Pongwe

Pongwe Pogwe is a village within Kang'ata ward in Handeni District of Tanzania. In Pongwe village there is a natural spring water place called Kwekibaya. Kwekibaya is the only source of water for thousands of people and animals. The original people from this place are called Wapongwe (Samwepongwe for male and Mnamweponge for women).

It is believed that if a person not belonging to Wapongwe cleans the water source (the place where water is actually coming out to the surface), Kwekibaya dries out. If this happens, it is only a Wapongwe family member, in Wagongwe tradition, who can please the natural spring to give out water again.

Because of the importance of Kwekibaya, there is a chain of family leaders among the Wapongwe who guide the community in managing the Kibaya in partuicular and general resources such as deforestation issues (which forest is a reserved one). The last leader of wapongwe is Mkulago (1942-2006). Mkulago died on the 28th April 2006 and laid to rest on the 30th April 2006 in the Mtonger forest.

Mkulago was a son of Chief of Wazigua known as Lungo. Lungo family has its origin at Kwalusonge, now called Msasa.