Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa (born 1929), Tanzanian political leader, devoted his career to policies designed to increase his fellow citizens' standard of living.

The son of an elephant hunter and the eldest of eight children, Rashidi Mfaume Kawawa was born in the Songea district of Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in eastern Africa. After primary schooling in Dar es Salaam, he finished his formal education at Tabora Government Secondary School (1951-1956), the alma mater of Julius Nyerere, leader in the fight for Tanganyika's independence. Kawawa refused the opportunity to continue his education at Uganda's Makerere College, thus enabling his father to use the family's limited resources to educate his siblings.

Early Career

Kawawa's first job was as a Public Works Department accounts clerk. This was a most difficult period for the young man. With the death of his father, he assumed the responsibility of supporting his younger brothers and sisters. In 1951 Kawawa...