11/05/2026
In 2021, while working on a documentary in Mgona about the charcoal business, we experienced something I will never forget.
As creatives, we entered the area with cameras, questions, and a story to tell. But within minutes, rumors started spreading that we were government officials coming to confiscate charcoal or report people to authorities.
Before we could even fully explain ourselves, stones started flying. Lost some equipment. Koma tinathawa ndithu.
One of my friends broke his leg that day. Thankfully, he recovered. But the experience stayed with me.
What pains me most is this:
we had followed protocols. We spoke to market leaders. We communicated. We respected the community. Yet fear, misinformation, and panic almost turned deadly.
Ironically, later on, the same community benefited from donor support connected to the very conversations and exposure people feared.
This is why mob justice scares me.
Sometimes people react first and think later.
And once a crowd becomes emotional, truth loses its voice.
Not every stranger is a criminal.
And not every rumor deserves action.
One wrong assumption can destroy an innocent life in seconds.
