Week 18 - When it rains it pours.

June 18 - June 24

I know… this is a bit cheesy. It was posted on Facebook and when I first saw it I immediately thought of sending it to Lee Ann who always loved playing in the rain. But I thought I would share it as the caption is an appropriate segue into this week’s update.

I was not sure whether to start with the happy or sad stories. Oftentimes I wonder if sharing these burdens doesn’t weigh down and depress those of you who read my blogs. On the other hand, from the emails and blog comments I receive from you, I know that there is a deeper level of appreciation for the privileged life we live, and the multitude of choices and opportunities that are offered to us.  

                                                                                                                                                                   I prefer to start and end on a positive note but more importantly to end with something uplifting, so I will make sure that is what I do going forward.

 

Zawadi on right with
Daughter & Son 2010
(Zawadi means Gift in Swahili)

I walked into TAFCOM on Monday and Nie told me that one of our clients had died over the weekend. Zawadi has been in the hospital most of the time I have been here. I had met her on a previous trip. She was 36 and has left behind a husband, a daughter age 22, a granddaughter age, 4 and a son age 10. She died of AIDS. The community met in the afternoon and donations were made to help the family with the medical and funeral expenses. Remember, many of these people struggle to meet their basic daily needs. But these needs lose importance when a family suffers a tragedy. In the past year, 4 of TAFCOM’s clients have died; TAFCOM has donated funds for the coffins. I am using your donations to cover this expense which amounts to about $50.00.                                                                                                                                                     

Victoria, our special needs child from Boma,fell over the weekend, hit her head and became unconscious. She is in KCMS Hospital. her father left his business in Arusha and came home to be with her in the hospital.   Her mother is at home caring for the baby and other children.

Jonas’s sister contracted cerebral malaria last week. She has a young child (18 months) and lives in Tanga about 6 hours away. Because of the illness she is unable to care for her young child so Jonas made a 12 hour round trip to pick up his sister and child, and bring them to his home. Her condition became worse over the weekend and they had to drive her 8 hours to a hospital in Dar es Salaam. Cerebrial malaria causes a blockage of blood flow, leading to a shortage of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. This type of malaria can result in seizures, coma and death, especially in children.

Jonas’s mother is also visiting and has problems with ulcers. Because of the worry about her daughter, she had a flare-up over the weekend and was quite sick. (I will spare you the graphic details.)

These are the facts but I can’t write this without feeling strong emotions. My heart aches for the families and the emotional toll on Nie and Jonas. I know I have mentioned this before but I remain in awe of the inner strength of these people. Faith plays a large role in the lives of many. The country is 50/50 Christian and Muslim (and they get along just fine). Thomas, our previous volunteer, and I were discussing this topic and he remarked that their faith is probably so strong because of all the suffering they must endure. Otherwise, there would be no rationale to explain it. I have to agree.

My day completely turned around when I received a goody box sent by some friends. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. It was full of so many fun items, many of which I will share with TAFCOM staff and my family here. I can’t thank them enough. In a previous blog I mentioned how I missed my kids, friends and blueberries. Well, I got a tub of dried blueberries and Ibrah just bought cereal so we will be having blueberries on our cereal in the morning. I did have to have the box opened and the contents thoroughly inspected at the Post Office. Ibrah said it was to make sure there were no babies or snakes in the box (lol)!

I met Nie in town on Tuesday to give her the funds for the coffin. Although the sky looked a bit ominous, it has been cloudy all week and it rarely rains during the day so I gave it little thought. I have an umbrella in my backpack which I carry everyday but decided to be free of it for a change. I did wear a jacket because it was a wintry 65 degrees. Of course it rained and it was a pretty solid rain for the last 15 minutes of my walk into town. I must confess that I enjoy walking in the rain so it felt pretty good and for the Tanzanians it always means the crops are growing.

I took Nie some hand-made Ohio soap that I received in my goody box and her face just lit up. I told her I also have body lotion and perfume samples to give the staff and tailoring women. These are items they could never afford to purchase. I can’t wait to see their delight.

I took a nap Monday afternoon. I find sleep to be a helpful way to erase the worries of the day. But then I could not sleep that night and was up until after 2am. I spent the time posting my blog and going through my goodies again. Needless to say, Tuesday I was tired so I treated myself to a latte at my favorite Aroma Coffee House. The latte was about 12 oz. and cost less than a dollar. I got it to go and discovered that they charge for the paper to go cups. It cost almost as much as the coffee but still a great deal plus I would put this coffee up against Starbuck’s any day.

We were able to visit Veronica this week. I always look forward to these visits because she always makes us laugh and today was no exception. She was feeling much better but had used up her inhaler. She goes thru one about every 10 days. I really think they are meant to last longer. Nie promised to bring her another inhaler tomorrow. If the inhaler and her medicine keep her out of the hospital that’s what matters, especially at her age. Veronica also doesn’t see well. Today she remarked that she would like to have glasses like mine. She told me that her eyes are good with distance but not close up. Veronica was thrilled when I told her I had a pair for her. I brought 2 cheap pairs of drug store reading glasses with me. 

Next time we visit I will get more of her life story. I am very interested in learning about her faith. It is very strong and she often tells us that God sent us because we tend to show up when she is in greatest need. At the end of our visit she jokingly reminded me to bring the glasses next time and also asked if she could have a picture of me so that I will always be with her. This woman can make me laugh and cry in the same moment.

