Week 5 - Hiking and Maneuvering the Roads

March 18-March 25

Drivers vs Pedestrians

Pedestrians definitely do NOT have the right of way here. Vehicles drive on the other side of the road which only exacerbates the fact that I am directionally challenged (the steering wheel is also on our passenger side). The bicyclists and motorcycles typically drive within a foot of the berm which is more often than not used as the walking path. They do this so the cars can easily pass. It is a bit unsettling to have them pass so close especially since many of them are carrying their wares on the back of their bikes. Cars honk out of courtesy – to let you know they are approaching or plan to pass. There is no road rage which is a definite positive!

I cross 2 main roads that are very busy. I always try to find a local person who is crossing and stay with them. If not, I look both ways a bzillion times before crossing. There are road police at these crossings but they do nothing but stand there.

In Moshi there are several round-abouts which feed 5-6 roads into a circle. These are the most intimidating of all because you have traffic going in all sorts of directions and not only cars, daladalas and buses but bicycles, motorcycles and vendors moving their large carts.

All of this makes my daily trek to and from the office an interesting challenge. There is one stretch where the walking path is raised and the path itself is rather narrow. Reminds me of being on a balance beam especially on one particular day when I straddled it by slipping in the loose dry dirt. It was quite dainty!! Fortunately no one saw me; I got up, brushed myself off and went on like nothing happened.

Sunday – David and I were able to hike in the afternoon. It was near one of the entrances to Mt. Kilimanjaro and was a very pleasant and beautiful 1.5 hour hike. It was different in that the beginning of the hike was through a lush green forested area, mostly up hill. Then we were in a flat area and there was a huge Catholic Church and school. Much of the rest of the hike was thru small villages. There would be an occasional small store. It is hard to imagine spending your life in such a remote area.

Catholic Church in the middle of Nowhere

Stream from bridge overlook

 There were about 25 people on the hike, mostly internationals of all ages including children. When we first arrived I introduced myself to a group and one couple introduced themselves. Other than that exchange no one talked to us which we both found quite odd; and even after the hike when people gathered for food. We decided to call Ibrah to pick us up. He said he would arrive in 15 minutes so we decided to start walking, thinking that it would still be light out for a while. Ibrah was delayed and did not arrive for 45 minutes by which time it was dark. The interesting thing was that as the hikers left the area we had at least 6 cars stop and offer us a ride back to town. 

Monday – Nie was not feeling well so I worked from home on some projects.

Tuesday – to Boma to take shoes to John. We stopped first at the preschool. Nie needed to talk to the day guard. The teacher was not there and the young woman in the classroom, I later learned, was the cook. I did not think she was the teacher because she was rather shy with the children. Nie asked me to be with the children so I just sort of took over. I was hesitant to go in the classroom at first because last time I was here one of the children was quite distraught seeing a Muzungu. However this time, although the child cried at first, I held out my hand and she touched it and was then fine.

Preschool - one of 3 rows of children (over 30 kids)

We went thru the alphabet. On the walls around the room were drawn pictures on 8x11 paper for each letter. They were in no particular order which had me all over the place. We also counted in English and I tried to teach them Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.  My preschool repertoire is pretty lacking, especially with the language barrier. I started to go over colors and the next thing I know the children were out of their seats, singing a song and jumping. So when in Rome…. I just joined in. I then took pictures. All the children here are fascinated with cameras and if they see you with one will ask for their picture. The Swahili word is picha so it is easy to translate. I always show them the picture as they get tremendous delight in seeing themselves. Mirrors are not common in the poorer homes.

John with new shoes and a smile to melt your heart!!

We then headed to John’s school and met with the head of the school. Her office could not have been larger than 10x10. There was a board on the wall with charts that looked like class schedules, teacher info and the like. They were all done by hand. I saw no typewriter or computer. John came to the office and the shoes fit. His old shoes were so worn. The bottom of the insides had no covering and the foot area looked like a rubber waffle. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must have been for his good foot.

I decided to try the internet café in Soweto, which is really not a cafe but a room in a building. I want to upload my pictures to Shutterfly and not eat up my internet voucher. I was there about 30 minutes; when the electric went out. They told me to just come back when the electric came back on and I could finish my work and then pay. Total honor system – I love it!

Wednesday – Spent most of the time at the office helping Teddy learn how to use Excel for the Malaria project data base. She is a very intelligent young lady and caught on very quickly. Who would have ever thought I would teach computer skills, let alone Excel??

