Week 7 - Traditions & Easter

April 2- April 8

The Children’s Center is on holiday for 2 weeks so this week was kind of slow. We also do not work on Good Friday or the following Monday for the Easter holiday.

Jovin - Age 8

Nie and I finished the children’s profiles and they have been put in a nice binder to be used as part of the volunteer orientation.

Nie shared that when Lee Ann was in Tanzania the first time in 2009, she and other volunteers organized TAFCOM’s first fundraising event. The theme was Painting a New Reality.  T-shirts were made and Lee Ann gave a shirt to Nie, asking her to save it until Jovin (son) could wear it. This past Saturday he wore it for the first time. Nie was so proud and pleased to tell me this.

The tailoring teacher accompanied us one day on a buying spree. There is a Rotary Club in Alaska that sells purses made by the tailoring center. Nie had received an order for 25 purses made from batik. The batik is made locally but does not use the traditional coloring and patterns of Tanzania because that is too difficult to do in Batik.

Deborah in Kanga Dress

Kanga Wrap

Traditional clothing is very colorful usually with large patterns. The khanga is unique to Tanzania. The cloth is rectangular and made from pure cotton. The khanga is brightly colored and printed in bold designs. It is characterized by a border all around the periphery of the cloth including a proverb. They are used as scarves or to carry children on their backs or wrapped around the waist over another piece of clothing.

Some examples of proverbs found on Khanga’s:

Wazazi ni dhahabu kuwatunza ni thawabu. — Parents are gold; to take care of them is a blessing.

Sisi sote abiria dereva ni Mungu. — We are all passengers, God is the driver.

Mwanamke mazingira tuanataka, usawa, amani, maendelo. — We (women) want equality, peace, and         progress.

Operated by Foot Pedal

We are now working on profiles on the young women from the tailoring center. They range in age from 15-23. Most have had no secondary school education. One woman never attended school and learned to read and write through the Tailoring Center. Many are single mothers living with a relative who cares for their child while they attend training. The women learn to sew skirts, dresses, shirts, hand bags, purses and blankets. They receive a stipend for the goods that are sold during the 2 yr program. The women gain the skills needed to work as a tailor or operate a small tailoring business. Tailors in Tanzania are also expected to have their own sewing machine so TAFCOM will provide the machines when necessary.

There is no doubt that the rainy season has arrived. “Oh My!” it is a muddy mess. Now instead of tripping over rocks and sliding from the dry dust I get to watch for rocks and slippery slopes!! Although here you don't need much of a slope to find slippery spots.

Since I am not running I decided to spend some time exploring different parts of Soweto. I found a vendor who sells grilled corn on the cob. I promised I would return to buy some. This is the best corn ever and an ear costs about 20 cents. Deborah, Amanda (new volunteer) and I treated ourselves one afternoon.

On Friday Soweto was so alive and colorful with people walking everywhere and vendors selling their foods and other items. Friday is the Muslims primary day of worship plus it was Good Friday so many more people were out and on their way to church. I met up with 3 kids who were going to church and we stumbled thru some English and Swahili. I love the friendliness of the people. There are times when people just pass you by but other times they are so engaging and their smiles are so genuine. They will greet you with “Jambo mama” (mother) or “Jambo dada” (sister) and ask how you are?

Here is a funny example about “being in my element”.

One afternoon Deborah, Raheem and I walked to the field where I typically run. I always pass by a group of women tailors and we exchange greetings in Swahili. I look forward to their cheerful "Jambo's". I was telling Deborah about them and just said without thinking. "They may not recognize me today because I am in a skirt and not my regular running outfit." I then laughed and said, "Oops, I forgot I was muzungu and probably the only white person they see on a regular basis!"

Our walk started out sunny but the rain clouds move in rather quickly here. The sky started to look a bit ominous so we started to head back and before we got out of the gate to the field it was raining. We got pretty soaked but it felt good and I just finished my shower when I got home. It was actually my first warm shower with decent pressure since my arrival – pure bliss.