Veronica is an example of one of the many grandparents raising grandchildren that TAFCOM serve. Life for the seniors in this country is very harsh. A senior is defined as anyone 60 or older. There are 2.1 million senior citizens in Tanzania, constituting 5.7% of the population. Most senior citizens have low or no income. They are typically unable to work because of their advanced age and diminished physical capabilities. In the wake of HIV/AIDS, the elderly are typically the ones who care for their own sick adult children affected by the AIDS virus and ultimately take on the extra burden of caring for their orphaned grandchildren. More than 53% of AIDS orphans are being raised by their elderly grandparents.

Elders do hold a place of respect among the people here and there is a special greeting given to someone older – even to me! One day during a run there were two occurrences where a parent stopped and prompted their child to say “Shikamoo”. This is the respectful greeting for an older person. It was so sweet to see the parents taking time to teach this to their children. I stopped both times, thanking the children and exchanging greetings with them. More often than not this is how I am greeted. It is hard for me to know when to use it because I am really bad at guessing ages. Living as hard a life as some of these people do, many look older than they are. It is very weird for me because my age is higher than the average life expectancy of a Tanzanian which is 59.

Mwamini''s Children

The same day we visited Veronica we stopped to see Mwamini and Rose. I was sad that Mwamini was not home but she was out selling her laundry soap. (Debra now buys her laundry soap from Mwamini.) She has also added a small amount of vegetables for selling. Rose was there with two of her siblings. Rose never looks healthy and when she let me pick her up I noticed her forehead was very hot. Nie has talked to Mwamini since our visit and she explained that Rose is feverish much of the time. Her business is suffering because she spends so much time at health clinics and no one can tell her what is wrong with Rose. It is very distressing to try and put myself in Mwamini’s shoes. Her life is such a vicious cycle that never seems to give her a break with a future that is quite bleak.

We were unable to attend Zawadi’s funeral because it was held in the town of her husband’s family. As we walked around Pasua I asked about how a funeral is conducted. A Christian funeral is not too much different than one held in the states. After a person has died, family members gather at the home of the deceased to discuss funeral plans. Neighbors and friends stop by to offer condolences and make donations for the funeral expenses. Instead of friends bringing food, the family of the deceased feeds those who come to pay their respects. On the day of the funeral there is a designated starting point where everyone meets to drive together to the church. The family and relatives may rent a daladala if they need transportation. Others must arrange their own. There is a church ceremony followed by a burial. There are cemeteries but it is also common for the deceased to be buried on the family’s property. Cremation is not a funeral rite that is practiced here.

Something funny happened on the way to ……work one day this week. As I have shared in the past, pedestrians are on the bottom of the transportation food chain. I had to make a stop before work and took a different route. I have taken this route several times and I cross the same busy road I cross every day but in a different spot. There is actually a crosswalk which also serves as a speed bump; it is wide and raised. It may slow some vehicles but the fact that it is a crosswalk is totally disregarded. Except on Thursday when I am waiting to cross the road. I notice a pickup truck stopping but see a motorcycle behind him who is going very fast. I assume he is going to come barreling around the truck so I wait. The next thing I know the motorcycle pulls to a stop next to the truck. I look at the motorcycle driver totally dumbfounded and he motions me to cross the road. I was in total disbelief; I have been here 4 months and this is the first time anyone has acknowledged my presence on the road!

Can you find the frisbee?

Friday was spent at the Children’s Center. It was their last day before a 2 week break. Their break is usually next month but the government switched it because they are conducting their 10 year census and the teachers are used as census takers. Since it was the kids’ last day, the staff was making a rice lunch for them. Each child brought their own plate to cut costs. For those who forgot their plates, we used newly donated Frisbees! I love the resourcefulness. The staff made a hot sauce for the adults. I like the hot sauce Debra makes so thought I would try theirs. Mistake - one bite and immediately tears were streaming down my face and my lips were burning. My sinuses, however, were as clear as they have ever been!

Greens from the Garden
Served with Lunch

Garden at Children's Center
Tree branches are used as "fencing"
around the garde,

 The government has a curriculum for pre-school that the teachers follow. Subjects include basic English, Kiswahili, Math and Science. The children completed their mid-term tests this week. and Nie presented the top 5 scoring students with crayons and coloring paper. After each student received their reward, the rest of the class recited this poem:

Top 6 (There was a tie for 2nd place)

Well done, well done.
Keep it up (child's name), keep it up (child's name).

They also say this whenever any student leads the class or presents to the class.

We have a new volunteer at the house. Molly is from California and attends Notre Dame. She is teaching in a government Secondary school so I will learn more about the education system and should be able to observe a few classes.

We celebrated Debra’s birthday and Molly and I took her to Deli Chez for lunch and ice cream. Their ice cream is really good. I like sitting on the second floor because it is open and gives a great view of one of Moshi’s main streets. I love the noises, and hustle and bustle of this town; there is so much activity.

Molly, Me & Debra at Deli Chez

View of Moshi from Deli Chez

I am ending this update with a poem that is even cheesier than the beginning quote. Before Molly came, Ibrah told me that her mom was pretty nervous about the trip. Ibrah asked if I would email Molly and tell a little about myself and my experience so she could share it with her mom. We exchanged several emails. So as part of her welcoming I thought it would be fun to post a poem on the board in our eating area.

Molly & Welcome Poem

Welcome to Tanzania                                    

We are happy to see ya.

We like your name, Molly

‘Cause it rhymes with Ugali.

We hope you like to eat

Each meal is a treat.

So get some rest and settle in

A wonderful journey is about to begin.