Thursday – I returned with Nie and Jonas to Boma. This time we were taking Victoria, a 10 year old girl, to a local medical clinic. Her family consists of mom, dad and 4 other siblings. Mom is in her late 30’s and pregnant with their 6^th child. The father repairs shoes and lives in Arusha because that is where he can find work. He comes home on the weekends. He does not make enough for them to live and take care of Victoria’s medical needs. Mom and kids live in a one room apartment attached to a store.

They used to live in another area but moved to Boma for Victoria’s medical care. They wanted to be close to KCMC, which is the largest and best hospital in the area; and the only hospital able to care for her condition. She has been to the hospital for testing and her diagnosis had been unsure for several years. After a thorough conversation by Nie with the mother it was discovered that there were complications with her birth. Her diagnosis is Rheumatic Valvular Disease. She has difficulty walking and is just beginning to talk. She is also very skinny and small in stature. I looked up the diagnosis and it is a result of Rheumatic fever which can interfere with the physical and mental development of children.

While developed countries once had a significant burden of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, medical advances and improved social conditions have dramatically reduced their incidence. Many developing countries, as well as indigenous populations within developed countries, still carry a significant burden of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease and there has been a resurgence in efforts to eradicate the diseases in these populations. (wikipedia)

The family could not afford to live in Moshi where KCMC is located so they are about a 40 minute ride away. There is a clinic in Boma where she gets monthly penicillin shots. Nie takes her every month to make sure she gets her medical care and to provide her with multi-vitamins which she takes daily. The cost of the vitamins and shots is about $8 per month. Victoria is to receive the monthly injections until she is 20 years old. The US couple who are helping John have also committed to help Victoria for 6 months.

Mom, Victoria & Me at clinic

Victoria with her Fanta

We arrived at the clinic and Nie stayed outside as she doesn’t like watching. It was a very stark bare room and the nurses were not very friendly. I went in with mom who laid Victoria across her lap and pulled her pants down. She immediately started to cry and became more upset as she received 4 injections in her bottom. I tried to hold her hands. Her wrists were so thin and fragile I thought they might break. Mom was unable to console her and sounded a little angry at one point giving her a smack on the bottom. I was not happy as this was where she got the shots and it had to hurt!! I shared this with Nie in the hopes that she will talk with mom. It was emotionally difficult seeing this poor child in so much distress. She is visibly not normal, although Nie says she has seen improvement. I hope to accompany her for the months I am here and see some progress too.

When we finished I asked if I could treat Victoria and her mom to a Fanta. This is a very popular orange soda. All the pop here comes in glass bottles. Jonas explained that we could only get one bottle because you either must drink the pop where you get it and return the bottle or if taking it, you must have an empty bottle to exchange. Nie only had one empty bottle. The bottles are all returned to the bottling company, washed and refilled for sale again! This is the first attempt I have seen at recycling – YEAH!!!! Now if we could just get them to stop using and burning so much plastic…..

On the way home I talked with Nie about birth control. It is available here and is free or very cheap. Many times families are so focused on daily survival they don’t think about long term repercussions. Nie talks with many of the families about family planning and safe sex and will to talk with Victoria’s mom. I was concerned that since she is a bit older she is at risk of more health problems. Men here are reluctant to get vasectomies. Birth control is also a very difficult issue. There is a lot of misinformation and women are leery because of what they have been told about side effects. Logic tells me that it costs much more to raise a child than it would cost for birth control. However, I am not thinking each day about where my next meal is coming from or what might happen to my child if I can’t pay for her medical care. There is no room to be judgmental.

Friday – I met Nie at the office and today we took the daladala to Pasua. She will do this several days next week until I am comfortable with knowing the route and can do it myself. We walked to the daladala stand (which is their bus stop). A daladala is like a very old VW bus. They are all falling apart. Many times they break down or the doors don’t work. On the trip to Pasua they had 20 people on board, many who had their baskets full of purchases form the market to sell from their homes. On the way home 24 of us were crammed in the daladala. I will try for a picture because you need to see it to believe it!!!

At the Children’s Center, I began work on the children’s profiles. TAFCOM has a page for each child which tells their story and includes their favorite animal, color and what they want to be when they grow up. I had a script in Swahili so I could ask the questions about their favorite things. Bisura was there to help me because I could rarely understand the child’s answer. It was quite amusing because I would ask my question and the child would look at me then look at Bisura and she would have to repeat. I don’t know if it was my pronunciation or just the confusion of a mzungu speaking Swahili. Some of the kids did understand me and I would be very excited when we could communicate.

