Aneth David
About a month ago, I received deeply saddening news of the passing of Ingo Koll, who liked to be called Babu or Kipala. I met Babu Ingo when I joined the Wikimedia community of Tanzania where he was a contributor, admin and one for the very few esteemed bureaucrats of Wikipedia ya Kiswahili.
We rarely meet people who touch our lives in ways that transform us forever. He was someone who touched so many lives in ways that are impossible to capture in words. Ingo was a German Lutheran pastor living in Tanzania alongside his wife Almut Koll or Mama Bahati. Their service spanned several regions of Tanzania, especially the Southern highlands and Dar es Salaam and even extended to Kenya. He was a lover of nature, people and knowledge. He loved and studied astronomy and was a member of Astronomy and Space Science Association of Tanzania (ASSAT). He was someone who cared deeply and committed wholly to whatever he did. Helped everyone with everything, from astronomy to Wikipedia matters to fundraising. He was selfless. I wonder how he did it.
I knew him as a Wikipedia editor and contributor who immensely contributed in building the Swahili Wikipedia and Wikimedia in Tanzania. He was the one who trained me to become an admin of Wikipedia ya Kiswahili. But his influence went beyond Wikimedia and Wikipedia. He had a strong passion for spreading knowledge, something I found truly inspirational.
Ingo had an astronomy podcast in Kiswahili called Macho Angani. In the program he spoke about the sky and astronomy and answered peoples' questions. I used to help read out the questions and he would add the responses in his voice. A sample of the clip is attached below. I will miss working with him.
This loss has left a gap that will be difficult to plug, especially in the Tanzanian Wikimedia and Astronomy communities. Moments like this make me ask myself what the meaning of life is. For what purpose do we engage in all that we do? Death also has a way of reminding me of the fragility of life, of how short it is. So, it tends to jolt me into a productivity frenzy trying to grasp for some sense of control, which is the direct opposite of the hopelessness that death brings about.
Babu Ingo evokes the words of the late Dr. Myles Munroe, who likened the cemetery to the richest place on Earth due to the unfulfilled dreams and untapped ideas buried there. Dr. Munroe urged us to "die empty," giving all of ourselves without reservation. That is, if one dies today, nothing that was supposed to be given out should remain within. That is how I feel Babu Ingo was; someone who gave his all, although I think he still had so much more to offer. That the ethos I try to live by. I aim to leave this world empty, with no regrets!
Almut composed a beautiful lament upon his passing. It is calming and contemplative, perfect for reflecting on the mystery that is life.
Towards his last days, Babu Ingo and Almut were working on establishing a digital library at Mwika Bible and Theological College in Moshi. It was not finished by the time he departed. The family decided that all contributions (rambirambi) be donated to the cause. If interested in donating, details are in the leaflet below:
Today mpendwa wetu Ingo (our dear Ingo) is laid to rest. May he rest in eternal peace and light. We can only hope to take over the mantle where he left and not let the fire he kindled dim.
