Week 14 - Sometimes my glass is half empty.

May 21-May 27

Lee Ann & Chris

HOWEVER – My glass was overflowing with joy on Friday the 25^th. It was one of the best days ever as my daughter, Lee Ann, became engaged on her 25^th birthday to Chris, an amazing and wonderful young man. He had called me the previous week to ask my blessing (which was a no-brainer). What truly impressed me was that he also called her brother. I am so thrilled for the two of them. They have been together 4 years and Lee Ann has been waiting for this day (sometimes a bit impatiently). She knew it was to happen soon. So Chris, knowing that he had to think of a way to surprise her, decided to publicly get down on bended knee and propose at her birthday party with about 15 of her friends. She never expected him to propose in public so he completely caught her off guard. Her best friend made a special trip to be there and taped the event. It should be on Facebook soon. We Skyped at midnight with tears of joy and much excitement. So although parts of this week were tough; it could not have ended better.

This update is being sent out early as I will be gone Mon-Weds visiting the Hadzabe tribe. I will be going with a group of students from University of Virginia who are here as part of their school program. The Hadzabe are the last full-time hunter-gatherers in Africa. This should be a very different experience and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Children Practicing their Program

Cleaning up at TAFCOM Center

Since I am gone 3 days next week Nie and I wanted to make sure that we had organized as much as possible for the Malaria Group event which will be held the Sunday after I return. Much of this past week was spent in the office typing, printing and copying. I am really pleased with how things are unfolding and quite sure the US group will be very impressed with TAFCOM. Part of the program includes the kids singing songs and reciting poems. The teachers have been working with them every day and we have been out at least once a week for the last few weeks to practice with them and make changes as needed. Nie, Jonas and I went out on Friday and the kids could not be cuter. I am hoping to find a video camera because I really want this memory (and I can share with you all).

Also, because of funds you helped raise plus funds raised through Global Giving, the 2^nd building should have a roof in time for the Malaria Group event. 

When this event is over we move right into planning a Family Planning workshop. The Micro Loans and Family Planning are the two topics that I have gravitated towards because I think they can make the greatest difference. Obviously, the loans can give a family the ability to meet basic needs and move them towards self-sufficiency. I find Family Planning to be a challenging topic. One thing that I have learned in my time here is that when one’s day is centered on survival, family planning is the last thing on someone’s mind. 

To the Western mind, it would make sense to think in terms of future consequences. But I have found that planning of any kind is unlike how we operate in the US.  From what I have observed, multi-tasking is basically non-existent. Most things are done one step at a time. I often have to refer to the affirmation on my mirror, Mimi ni mvumilivu. (I am patient) as I am used to working on several projects at a time plus all the attendant distractions.  

I do feel that my patience is regularly tested with incidents similar to this example. I was at the copy shop and was trying to save time because Ibrah was waiting on a document he needed. So as the document is printing, I asked what it would cost and said I could pay and be ready to go. The man said “No” and told me I needed to wait until the job was complete. 

So even though this example is inconsequential it is indicative of the culture of “planning”.  Therefore, when considering Family Planning, it is important to understand that, although there is a general knowledge of the topic, it is so low on their list of priorities.

I will never forget meeting a young man (volunteer) when I was here 2 years ago and he told me of a conversation he had with a Tanzanian man. The Tanzanian took him thru an exercise where he asked the volunteer to list in order the most important needs of any person. Obviously, food and shelter topped the list. After that there were a variety of choices that come to mind. Some of which would most likely include clothing and education. Medical care becomes a concern after an illness occurs; preventative medicine is often overlooked.  Tanzanians remind me of members of AA; they take “One Day at a Time” and must be focused on staying sober; sometimes to the exclusion of other needs that lead to long term ramifications.

This week was also our monthly visit to Boma to take Victoria for her injection. Victoria also takes 2 daily medications and they will need to be refilled in 5 days. Regina, Victoria’s mom had shared at our last visit that her 7 year old son was not yet in school. Nie told her that he needed to be in school now because he would not be accepted into any school if he had not attended by the time he was seven. Regina was unaware of this policy and revealed to us on this visit that she had taken some of the food money we gave her to enroll her son in pre-school. Sadly, she also disclosed that two of the children  had been sent home from school 3 weeks ago because fees were unpaid. The good news was that Regina took the initiative and started a banana selling business on the main road of Boma. Nie and I had discussed at length the possibility of a micro-loan. Our conclusion was that the needs of this family are so dire that it would be an additional burden to provide funds as a loan. As I thought it through I even felt that it might even be insulting to ask for repayment, considering the seriousness of the family’s hardships.

Nie and I decided to give Regina 50,000 Tsh for her business (half the amount of the start-up loans) and hold an additional 50,000 for a future need. Well, the future was the following day. Jonas and Nie had talked and felt that it was crucial to get the children back in school. Nie will work her magic with the phone and send her the money today. It is so frustrating that some children miss so much school because of unpaid school fees. TAFCOM helps as much as they can but when children are behind they are at such a risk for failure and if they don’t pass the national test cannot move past primary school. This just rocks my world with its bizarreness. How can a country with so many problems refuse further education to students solely based on a test? I wish I could understand the rationale behind such an obstacle.