It was very interesting asking about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Obviously they are just little people but many of their first answers were things like washing utensils, being a big sister, washing clothes, or helping their mothers. We would then give them other examples and they would sometimes answer differently, but sometimes not. In talking to Nie about this she agreed that is important to talk to them about different professions as these children have little or no exposure or knowledge of what their potential might be.

Saturday - I am refreshed today after a great night's sleep plus a nap yesterday afternoon. I don't think I realize what affect all the walking, my running and the heat have on me. Plus our mattresses are a 4 inch thick piece of foam. Went to the store and bought an apple for me and David and some Green Tea. I was excited about the apples because I have not seen any here until today and I was missing green tea. No electricity all day.

Sunday – Got some work done today in between bouts of no electricity. Went with Nicole to Nie and Jonas’ for dinner. Their son, Jovin, is now 7 and as adorable as ever. He showed me one of his school books on Communication and Technology and it was mostly about what to do in emergencies and the workings of cell phones and their usage.  Jovin attends a private school and studies 7 subjects. He is one of the top students in his class! 

Stepping Back In Time

WEEK 4 March 12-March 18

I have now been here almost one month. I realize that my past trips were far more about observation and awareness. One definitely needs an extended period of time to feel any true sense of accomplishment. Everything I do feels so small in comparison to the needs. This week I stepped more deeply into the world of the Tanzanians. I often asked myself, What if we REALLY cared?

I have never had any second thoughts about being here and the longer I am here I know this is not my last trip. During my past two trips it was easy for me to hover in a space that felt very intolerant of how the rest of the world lives…. with its wants and waste and expectations. But being human it does not take long to revert back to some of those ways. Long, hot showers were my biggest indulgence. (Mainly because I knew I would not have them here.) My frame of mind this time is more based on my personal choices and growth, not what the rest of the world chooses to do. Certainly, I hope to educate and possibly some will look at their life differently as a result of my sharing. Fortunately I am a very positive person so it is with really no effort that I choose to try and brighten someone’s day even if it is as small as causing a few of the locals to laugh at my rough attempts at Swahili or allowing a child to touch my hair or skin.

I don’t like to pigeonhole people but don’t know how else to describe different parts of my experience. Words are so inadequate at times. I find the people here to be unselfish in a very gentle and generous way. It is very obvious in how I am taken care of by Ibrah and his family as well as observing how much everyone living here responds to the needs of the other family members. The culture has a very strong extended family focus. I don’t understand much Swahili but I have yet to hear anyone complain and saying, “no” when asked to do something is not even a consideration. The neighbor kids will stop what they are doing when Deborah needs to send one of them to the market or Rahim needs to be cared for so she can cook a meal.

So this week was an appreciation of how simple life can be along with a mindfulness of the poverty and hardship of life for so many living here.

Monday – I had arranged with Nie to have today off in order to go to the clinic with Deborah for Rahim’s (corrected spelling!) one year checkup. St. Joseph’s is a Catholic hospital here in Soweto staffed mostly with nuns. It is about a 10 minute walk from the house. There are no appointments and the clinic’s waiting area consists of a few benches placed outside along the building walls. When we entered the room, there were several areas cordoned off by curtains. One said Vaccine and several women were waiting there with their children. There was a scale as you first walked in near a desk. It was a contraption with a pulley and hook that reminded me of a “Johnny Jump Up”. (Who is old enough to remember those??) Deborah brought a sling and put Rahim in it and then hung him on the hook. The nurse entered the weight (10 kilos – about 21 pounds) in a booklet that Deborah keeps and we were done. According to a 2010 Family Health International report, the mortality rate for children under age 5 is 104 per 1,000 live births. Just think what a WIC clinic could do here.

Rahim Being Weighed

St. Joseph Hospital

As we walked thru the hospital to leave I couldn’t help but feel I had stepped back in time.  The walkway was outdoors as all the first floor doors to clinics and patient rooms opened to the outside. The doors to the patients’ rooms were open and I could see at least 3 beds in the rooms. Most of the beds were filled. It was very institutional looking. There was, however, a nice courtyard area. I can’t imagine the hygiene standards are very high or if they exist at all.

In the afternoon we took Rahim and went to a small salon close by as Deborah was going to have her hair weaved. When we arrived there were several people waiting. It was a very small one room shop. The hairdresser was doing a weave. She was sitting in a plastic chair (think: outside stackable) and the woman whose hair she was weaving was sitting on a couch cushion on the floor with her head in the hairdresser’s lap. It was an interesting process to watch as she methodically added hair extensions and braided them into her hair. When she was finished she repeatedly lit a match and went over the woman’s head to burn off any loose hair. I did not hold back my surprise and was reassured this was how it was done.

