Rashid, the fisherman, Zanzibar

It was not as hot as I thought it would be on this day!

I have not always been a big fan of hot coastal weather. I thrive more in cooler environments with some rain.

But Zanzibar has a way of enticing the soul! While the Old Town and a few beaches are usually the main attractions on the island, I was lucky that we drove around the island through forests mixed with indigenous trees- palm trees, giant mango trees, and mangrove forests.

 But as you drive south, you’ll see palm trees cordially line the coastal forest of Zanzibar in the East. At the southern tip, at the beach, we arrive early, just as a small village-Kizimkazi is about to breathe the first of the day. As the sun rises with its casual elegance,  the returning fishermen wade the shallow water with buckets of fish. The boats they have left on the shallow water dance with lapping noise at the gentle toss of the morning waves.

We are meeting Rashid*

He has also returned from fishing—not the best of the expedition. But he is grateful that he is alive to have a chance to do one of his favourite things regularly: fishing. He does it a few times a week and sometimes has to go across the sea to Dar es Salaam to buy equipment or sell fish. Those are the good days, he says

I am lucky to partner with some incredible people who make it happen!

 Not long ago, things were different for Rashid. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis. "I was terrified when they informed me that I was infected because it was something I didn't think about at that moment," Rashid Issa says. At the time, Rashid says, he was also a substance user and felt that he had been derailed from his livelihood as a fisherman. He was also afraid for his future and his relationships. He tells us that his relationships with his siblings and parents were already strained.

 In many ways, Rashid was alone. "I didn't expect such bad news on that day, so it was very surprising for me," he recalls. In many local communities, people with TB are often stigmatized. I remember back in my village; the stigma was often exemplified through patients being isolated by others, self-isolation, fear of disclosing TB diagnosis, an association of TB with HIV, and lack of social support. This was no different for Rashid.

 But Rashid is a jovial soul. He is a well-known fisherman who comes from a long lineage of fishermen. His home is at the top of a small hill, across the beach that opens up to the eye-filling ocean. When he speaks, you listen; he is both reflective and insightful. "Everything requires heart and patience, especially when there are risks involved, and there are numerous challenges in fishing, but what matters is that you do it with your heart and have the patience to succeed," he observes.

 He affords us the opportunity to go fishing with him in the sea. We watch as he keenly throws his line and waits patiently. He has a distant gaze and a sudden movement when the line starts to dance. It's delightful to see him catch a fish.

 The waters at the southern tip are like layered turquoise blue, so pure that they feel false. The sand is brilliant white, and as the sun rises, the water gives a blinding blanket reflection.

As we wade out of the water, Issa talks to us about how lucky he has been to get help, first from tuberculosis, and second from substance use. "I am happy because I have already overcome addiction; second, I have restored a good relationship with my family, relatives, and society. I have a good relationship with my family, even though I went through various challenges in life. I have changed and keep a good relationship with my family," he sighs.

 He is hopeful that now that he has completed both his treatment and graduated from rehabilitation, things will look up. "Hopeful" is a kind of intelligent bravery, the will to seek what is good, to keep walking for the chance of better things to come. Hope is important for fishermen like Rashid Ali, not just as they push their boats off the coast in the chilling morning to go fishing, but for things looking up for the future, for health, and the joy of being with family and friends.