Nthanu za Chitonga

The Lakeside Tonga in the North were the first ethnic group in Malawi to accept Christianity, not so much be many baptisms, but by sending their children to school, so that in 1895 half the Tonga children attended school. One of them was Filemon Kamunkhwara Chirwa from Mchaya (Old Bandawe), who trained as a teacher and became the leading teacher for the Tonga schools in the 1920s, an intellectual, a religious and political leader. When Indirect Rule came in 1932, he was strongly involved in the creation of the Tonga Tribal Council. At that time, he published his only book, the Tonga stories. He also wrote a World History in Tonga, but the manuscript cannot be found.

A Filemon Kamunkhwara Chirwa anguwiya ku Mchaya (Old Bandawe). Angusambira sukulu ku Old Bandawe pa ulongozgi waku Dr Robert Laws. Wati wakwera angusankhika kwachilutiliya ndi masambiru ku Khondowe (Livingstonia) kweniko angwachisambizgika nchitu ya usambizgi wa mu masukulu, ulongozgi pa milimu ya ukhristu, kutaula mazgu ghaku Chiuta, ndi nchitu za manja. Kutuwa 1895 mpaka 1897 a Filemon angovya Dr Prentice pa
ntchitu yakwachijura ndi kusambizga pa Chilanga C.C.A.P Mission mu Boma la Kasungu.

Mu October 1900, a Filemon anguto a Miriam Khozeya Nyambawa aku Entuzwini, kuNjuyu, weniwo nawu angusambizyika pa Khondowe. Wati wakwera
Sukulu angovya pantchitu ya kusambizga asungwana kusona pa Khondowe. (The Livingstonia Institution Register, vol 1, 1896). Ku Old Bandawe aNyambawa angovya Mrs Gordon kusambizga ndi wenga a Chitengo paupu wa Chikondo.

A Filemon angusambizga pa sukulu ya New Bandawe (Thipula) kwa vyaka vinandi, ndi angusankhika kuwa wakwendere masukulu (Inspector). Angulutiliya masambiru ghawu pakuwija ndi College ya Fort Hare. A Filemon angwanja kumumbiya Mbuya, angusambizgika kumba Organi mu Charichi cha Old Bandawe ndi angwata ndi kulemba sumu zakumumbikiya zenizo zikulembeka mu buku la Sumu za Chitonga. Angusambizga kambidu kamampha mu Charichi ndikukumbuska wose kuti "Timumbiye Chiuta ndi mazgu gha likondwa. Ps 66: 1-2". Mpha nyengo yeniyo angulembe Nthanu za Chitonga.

Wati wapumuwa pa nchitu ya mumasukulu, a Filemon angugwira ntchitu ya Session Clerk yo anguyiyambiya ku Old Bandawe, ndi ulembi pa ofesi ya mission pa Thipula. A Filemon angukankhuska Chita mu kurongo chanju chikuru ku wanthu wose ndi kuwawovya kuti wasambiri sukulu. Angovya alendu kurondereka ndi kuja ndi chimango mu Utonga (nge a Dr Stephen Mwenifumbo, a George Phiri, a Alexander MacAlpine, Dr Martin ndi muoli wake). Chanju ichi ndi ulemu waka Filemon vinguchitiska kuti aziwiki ndi kwanjika mu Utonga wose. Leka a Tonga wanandi anguwawona nge mba mbuyawo ndi kuwadana zina lakuti "Agogo".