Typical Hair Salon/Barber

The hairdresser left the shop, returning 10 minutes later with a bucket of water. The next woman was getting her hair washed and styled. There was a plastic portable sink for hair washing. The woman stood over the sink and her hair was washed using a small jug to get the water from the bucket. She was then seated in another plastic chair which had a tie around the back legs. I think she was getting a conditioning treatment. During this process the legs of the chair gave way and she landed on the floor. Everyone seemed to take it in stride and they just stacked the other plastic chair on top and carried on…  

When it was Deborah’s turn I took Rahim and we played outside. (He likes door handles and locks.) We did a lot of walking up and down several roads. These are side roads that rarely see anything but foot traffic. He liked going in the little shops and exploring the dirt and rocks in the road. He also liked the chickens which are everywhere. We also walked past a dead rat; fortunately Rahim did not see it.

Tuesday – To TAFCOM to discuss the upcoming Malaria Project. A group from the US has raised $12,000 for the distribution of 3,000 mosquito nets to children ages 0-7 who live in 10 wards around Moshi. Area government leaders and volunteers are currently conducting surveys to identify the children in each ward. I will spend Weds and Thurs helping with the surveys in Pasua. The US group will be here in June for distribution of the nets.

Wednesday – I met Jonas and Bisura at the TAFCOM office and he drove us to Pasua. We met the Pasua Ward Chairmen and he accompanied us for the day. It was another day in the 90’s but I wear my hat, tons of sunscreen and have a backpack full of water. (I go thru about 3 liters per day.) I had a box lunch from Deborah but we did not stop to eat. We went door to door for over 4 hours and collected 200 names of eligible children. I caused several young children to cry again as they had never seen a white person. The moms were pretty amused.

I do feel very white here. I have seen very few internationals probably because most come in Jul-Aug. I am such a novelty to most and on quite a few occasions when we arrived at a house the moms would call the kids to come see a Muzungu! It does not bother me as I see this as an opportunity to practice my Swahili and give a positive image. It is extremely important to me that the people here have a good impression of foreigners and obviously for me, Americans. Overall, the Tanzanians like Americans, especially since Obama became president. They pride themselves on being a peaceful country and do not understand all the wars we are involved in. They do think we are all rich and children sometimes ask for money or chocolate. (I say No politely.)

Jonas had asked me to take pictures for TAFCOM so I was thrilled as I could really get a good overall impression of Pasua and the poverty and, most importantly, not offend anyone. The people are so pleasant and love it when I try my Swahili. They in turn will try English or give me a thumbs up sign and a huge smile. The day was really not difficult and I had absolutely nothing to complain about. By comparison, my hardships are minor and temporary. Plus, I was returning to a nice house, my favorite bucket shower, a great meal and a bed with a mattress. It is quite mind-numbing to be in this kind of poverty, house after house after house. I hope the pictures can tell the story better than I can.

Thursday - Day 2 in Pasua. Bisura and I were with a different leader. Today was 7 hours and we collected 350 children names. Sometimes we would arrive in an area and the families would come to us. The kids love to say “Good Morning” no matter what time of day it is. So while Bisura took names I would teach the kids “Good Afternoon”. I ate lunch at 5 when I arrived home and it could not have tasted better!! Not sure which was better – the food or the bucket shower!!

Something I had not seen before was how feet are washed. Because of the dust and dirt, our feet are absolutely filthy most of the time. Even after washing they may feel clean but they aren’t. So I watched this woman with a bucket and cup. She had her foot on a large rock and after pouring water on her foot proceeded to scrape her feet against the rock. Brilliant – why didn’t I think of that!

Friday - I went to the Children’s Center and tried to teach several small groups of the 5 & 6 year olds how to put a puzzle together. The puzzles they had were either too hard or missing pieces. There was only one that I could work with. I am going to make some out of cardboard. The second building is coming along nicely. They will build until they run out of funds then start up again later.

Ibrah took David and I to Glacier Bar after dinner. It is an outdoor bar with a band that plays Reggae music. I was without a doubt the only person over 35 years old. It started to rain which was great as we have not had rain in almost 2 weeks. Ibrah thinks that the music today is ruining the youth. He also does not drink. From what I observed, their music and dancing is tame compared to the states. AND they all love Justin Beiber!!

