By Owade Joan Adongo (PhD),
Director Quality Assurance and Media Practitioner at KIUT
A journey that started as a Diploma student of Accounting and Taxation from 1975-1977, would later on usher Charles Bahari Mbalafu into a Bachelor of Accountancy from 2013-2015 within different institutions, and just when he though his academic cup was full, the urge for deeper knowledge in his area of expertise became more stronger; a thirst which could only be quenched by enrolling for a Master degree in Business Administration-Accountancy, of Kampala International University-Uganda, to fill this gap.
The story of Mbalafu is such an interesting one, proving that age is just but a number when it comes to pursuit of our visions in life…
The heart melting Interview we held with Charles leaves a lot to be desired….
Kampala International University in Tanzania-Charles Bahari Mbalafu is a peculiar graduate, who scoops a Master degree in Business in Administration-Finance and Accounting at the 30th graduation ceremony of Kampala International University onSaturday 23rdNovember 2024, and joined his course-mates to celebrate this achievement at the 7th Graduation ceremony of Kampala International University in Tanzania, held on the 12th December 2024, at KIUT grounds. The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Angwara Kiwara, honored and recognized Charles’ achievement in a special way. At age of 90 years, Charles says that, “no barrier would stop me from pursuing this Master program. All I wanted was to prove to the world that education has no end”.
Mr. Charles, told this website in a virtual interview shortly after the graduation that, “to me, this degree is like a dream come true. At one point I actually thought God had deserted me. Thank you to those who walked this journey with me, especially Dr. Soka, Dr. Wako, and my supervisor Dr. Fred Masese. Without this team, this would have just been but a dream”.
Bahari says his preliminary knowledge in undergraduate studies made him unearth a lot of challenges that needed to be dealt with, especially within the banking sector. The issue of loans with high interests rates has made many of the entrepreneurs to face a lot of huddles in their businesses, yet on the other hand the banks needs these kind of interests to survive. Bahari believed that there was a need for further explorations on how to strike a balance between this two entities, something that motivated him to resort for a master degree in Business Administration-Finance and Accounting.
Charles was blessed with a beautiful wife, Mrs. Enea Sambalafu and together they bore six children, though as fate would have it, his wife died in 2011, an experience which was traumatic and challenging to him. He did not really know how to mourn his dear wife, whom he says was a source of inspiration and strength in diverse ways, neither did he know how to play the double role of parenting, especially to their last born who was still young at the time.
Interestingly, the enthusiastic Graduate affirms to this website that, there is always a blessing in disguise in every situation.
“My wife’s demise made me resort to academics; not only to acquire knowledge, but also to destruct my mind from the painful memories I shared with my dear wife Enea, while she was still here. Other than work, I invested most of my time in academics to sooth my heart, nurse my wounds, and to help me recover from the traumatic experiences I underwent after the loss of my wife, by according me the room to concentrate on other things other than thinking of my Enea.”
According to Charles, his old age did not define his capabilities in academia. Being a lover of pursuit for new knowledge and discoveries, he was always self-driven in his studies and invested more in research after class work. He added that, most of the things he studies in his diploma and Bachelor degree, strengthen his university foundation, since most of the things taught were already familiar to him. The lessons were directly related to his experiences at East Africa Community, where he was employed in the Department of Income Tax in 1968, and later on as a consultant in the same institution. The dedication and commitment of Charles is confirmed by his research supervisor, Dr. Fred Masese,who admitted that, “Charles is an inspiration, and he is well-endowed with innovations and creativity skills in different aspects. An attitude like his, is actually what the world needs. Honestly I am proud to call him my student.
Mbalafu admitted to this website that, his academic quench was neither a smooth ride, but his focus kept him thriving in fulfillment of his academic ambitions. He says that most of his younger classmates, colleagues and friends kept wondering why an old man like him would still be interested in Education. He recalls one of the incident when a student asked him a rhetoric question,
“You mzee, what are you after? Why are you struggling with books at your age? Such an old man? At least for us we study so that we make money in the near future through employment. You should be resting at your age instead of wasting time in academics”.
Mbalafu says these kind of reckless mind-set made him realize that the younger generation needed to be guided and mentored, that the quest for education was not only for employment purposes. This kind of sentiments actually made him realize that he could be a great mentor and a source of inspiration, and so far, he has inspired four students to relentlessly pursue their academic dreams.
Bahari, advised this website that it is the high time the society recognizes that the world is advancing, and not everyone is interested in Education simply for employment. Others’ constant drive for new knowledge pushes them to academic paths. I enrolled for university studies after my retirement, and the more I studied, the more I realized that there were gaps, which would probably be explained in the next levels, and actually, I am planning to enroll for a PhD program sooner, since I realized that even with the Master degree, there were several answered questions, even after exploring the same through my thesis.
With my master research titled, “The Effects of Interest Rates on Business Transactions to Stimulate the Economic Development in Tanzania: A Case of Dar es Salaam Region”I was really eager in unearthing solutions on how this problem would be minimized. However to my surprise, most of the sampled units within the Banking Sector were not willing to give me the required information, which would inform my recommendations. He added that, “Institutions needs to be informed that student’s research is purely for academic purposes. We do research to generate new knowledge and solve problems. Restricting students from accessing certain information would be an unjust to academic entity”.
His desire for academic pursuits is further expressed by the Deputy Director of Post Graduate Studies and Research, Dr. Janet Mutebe, who had this to say,
“The zeal Bahari has for education is unmatched. I have never met any student of his age craving for education as he does. At 90 years, one would expect him to be enjoying his retirement benefit, but look at how amazing Charles is. He is planning to enroll for a PhD program as soon as possible. He is also very humble and listens to counsel every now and then.
Charles believes that he is a true fulfillment of Abraham Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs. “My continuous thirst for new knowledge is driving me towards self-actualization in academia, and I believes that most of the answered questions during my Master degree pursuit will be explored when I enroll for a PhD program”.
Bahari informed this website that, “the advantage I have over my peers is that despite my old age, I am still physically fit, mentally fit, and with good eye sight as well. I can read, research and explore for knew knowledge through analytical lenses.Actually, there is nothing this younger generation can do which I cannot do. I will pursue my academic ambitions until there is no more for me to adventure”.
The Director School of Post-Graduate Studies and Research, Dr. Mary Mosha, told this website that, “I love the determination Charles possesses. He is among the 13 students who we graduated, but he has something peculiar to others which is age. He graduated at the age of 90 with smiling face and positive attitude, and he is so determined to continue with further studies and enroll for a PhD Program. To the Directorate of Postgraduate in specific, and KIUT in general, we feel proud of our student and congratulate him for such academic success”.
Charles final advice to the older generation and the world at large is, “Age is not a barrier to Education. You can explore your vision in life to the fullest. Others might have gotten there before you, but that is not strong enough to let go of your dreams. Age should not threaten you or scare you from exploring your academic vision. Just spread your wings and fly”.
