This book is based on chapters in a series of four books from the first five years (2002-2006) of the Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa (LOITASA) project. LOITASA is a NUFU-funded (Norwegian University Fund) project which began in January 2002 and will continue through to the end of 2011. The chapters reflect the state of the research at the end of the first five years of LOITASA in 2006 and were selected by reviewers independent of the project.

Haji Gora Haji, born in 1933 on the island of Tumbatu, Zanzibar, represents a living archive of poetic and philosophical knowledge, which is transformed into verses with a characteristic voice enriched by dialectal features (from Tumbatu and Unguja). As a recognition of his life-long commitment to Swahili language and literature, the editors, Flavia Aiello and Irene Brunotti, with Nathalie Arnold Koenings for translation, decided to work hard on conceiving a publishing project of Shuwari, his poetical anthology or diwani, fashioned as a bilingual Swahili-English edition which, along with the poems, could offer some analytical insights into Haji Gora Haji's artistry.

This is a series of books from the LOITASA (Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa) project. LOITASA is a NUFU-funded (Norwegian University Fund) project which began in January 2002 and continued till the end of 2006. It is, what in donor circles is known as a 'South-South-North' cooperation project which, in this case, involves research cooperation between South Africa, Tanzania and Norway. The first book, entitled Language of instruction in Tanzania and South Africa (LOITASA), focused on the current language in education situation in the two countries by providing a description and analysis of existing language policies and practices.

**This book includes a bonus conversation cheat sheet inside** Are you learning Swahili? Do you want to start speaking with confidence and have real conversations? Then “Top 25 Swahili Questions You Need to Know!” is perfect for you. By the end of the book, you’ll master the most common phrases and questions used in everyday conversations. You’ll even be able to hold basic conversations. And if you’re a complete beginner, but want to start speaking, this book is the first step. What will you learn? You’ll learn how to ask and answer the most common questions like... “What’s your name? Where are you from? How old are you? How are you?” and many more. Yes, these are the same exact questions you use and hear in everyday conversations. In every lesson, our professional, bilingual teachers explain and translate every word so that you understand it all. What makes this book so powerful? • Master must-know Swahili conversational questions and phrases used in daily life • Learn Cultural Insights, which are provided in every lesson • Best of all, you’ll have fun with our relaxed approach to learning Swahili Here’s what you get: • 25 Lessons • Bonus “Around Town” Conversation Cheat Sheet: Learn how to get around and ask for directions, plus learn the vocab for common locations around the town. Grab your copy of “Top 25 Swahili Questions You Need to Know!” and start speaking in minutes. Before you go, remember to download the audio here: https://goo.gl/nisdwk

SWAHILI: Katika Nyayo za Obama msomaji atasoma juu ya mambo makuu matatu: maisha ya rais Barack Husein Obama kuanzia kwa wazazi wake na jinsi walivyokutana, hitilafu zilizowatenganisha, utoto wake na hadi hapo aliko kwenye kilele cha siasa ; nchi ya Marekani iliyompa fursa, hasa kuhusu uanuwai wa watu wake, siasa yake, na sifa zake mashuhuri za masoko makubwa ya kimataifa na hisani yake kwa nchi zingine; na msomaji atamaizi nafasi pekee lugha ya Kiswahili iliyo nayo katika kufungamanisha jumuia za mataifa ya Afrika ambayo mengi bado yanatumia lugha geni kwenye fasihi rasmi za kisiasa na kisheria, na pia ni lugha pekee ambayo vyanzo vyake ni anuwai ya kutosha kuzungumzwa kote barani. Mwishowe, kuna orodha ya msamiati mpya uliotumika katika fasihi kwa minajili ya kuneemesha welekevu wa mada za karne ya mitandao na utandawazi. ENGLISH: Nyayo za Obama is a literary piece of work that tells the story of US president Barack Obama, starting with his ancestral connections in Africa to the nation of liberty, opportunity and justice for all- the United States of America. It is a compilation of anecdotes that tracks his life through a variety of socioeconomic and geographic influences which shaped his vision of himself and that of the world around him, and how he walked a tight rope of racial diversity he found in his life. It discusses his early career as a community organizer and how that experience led him to a meteoric political career and seemingly insurmountable challenges he had to face, first in his own state of Illinois and eventually on the natioanl scene. The book discusses the Obama’s political success in the context of a nation that, though still suffers the social-economic scars of slavery and racial preferences, has beeen steadily changing in many ways for the better, enough to allow the election of its president from a race that was once doomed to slavery and human indignities. It highlights the salient qualities of its kind of democracy predicated on the founding documents and economic freedom which makes it the market of the world; it informs about the nation’s history as the most charitable nation in the world and the champion of the rule of law and equal opportunity for all. It is written in the Swahili language, which is the lingua franca of several nations in Eastern and Central Africa regions of the continent, and the most important African language south of the Sahara desert. It will be among few books in Swahili that provides expositions about the United States and its history and the changing face of its people, economy and its role in the global village. The book comes with a list of vocabulary of English translations of some of the words that have been used but may not be common in the available Swahili litereature.