Saturday – Rahim’s Birthday!!! David and I walked to Moshi to get the cake and buy a book. Ibrah was coming later to run errands and drive us home as the cake never would have survived a 40 minute walk in the heat –plus it was chocolate and I can’t be held responsible for my actions when chocolate is nearby. Moshi now has a new supermarket called Nakumaat. It is a chain out of Kenya and very modern. The first time we went in it felt like culture shock because you would expect this type store in the states not Tanzania. It is pricey and caters to the internationals. Even though they don’t shop there, the local folks see it as progress; it does employ a large number of people. We bought a really cute hardcover book on First Colors and picked up a chocolate cake with chocolate icing from the Abbas bakery, which is the best in town and near TAFCOM which I like.

Rahim's 1st birthday

We had no electricity so the birthday party had a candle for the cake as well as for us to see. Rahim spit out his first bite and didn’t like the chocolate. He eats everything else so we were all a bit surprised!! More for us!!!!

A Visual Look at Life in Tanzania

Until I can get my pictures uploaded to Shutterfly, here is a sampling of life here. More later.....

Memorial Field Track where I run

New Water Tower at Ibrah's. Foundation not done correctly and the cement block pulled away from the  wall (see left side). It had to be completely demolished and is in the process of being rebuilt. Ibrah told the man he forgave him but he was not to return and he hired new workers. This time it looks much better and should be done within a week.

Memorial Market - much larger than these pics show. Used clothes, shoes, soaps, kitchen utensils, buckets, food, tailoring. It is very alive, loud and colorful. 

Basket Weaver

Cooking, Washing and Cleaning Area

Cooking Fish. Either wood or charcoal is used but mostly wood because charcoal is too expensive.

Mounted Fish Ready for Cooking. Cooked fish is sold for about  25 -75 cents depending on the size. Head included!

Cooked Fish for Sale (Flies free)

Typical Food Stand. Those who do not grow their own food go to the large market in Moshi to  purchase food items and then return to their homes to sell. 

House - roofs are typically tin. The walls are mud.

House - made from mud. Notice the curtain for the door.

Adorable!!!

Outdoor Kitchen

This house is made from mud. The white is a mix of water and powder called Choka (like gypsum) used as a covering. I am assuming this would be similar to plaster.

Mud house with curtain door.

Housing

Bath Time with Bibi (grandmother)

Toy Car Made from a Jug, Bottle Caps and Straws (these are fairly common)

Women Cleaning Fish and Vegetables. Bisura and Govt Leader with survey.

Outhouse - it also is likely to be their "shower".

Wooden Push Toy

Young child carrying Baby

Week 3 - Donations, DIRT and a new leg for John

WEEK 3 - March 5-March 11

Monday – Last week at TAFCOM we were talking about some of the immediate needs to be addressed with the funds that I received as donations. With some of the heavy rains, the ground in front of the Children Center where the children play has flooded as well as the ground around their bathrooms. Jonas was asking if we could purchase 2 truckloads of dirt and the tools needed to spread the dirt and build up the area.  Nie also said that the Center is running out of porridge for the children. So it was decided we could start with both projects. I went to the bank and made our first withdrawal!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Jonas arranged for the dirt to be delivered. We went across the street to the farm store and bought a wheel barrow, shovel and rake. I gave Nie the money for the porridge with some extra to buy milk, eggs, cinnamon and honey to add some nutrition. The porridge is made with maize flour, finger millet, water and sometimes sugar. It is very bland tasting.

We then went to the Children’s Center deciding that I would see when David could come to the Center and we would undertake the dirt moving project. The ride to Pasua was quite a challenge as the rain had gutted and flooded out parts of the roads. Maneuvering thru was an amazing task. I was very glad to be in the passenger seat and totally impressed that we got thru some of the areas.  While at the Children’s Center I read an alphabet book to the kids. It was a book I gave the Center as a gift from Neal and Lee Ann. I shared with Nie that I had made the book for my children when they were little. She loved that it had been a part of their childhood.

For dinner Deborah and I made homemade pizza from scratch and it turned out great – veggies and pineapple.

Tuesday  - To TAFCOM this morning. Nie needed an evaluation for a volunteer so I created one for her. We then went over the Letter of Interest used for grant applications. At home this afternoon. Everyone in the house is typing the exams for St Timothy School. Electricity was out a good part of the afternoon and evening  so dinner was by candle light and book light. We also played Phase 10 by candle light. Went to bed around 11 and the electricity came back on.

Day 1 While we were still Fresh!