In the meantime, Teddy from the office went on a search for the 2 medications that Victoria will need in 5 days. She only found one and it will cost 25,000 Tsh for a 2 week supply. (Keep in mind that this amount could equal several days’ wages) Nie then informed me that these medications were prescribed during the first evaluation of Victoria’s condition and the monthly penicillin shots were prescribed by the second doctor. So now we are wondering if the medication is effective and/or necessary for her condition. The second doctor is from Europe and will return sometime this year. We need to re-evaluate this child and make sure we are not throwing money away on very expensive, unnecessary medicine. I often get the impression that the health care system involves more of a run-around than bureaucracy in the US.

  

Nie and I were working in the office the following day when Jonas called saying there was a family in Pasua we needed to visit. He picked us up along with two women form Msamaria Center for Street Children  (http://www.msamariakids.org/). Apparently they are housing two of her 4 children. The woman’s husband died recently and she is not financially able to care for them.

Pili

We arrived and Pili greeted us with what I would call inappropriate laughter. I would imagine that this could be attributed to nerves and relief as her demeanor changed to serious when she was being interviewed. Msamaria staff conducted the interview. I learned that Pili’s children had been at the center for 3 months and although Pili had visited the children several times, this was the first time staff had been to her home. Pili informed us that her oldest son is in Arusha and her husband died of anemia in October of 2011. It was not made clear if the anemia was a complication of something else or the actual cause of death. I found this possibility astonishing as anemia is so treatable in the US. 

Pili and her husband had both worked as casual laborers in the rice fields and she currently earns about 1500 Tsh (less than $1.00 per day) and cannot afford to care for her children. The youngest child, aged 4, is with her as she is too young for Msamaria. Msamaria staff will work with Pili on cleanliness and other issues with the goal of reunifying her with her children. The two girls are only receiving informal tutoring at the center as the children at Msamaria are only able to be enrolled in government school if they have a sponsor to cover the fees. I asked the stupid question of whether it was difficult to get sponsors and knew after asking that the answer was a resounding, “YES”. Furthermore, Msamaria will not visit again for 2 months. I have such a hard time dealing with how slow things move sometimes. Her situation is dreadful today. I can’t imagine how much worse it might be in two months with no support. Jonas talked with Pili about coming to the Children’s Center Friday to discuss enrolling the youngest. Unfortunately, she did not show up.

Pili's One Room House

I have been in some decrepit housing but this had to be the worst. The windowless mud walls admitted no light.  Light filtered in from the many holes in the tin roof. The single room was unkempt with buckets and jugs scattered around the dirt floor and the only bed was covered in clothing. It is hard to express how much worse this house was than others I have visited. I later learned that it had looked much worse when Jonas stopped by unexpectedly the day before. Apparently, Pili had “cleaned” because she knew people were coming. Nie talked with the landlord and learned that Pili and her family have lived there for 10 years and they have always lived like this. Nie and I were both hoping that the lack of cleanliness might be a reaction to her husband’s death.

Cleanliness is a contradictory issue from what I have observed. Pili’s house was the first that was disheveled and dirty. For the most part, Tanzanians seem to pride themselves on cleanliness. 

Squatty Potty at Children's Center
Equipped w Toilet Brush

Broom made from the Coconut Plant

On my walk to work I often see people sweeping the dirt in front of their homes to move the debris out of the way. The broom they use is made of coconut leaves bound together on a stick. Every morning on the way to work the shopkeepers are always sweeping or mopping. Most mopping is done with a bucket and rag. I see very few mops.

Washing feet is an art which I need to master. I am sure that this is not all tan line on my feet. I have observed women pouring water on their feet, soaping them and then scraping their feet over a rock.

I also am surprised when I see a house that does not have freshly washed clothes drying on the line. At our house, the driveway area is regularly hosed down and swept; the floors in the kitchen and dining area are washed daily.

Yet there are many areas where there are large piles of trash. There actually seems to be an order to the trash piles as they are located strategically throughout communities. They are consistently filled with blue and black plastic bags and are burned on a fairly regular basis just to be piled up again.

Interestingly, one of the staff from Msamaria was a social work intern who attends school with our intern Mary. We were talking about the social work profession and she and Mary had attended a conference over the weekend. She asked how social work was perceived as a profession. Apparently it is struggling to be viewed as vital and significant. I found this so curious because social workers in the US were dealing with the same issue in the 70’s. The conference was discussing strategies to strengthen the profession.

Univ of Va Group

Saturday the group from University of Virginia arrived. There are 8 students and 2 advisors. Since then, the house has been buzzing with their chatter and laughter. It is a pleasant diversion.

There are times I just want to bang my head into the wall. The stories and situations can be so disheartening. Fortunately these feelings are temporary and humbling. Mount Kilimanjaro was my saving grace driving home from Boma after we left Victoria’s. It was splendid, glorious, breath-taking and all the other words in the thesaurus for magnificent. I have always felt a powerful connection with nature and this mountain just makes the world a better place.