We had 3 Canadians stay with us one night. They teach at the International school in Abu Dhabi and were on holiday in Tanzania to climb Kili and go on safari. Their life is an extreme contrast to living here. Fortune Magazine claims it is the richest city in the world. It is also of the world’s largest producers of oil. The school has students from over 60 countries and all are from very wealthy families working in Abu Dhabi. They were sharing stories about how the people lived. One of the teachers has a student with 4 other siblings. The family has a cook, house cleaner, driver and EACH child has a nanny. The mother was not employed and I asked what she did all day. The answer was “shop”. They said the decadence and waste is overwhelming. I thinking I find that style of living far more shocking and intolerable than what I see hear. It is far easier for me to work with the very poor than the very rich when they live as described. I am sure it would bring out the worst in me because I find waste and greed to be the worst of all human characteristics.

A new volunteer arrived on Saturday. Amanda is a nurse from Canada. She has just spent 3 weeks traveling with a friend through Egypt, Jordan and Abu Dhabi. It turns out her friend works at the same International school in Abu Dhabi as the 3 Canadians who were here earlier this week and she knew one of them. Can the world get any smaller???

Easter  - so our house is full of different religions. Ibrah and Deborah are Muslim. Did you know that the Muslims study 4 books including the Koran and one of them is the Bible? They do not celebrate Easter. When I asked Ibrah he looked a bit dumbfounded and said why would you celebrate death? We talked some about the meaning of Easter.

The Muslim’s do not celebrate Mohammed's death. Some Muslims do celebrate his birthday but not in the way we do Christmas. (There is no commercialism associated with their holy days.) It is not a big deal because the Muslims have very strong beliefs about worshipping only Allah (God) and not elevating any person to a god like level. They believe Jesus was a great master but not God. 

Mgembe is Lutheran and attended church for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Ester Sunday. Deborah was raised Jehovah Witness but decided to become Muslim. Her brother Fred and fiancée, Grace, came over on Thursday night all dressed up. I asked what the occasion was and they had been at church. Jehovah Witness believes Jesus died on Thursday and that is their Holy Day. He asked if I wanted to attend his church sometime as it is both English and Swahili and I said I would. (It would have been too rude to say no and should be interesting for sure.) I will also attend a mosque and Christian service while here.

The Christians definitely celebrate Easter as many businesses are closed on Friday and don't reopen until Tuesday. It is usually celebrated with family gathering to share a meal. There was a big flap on the news because the bus prices went way up because so many people travel to see family for the weekend. Sounds like gas prices in the US!  Unfortunately the Easter Bunny does not make an appearance in Tanzania. Nor do they color Easter Eggs. These are more symbols of spring and we are just finishing summer; so I am guessing that is why they do not have these traditions. Plus I am sure it would be seen as an ultra-extravagance here.

I asked if a business was Muslim-owned and Christians worked there what would happen and I was told both religions get off for each other’s holidays. You see people with different beliefs can get along. It is just not that hard!!

A good meal is a great way to end the day. Deborah and I are talking about putting some African recipes in a booklet to sell to volunteers. Here is a sampling of some of the traditional food dishes.

Ugali

Ugali is maize flour and water cooked to a dough-like consistency. The traditional method of eating it is to roll a lump into a ball and then dip it into a sauce or stew. Making a depression with the thumb allows the ugali to be used as a scoop..

Mandazi

Mandazi, made with wheat flour and coconut milk, is a form of sweet fried bread. It has a "fluffy" feeling and texture.

Chapati

Chapati is a flat bread made with wheat flour. It is torn off and used to pick up the meat or vegetable dishes that make the meal. It is folded into a sort of loose cone and used as a scoop to eat the more liquid dishes at a meal.

Sukuma is Kale. It is sauteed in sunflower oil with onions & carrots. Variations include adding peanut butter or grated tomato and coconut milk.

Sukuma

Kabichi & Karoti

Cabbage and carrots are added to heated oil and sauteed for 2-3 minutes. Sometimes onions and tomatoes are added. 

Viazi & Mboga

These are a type of sweet potato unlike what we have but with a delicate sweet flavor. They are deep fried and mixed with any variety of  sauteed vegetables such as tomatoes, onion, green pepper, carots, green beans and eggplant.

NZURI YA KULA (GOOD EATING)