Wednesday – Moving Dirt Day. David and I went to TAFCOM and Nie and Jonas drove us to the Children’s Center. The temperature is typically between 85-90 degrees during the day and today was no exception. The day started out with cloud cover which we appreciated because there was no shade where we were working. The sky cleared late morning and after lunch it was really hot. We got a lot of ground covered and raked. The dirt piles had been rained on so they were somewhat heavy but starting to dry out by mid-afternoon. They also contained a lot of rocks; some large enough that we made a border. We did not have a hoe until afternoon so chopped the dirt with shovels. The hoe was old and repeatedly came apart. I enjoy physical work and despite a few blisters, sore muscles and looking tan from the dirt it was a very good day. We will do the same tomorrow but decided that afterwards we will treat ourselves to a swim at the YMCA.

I had talked with Ibrah about rearranging my room so my computer could be near the outlet (There is only one). David and I were going to move furniture when we got home because Ibrah has some back problems. However, when we got home Deborah had everything moved plus organized David’s room and washed my running shoes. I love my room. The computer is now in front of the window (near the plug) and my bed does not get as much light as before. AND best of all, my running shoes look better than new!!

There was no water for showers so as disgusting as we were we went to the market with Deborah to buy glasses. For some reason we have all broken a glass and it has become a great source of humor. Back home –still no water so it was a bucket shower which was incredibly refreshing. I am beginning to prefer them to the regular shower!!

Thursday – Back to the Children’s Center. TAFCOM is raising funds thru Global Giving to expand the Children’s Center. They have raised about half the needed funds so today we had the workers beginning construction. It was 92 today! They started by digging a trench around the perimeter for the footer. They used a hoe, pick and shovel. Most of the labor here is done by hand. There is very little machinery. They finished the footer and moved very large rocks into the footers for drainage. Gravel and bricks were also delivered. These men will continue their work thru the weekend, except Sunday. I will not be returning to the center until mid-week so will be anticipating their progress. We continued our work with the help of Bisaru, a young woman who also helps out at the Center. When the kids come out for recess our work stops because they swarm us, wanting to touch our skin and hair and play. They discovered that David had hair on his legs and became totally fascinated petting his legs for the longest time.

American Gothic comes to Tanzania

We were able to finish spreading the dirt in front of the center and around the bathroom by mid-afternoon. YEAH – Mission accomplished!! 

Our work seemed easy compared to watching what these men were doing plus we were headed to the YMCA to swim. It makes you feel a bit guilty because these men will work late, go home, eat, go to bed and start again in the morning. While waiting for Jonas to pick us up a few neighbor kids were kicking around a ball so we played with them. Their ball was made from plastic bags and rubber bands. 

Swimming was sheer heaven. Walking home we found a shortcut thru a cemetery. There was a path but the grounds were very overgrown and most sites just had a wood cross. There was a war memorial cemetery that was in total contrast as these graves were organized in neat rows and the headstones all matched. It was also landscaped quite nicely.

Friday – It was 92 again today. I am feeling pretty sore and glad that this will be a low-key day physically. I went with Nie and Jonas to Boma to pick up John to get his new leg. John is the Maasai boy who lost his leg to infection. He is 12 years old and has a smile that could melt your heart. We took him to Arusha to a Rehab Center. His leg is amputated a few inches below the knee. First the doctor put a sock like sleeve over his knee. A rubber piece goes over the sleeve and the end of the sleeve is pulled out of the bottom. The new leg then fits over the first rubber piece. I can only imagine how much more advanced our prosthetic technology is.

John - 12 years old

John with Doctor

New Leg

The cost of the leg was approximately $350 USD which was paid for by the American couple who has agreed to care for John’s needs related to his leg. They had also given shoe money to the local woman in Boma who was supposed to be helping the community. Nie said that now her phone has been turned off so they have no contact at all. Because John is 12 and growing, when his leg is replaced each year he needs a bigger shoe size since they match the prosthetic foot size to his normal foot. (I guess that is pretty obvious – lol!) I told Nie that I would use some of our donated funds to get him shoes and socks. It is maddening that this woman has taken advantage of the generosity of this American couple and even worse that she is depriving these very poor people. John’s English is about as good as my Swahili but I did find out that he likes school; English is his favorite subject; and he is fascinated by motorcycles.

Saturday – My internet voucher ran out this morning and the store was closed each time I checked. The small stores are typically owned and operated by the same person or a friend or family member and are open whenever someone is available. So it is totally hit or miss. Deborah told me around 9:15pm that the store was open and she could send the guard but I said I would wait until Sunday.

