Ms Suzan Mtui who is former executive officer with Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC).

Though Mama Pina was a textile engineer, she managed to turn herself quickly to a micro-business expert and demonstrated an uncanny ability to share her knowledge with others—which was her happiness.

“No matter how tough the situation gets, Mama Pina, would always find a solution to open doors for women to grow businesses,” Ms Mtui said.

This earned her an international award. In 2011 Happiness was among the winners of the International Alliance of Difference 100 Awards, thanks to her immense contribution to the economic empowerment of women.

In the same year, she also won the national women’s award of determination from the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF).

Tanzania Ambassador to China Mbelwa Kairuki describes her as one of the heroines who make great things behind the scene that touches many lives without waiting to be thanked. “She was certainly an unsung heroine,” Ambassador Kairuki said.

He said if a person sees the need to recognize women who contributed greatly to the country’s development endeavors, they will definitely settle on Mama Pina as one of those women if they do their homework properly.

“Unfortunately Mama Pina passed way before I fulfilled my promise to let her get recognised for her immense contribution to the nation and women’s economic wellbeing,” Ambassador Mbelwa said.

Mama Pina is survived by her husband, Dr Mchomvu, a daughter, Pina, a son, Gama (Eric), a granddaughter Briel, sisters Emma, Beauty and Maria, brothers Zacharia, Huruma and Kajiru and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

PII Director of Operation, Ebenezer Mayani Msuya will remember Mama Pina for the way she instilled in her the love for family members.

“She taught us to be self-confident, set goals and never to acknowledge the failures. She told us not to easily say ‘I have no money’ because she believed that it was only losers that would easily and happily utter such words,” she says.

The education journey of Mama Pina, the ninth child out of 11 children of Abduel Msami Msuya and Tamari Nathan Mroki, started at age four when accompanying her sister, Maria, to school when she started standard one.

“That early learning sharpened her brain…by the time Mama Pina joined standard one, she was well ahead of others...,” Ms Maria recalled.

At age seven, in 1963, Mama Pina joined Kifula Primary School and at standard four she was transferred to the then Kitieni Girls Primary School, now Usangi Primary School in Usangi. This was a special school that accepted only talented girls from various Northern Pare wards. “She was one of the brightest pupils and always wanted to share food with others,” said Rubaina Shabani Msangi, who schooled with Mama Pina at Kitieni.

Ms Rubaina said Happiness changed her behaviour as she invited her friends and formed a studying group that was meant to expand their learning horizon.

“I believe she was born a leader since she was appointed a dormitory leader soon after joining the school,” Ms Rubaina recalled Mama Pina early signs of leadership.

Before completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany in 1984, she went to Weruweru Girls Secondary School in Moshi, Kilimanjaro and later joined Jangwani Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam. At Weruweru, she was also a dormitory leader.

After spending five years in Germany she came back to Tanzania, married her love of life Dr Asser Gamaliel Mchomvu (works for Kairuki Hospital) in late 1984.

In 1986, she secured a job at Tanzania Sewing Threads Manufacturers Limited at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam as a textile engineer.