The Journey Begins

It feels like I have been here longer than I have and that is not a bad thing. I am more comfortable with each passing day.

Feb 21 (Tues) - I was picked up at the Kilimanjaro Airport by Ibrah. Ibrah has a volunteer house (where I am staying) and operates Afrishare (www.afrisharesolutions.org) Ibrah lives with his wife, Deborah, their 11 month old son, Raheem and his cousin, Mgembe. On the way to the house Ibrah mentioned that the water in his area is being rationed due to pipe problems and there is only water in the evenings. We arrived mid-afternoon and I unpacked. My room has 2 sets of bunk beds, a table and chair and a clothes cupboard. I also have my own bathroom which is great. I am currently by myself and have totally taken over the room.

We ate a wonderful dinner and I met 2 neighbor boys. Elly and Alifa are both 12. Elly is going to help me with my Swahili and I will help both boys with their multiplication!

Feb 22 (Weds) – When I woke in the morning the electricity had gone out and did not come back on until around 5pm. Ibrah and I ran around taking care of my volunteer visa and telephone. We also went to the central market which is huge. It contains many stands with vendors selling every fresh food product you can imagine. I am always impressed by how colorful it is. (I will take pictures of the different things I describe and post later.) While at the market someone shouts, “Mama Lee Ann” and I see Teddy who also works with TAFCOM. She looks wonderful and I learn that she now has a 4 month old baby.

When we return home I take a nap which I do almost every day! I call Nie (TAFCOM co-founder) to let her know I have arrived and we arrange to meet in the morning. Alifa comes over and he takes me to the field where I can run. Alifa’s English is not as good as Elly’s because they go to different schools so I practice my Swahili and he tries his English.

Another day of great meals!! Deborah is a great cook. We have lots of fresh fruits and vegetable which I love. She uses coconut milk and tomatoes to make a delicious sauce for vegetables and rice. She does use oil in everything and fries a lot of the food which I am not used to but must confess is delicious.

Feb 23 (Thurs) – Nie and Jonas picked me up in the morning. I was so excited to see them. They are an amazing couple who have done so many good things for their community. We talked about their projects and what I will be doing. Top priority is grant writing for the Children’s Center. Return home for a nap, running with Elly and Alifa, then Swahili and multiplication! While running at the field today I met a 57 year old Tanzanian man who is also running the half marathon. We run for a while together and he is as slow as me!! We agree to run again tomorrow.

The electric is out again today so for dinner we use candles and my book light to see our food. (They have a gas stove for cooking!!)

Feb 24 (Fri) – Today I go with Nie to Pasua to see the Children’s Center. There are 42 children in a small room with nothing but a chalkboard and a worn rug on the floor. The children greet me in English and I see familiar faces from 2 years ago. After their lesson they go outside to play and I teach them Duck, Duck, Goose but use Tembo (elephant) and Simba (lion) instead. I get lots of hugs which feeds my soul!!

On the way home we pass the central market and there is a man lying on the ground with a gash in his head. I am not sure he is conscious. There are police and I am told that he was caught stealing. Whoa… I am not one for violence so this is a very unsettling scene for me and one that still weighs heavily on my heart. I have also been told that it is not uncommon for people to take the law into their own hands if they see someone committing a crime.

Feb 25 (Sat) – Nie and Jonas pick me up and I meet Nicole. She is from Washington, has been here a year and lives a few streets away. We all attend a community meeting in a village very much like Pasua. The meeting is held outside under the tree. The leader talks about the services they are trying to provide to the community and the needs they have. The organization trains orphaned boys in carpentry and they make furniture. The boys receive a portion of the sales and the organization uses the funds to help community members. As I am sitting there I am reminded how destitute this country is and that no matter what village you go to the needs are all the same: grandparents raising children; HIV and AIDS, malaria, lack of funds for schooling, no health care close by, the list goes on. There was a young woman who was trained in tailoring that needed a sewing machine. She has a health issue and needs medical care but has no money because she cannot work. She got up to speak and her feet were like nothing I have ever seen before. Her foot and toes had swollen areas of varying sizes some as large as a tennis ball. She could barely walk. It was explained that this is a recent health issue not something she was born with.

Another reality check that reminds me of what I am getting into and how important it is to take care of myself and stay emotionally positive.

When I returned home I met David, a volunteer from New Zealand, who will be here for about 5 weeks. He is a 22 year old mechanic and his accent is as thick as glue!

Feb 26 (Sun) – Race Day!!!! We head out about 6:15 am. The half marathon starts at 7. It is 13.1 miles or 21 km. Mgembe is running also. This is the 10^th year for the race and it is not organized like those in the US!!!! The half is delayed until 7:30. Fortunately it rained the night before and is very overcast. The temperature does reach 84, however. I have my water and gels and am ready to go. We start in a stadium soaked from the rain so everyone’s shoes are caked with mud making them quite heavy. The race is not chip timed so I have no idea how they determine the time as I also do not see a time clock.

So off we go…. I have this tradition I started where I dedicate each mile to someone and find it highly motivating to think about how that person inspires me. I decide that this race is for the children of Tanzania with the hope that their lives may improve, they will find opportunities for success, and they will have the capabilities to give back.

The first 14km was mostly uphill and was a bit treacherous to say the least. However, after about 2 miles a young girl (10 or so) comes from the side of the road and starts running with me. How sweet is that (and serendipitous)?? She is wearing a dress and flip flops. Her name is Elizabeth and she lives with her grandmother. She probably stayed with me for about a mile. There were ample water stops (also offering Coke – yuk) and one even had a shower you could run thru. The coolest thing (literally and figuratively) was that one of the water stops gave out soaked sponges which I put under my hat to keep cool. When we reached the half way mark (the course was an out and back) they had rolls and bananas. Now it is mostly downhill which I love and I feel great mentally and decent physically. AND Elizabeth joins me again. She tells me she likes my hat so I give it to her and tell her I will not forget her. We finish in the stadium where we started and I felt really good after. My goal was 3 hours because I was not sure how the heat would affect me. The times are only posted for the top 10 but I think I came in around 2 hours 50 minutes so I was pleased. To put that in perspective, however, first place male was 1:03 and female 1:13. The full marathon was won in 2:13. The Kenyans made a clean sweep of all the races – both men’s and women’s. We stayed for the awards and entertainment. A government minister gave one of the speeches and said that all the sports people would be fired because they do nothing but put this event on and do nothing to support running in Tanzania which is why the Kenyans always win. This must be a big issue because it has been on the news also. Arriving home a shower was the priority, however with no water until later in the evening it was a bucket of cold water and a cup which really wasn't as bad as it sounds!!! Ah, the comforts of home………………. 

Me & Mgembe
PS The race was sponsored by Kilimanjaro Beer and our shirt says, "If you can't run it, Drink it."