I decided to run this morning as the heat of the day seems to be around 2:00pm and does not let up until the sun goes down. It felt great at about 75 degrees. We went to the market with Deborah today and found shoes and socks for John. We also bought fruit so Deborah and I could make fresh juice. We used passion fruit, papaya, orange, banana, carrots and avocado. It was scrumptious.

Ibrah recently had a cement block built to hold a water tank. This way we will have water all day and the pressure should also be better. The tank arrived this afternoon along with the workers and plumbers. The electric went out around dinner but they continued to work and I still heard them after 11pm. My shower was a trickle tonight and I did not have enough water for a bucket shower. This will be pure luxury when it is finished.

                                  

Sign at YMCA Pool

Sunday – This was a great R&R day. I ran while watching a local soccer (football) game, and later went swimming again. We treated ourselves by buying ice cream. Deborah made fried bananas and we topped them with Neapolitan ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup. We ended our day by watching a Laurel and Hardy DVD. It doesn't get any better than this!!

Week 2 - Making the Adjustment

Mt Kilimanjaro from Ibrah's

Feb 27 – Mar 4 - Monday was my first day walking to TAFCOM with my hand drawn map discreetly tucked in my hand. It is about a 35 minute walk to the TAFCOM office. As I am walking a man passes and says, “Are you Mama Lee Ann?” I answered yes and it is Mussa. He was Lee Ann’s guide when she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and also took Lee Ann and me on a day hike up part of the mountain when I was here in 2009. In addition, he has recently opened a small store selling mostly food items for hiking. He recognized me by my hair! It was wonderful to see him and he walked me to the main road. Kili was out in all its splendor. My morning could not have started out better.

Mt Kilimanjaro (Kili) is 19,341 feet at its highest peak and, for me, is without a doubt the most majestic mountain I have ever seen. It rises above the clouds and is many times hidden by the cloud cover. The people say, “Kili is sleeping.”

I have to share my favorite story about Mussa which embodies the spirit of generosity among the Tanzanian people.  Lee Ann had returned to Moshi in 2009 and I came to visit. We wanted  to do a Kili Day hike with  Mussa. He already had a 6 day hike scheduled (complete hike to the top and back) with a large group. These are very expensive and the tips are usually quite good. When he learned we wanted to do the day hike he gave his trip to another guide. This speaks volumes to me about the generosity and priorities of many of the people here.


At TAFCOM this week I spent 2 days in the office making spreadsheets for attendance for both the Children’s Center and Tailoring Center. They have been handwriting the roster each month. We also spent a lot of time talking about grant writing which will be my main focus.  I spent one day at home doing research but was limited by the electricity not working.

On Tuesday of this week I was picked up by Jonas, Nie and Nicole. We went to the town of Boma to see their preschool and assess the community services. Apparently, a couple from the US funded the school and salary for a local social worker to work in the community much like Nie and Jonas do in Pasua. Sadly, she has not followed through and will not return calls. The school was larger than TAFCOM’s and had desks and chairs for the children. When we got to the door to say hello to the children, one of the younger ones started crying and would not stop. He had never seen a Mzungu (name used for white person; it is not derogatory) and was scared. This has happened to me before and it is hard to imagine what the poor child was thinking.

We were in a Maasai village ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people ) and visited a man who had 2 wives and 20 children. He was considered to have money by their standards as he had many cattle. However, when one of his sons broke his leg several years ago the man refused to take him to the hospital. As a result the leg became infected and had to be amputated. The couple who are supporting the school are also paying for a prosthetic leg for the boy and because he is still growing he receives a new leg each year. He has adjusted and is doing well. We did not meet the boy as he was in school. The couple will be here in May to visit.

Nie and Teddy from TAFCOM office

I am so grateful to be working with Nie and Jonas. Their hearts are huge. They truly understand the needs of the people and put service above all else. Nie feels this is the best philosophy – to consider service above salary. She knows this is not always possible but is saddened by people who get involved for themselves and are not acting from the heart.

I also talked with Ibrah this week as he wants me to help market his organization. So we brainstormed some ideas for me to work on.

James from St. Timothy School dropped by one afternoon. David and I are going to type up 50 exams for his school. It has been a challenge because of the electricity and the grammar!

David from New Zealand

David spent the week with some Dutch volunteers building a chicken coop at the Children of Destiny orphanage and it was just in time because 200 baby chicks were being delivered. I went with him on Friday and we played with the kids and helped with homework. I helped with math which was fun because we learned numbers and math in the Swahili class I took at OSU Marion and I could actually communicate. (Thanks Mwalimu Zak!)

