Honouring and Amplifying Nduna Mkomanile’s HerStory
By WFT-T
10 April 2026
As part of its broader campaign to ensure that women’s her-stories are identified, documented, recognized, and disseminated, Women Fund Tanzania Trust (WFT-T), through the HerStory Coalition, continued to support the National Museum of Tanzania to use different platforms to amplify the herstories of women who contributed to national development across different sectors.
On 27 February 2026, a special exhibition on Nduna Mkomanile was organized and held at the Cultural Elders Council Centre in Ruvuma Region. Nduna Mkomanile is known as a heroine, mobilizer, and a responsible figure in her community who stood firm during the Maji Maji War.
The exhibition was part of the larger Maji Maji War Commemoration and Cultural Tourism Festival, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (National Museum), in collaboration with the Ruvuma Regional Commissioner’s Office and the Council of Cultural Elders.
The aim of the exhibition was to highlight the contribution of women in liberation struggles against colonial rule and to show how their contributions continue to be visible in present-day society.
Various community members, government leaders, and traditional leaders had an opportunity to visit the exhibition and learn about the herstory of Nduna Mkomanile.
Through this exhibition, community members were able to learn about the history of the heroine Nduna Mkomanile and her role in the Maji Maji War and the struggle against colonial rule. They also learned about her contribution in distributing traditional medicine during the war, her leadership and advisory roles, and her involvement in coordinating communication during that war period.
Speaking during the exhibition, Justina Haule, a community member from Songea, said:
“This exhibition has helped us better understand the heStory of this woman, Nduna Mkomanile. She was the one who helped in finding traditional medicine for Maji Maji from Liwale. We had only heard that there was a brave woman who participated in the Maji Maji War. but we didn’t know much about her”
The research, documentation, and exhibition of Nduna Mkomanile was supported by Women Fund Tanzania Trust through HerStory coalition.