This would be me-lol!!

    

New Chicken Coop

It was a very busy week mostly hearing about all the issues and problems that need to be addressed. I am trying not to feel too overwhelmed but it is difficult. I put a paper on my mirror that says, Mimi ni mvulimivu, which means I am patient!

On Saturday we went to the YMCA to swim. It is a very large outdoor pool and felt absolutely amazing. Afterwards, Ibrah got pizzas for dinner and they were quite good.

Sunday David and I were supposed to go on a hike with a group of volunteers. Unfortunately it did not work out so we walked around Moshi. It was my first time walking thru town and it was fun to remember so many sites. We ended our trip to town with ice cream (pistachio) at Deli Chez which is a tourist restaurant and I think might be the only place that serves ice cream.

I am feeling very settled and comfortable. The pace here is very slow and that is definitely good for me. I love being surrounded by people who are deeply passionate about the betterment of their country and the people. 

My World in Pictures

A number of you have asked for pictures so this blog will include pictures and general info on life in Moshi. (I actually live in Soweto which would be like a neighborhood of Moshi.) Most days I get up, eat breakfast and walk to the TAFCOM office in Moshi. It is about a 35 minute walk. The roads are mostly dirt. Only a few of the most heavily travelled roads are paved. All the walking paths are dirt and very rocky. Potholes are everywhere and during the rainy season I am amazed what these cars can get thru. The rains are very heavy but so far they have come at night. It makes for a slippery walk the next morning. People walk everywhere so there are always people on the roads. People are friendly and appreciate when you use Swahili. My Swahili continues to improve but is very rough and limited. I am having fun trying to construct sentences and Deborah and I teach each other a lot.

Raheem

Ibrah and Deborah are wonderful. I feel totally at home with them. Raheem, their 11 month old son is a total joy. I have never seen a child eat so much and he will eat anything put in front of him.

                                                      Their house is cement painted orange and there are 2 buildings, one being the volunteer house. There is a gate (right pic) with a doorbell and a security guard at night. The gate has spear-like ornamentation across the top, however it is not ornamental. They are very sharp. The wall around our house has broken glass bottles embedded all along the top (their concept of barbed wire). It is really quite safe here, however we do not walk at night unless with a local person.

The floors are cement or tile and cool to the touch which I love. The kitchen has a very small stove and refrigerator/freezer. We still do not have water during the day. Water is saved each night so dishes can be washed; and water is boiled so there is enough drinking water. I fill my water bottles from my sink at night so I can wash my face and brush my teeth in the morning. We do not drink the water unless it has been boiled and I have other bottles for drinking water. I use a lot of hand sanitizer during the day!

Showers are typically cool although I have had hot water a few times. It is summer here so the cooler showers actually feel best. I either wash my clothes in the shower or in a bucket. Everything is line dried.

I have used a bucket or my large water bottles for my shower a few times and it is really quite fast and efficient.

My Room

I had a fan in my room but it is so noisy I prefer the roosters in the morning. I love the heat so the nights have not been that bad for sleeping (low to mid 70’s). I can always just dump a bottle of my saved water over my head in the morning! We sleep under a mosquito net year round. Rainy season is the worst time for mosquitoes and malaria. They also have really cute little lizards about 2 inches long that appear fairly regularly on my walls. What I don’t care for are the cockroaches which are huge. We do not wear our shoes in the house so sometimes when I come out to go to my building they are on my shoes. Needless to say, walking barefoot across the short way to my room is just fine. I usually only see them at night.

Lunch - Cabbage slaw, Beans & Eggs w vegetables

Obviously by American standards I am living in poverty. However I feel quite spoiled as I am very well taken care of and there is always plenty to eat. This time of year we have mangoes, bananas, pineapple, papaya and oranges. Sometimes Deborah makes a juice of mixed fruit. Vegetables are also plentiful, so being vegetarian fits very nicely here. Eating habits are also different here. There is a small sink in the living/dining room which is used to wash your hands before dinner. There are no napkins and a lot of food is eaten with our hands or a spoon. After dinner you just wash your hands again. Makes perfect sense to me!

Mgembe and I took a walk around Soweto two afternoons so I could become familiar with the area. We went to Mussa’s shop and later, after running, I returned to buy some honey. My breakfasts are now almost perfect: bread, peanut butter, banana & honey. I just need some cinnamon!

  

There is so much to share so I will try to give you a glimpse of my life and more importantly the lives of the people I will work with using stories and pictures in each blog.