Week 21 - The rest of the story

July 9 – July 15

June was not a good month with several of TAFCOM’s clients in the hospital and Jonas’ sister hospitalized for malaria. Nie, Jonas, and I all optimistically agreed that July would be better. Obviously this has not been the case.

July 9 - On Monday Jonas shared that their son, Jovin, was diagnosed with pneumonia last week. Jonas’ sister will be released from the hospital in Dar on Tuesday and return to their home to recover. His mother, who is also staying with Jonas and Nie, suffers from multiple ailments and needs someone to watch over her.

Daladala-Rarely have I seen one this new.
But it is common to see people hanging on the outside

Many families where both husband and wife work have a “dada” (sister). She is usually a young girl who lives with the family and helps with cooking, cleaning and child care. The dada that lives with Nie and Jonas currently has the extra burden of watching Jonas’ sister’s 18 month old daughter and attending to Jonas’ mother. In addition, the daladalas (buses) went on strike because the government raised their taxes 200%. This causes major problems for those who must go to the markets daily to buy food to sell. It also meant that Jonas had to come into Moshi to pick me up on the days I worked.

July 10 - Tuesday Jonas picked me up. I asked if today was going to be a better day. He said “No”. Rose had died and Nie hurt her arm. Her blood pressure goes from high to low and it caused her to become unstable and fall.  Moreover, their dada had to leave to care for her sick father. With all this going on Jonas had to make arrangements with his brother in Boma to care for their sister and her daughter. In spite of all this, Jonas spent hours at Mwamini's (Rose's mother) struggling to help them resolve the funeral arrangements. In between his time at Mwamini’s, he transported his sister and her daughter to Boma. It sometimes feels like non-stop crisis intervention.

Backpack

Placemat & Hot Pad

Molly accompanied me on Tuesday to the tailoring center. Molly and I were interviewing the tailoring women about their education and talking to them about making gifts Molly will be giving her family. It was a good diversion from the sadness we were all feeling. We spent time with Edda, one of the teachers, designing some backpacks and looking at some of the samples that had been made for lap top covers and placemats. I was really pleased with their work. 

Nie interpreted for us as we interviewed 6 of the tailoring students. Our questions were similar to those asked of the Karanga Secondary School students. Understandably, 6 people do not qualify as a scientific study. However, their responses revealed a perspective from a poorer segment of the population than Karanga. The traditional role of females and gender inequality also became evident in their answers.

Table Runner

Half of the young women attended pre-school with one not starting until she was 7. The other 3 did not attend primary school until they were 8, 9 and 10 years old. I questioned Nie about this. I understood that if you did not start at age 7, a school did not have to accept you. Nie explained that in the more rural areas, the rules are likely to be more lax.

Lap Top Cover

All 6 of the tailoring students were absent from school for extended periods of time. 4 of them specifically cited the inability to pay school fees and 4 also named housework as their reasons for missing school. One of the young women, and the only girl in the family, performed cooking and cleaning chores with no help from her brothers. Another sold items for income for the family. Lastly, we heard from a young woman who, because of their poverty, attended school without shoes or a uniform. This is another example of different rules in the rural areas. Uniforms and more obviously, shoes are mandatory for all students.

Half the women passed the national exam but unable to continue their education because of the families’ inability to pay school fees. The other 3 who did not pass explained that private school would have been unaffordable.

The answers to the question about family attitudes toward education sadly reveal the lower status of women in this culture. The mothers of two of the young women did not see education as important for girls. Another disclosed that she wanted to go to school but neither of her parents cared about education. An interesting insight into family structure and the changing attitudes toward education came with the statement that it is sometimes harder for the older children to attend school when there are financial struggles. These older siblings will then pressure the parents into educating the younger children. Oftentimes, the older children will earn income to help the family afford education for the younger children.

I was curious about how these young women felt about not being able to continue their education while making sacrifices for their younger siblings. Wouldn't they also feel some remorse or even bitterness towards a parent who did not see the value of education? Although they are now learning a marketable skill, tailoring is a common trade here. Subsequently, the prices for goods are low resulting in a wage that may only meet the basic needs of a single-parent family.   

Nie remarked that reacting to disappointment makes no difference. Therefore, feelings are not expressed; they are kept inside. In addition, families are typically very close and protective. I can’t tell if I am learning to be less reactive as a result of my time here. Interpersonal conflicts are easier to let go.  I am not sure I could, or want to, let go of some of the frustrations I experience when dealing with the inequities of the world. They are tied too closely to my passion for making the world right and just.

Tanzania ranks 119 out of 146 countries on the world Gender Inequity Index (2011 UN Report). Gender inequality is one of the current "front burner" issues in Tanzania. Following this issue as the movement unfolds is fascinating. I feel like I am living in an era that occurred before my time. Domestic violence is widespread throughout the continent of Africa. In many communities, violence against women is viewed as a private matter with victims discouraged from taking legal action, even by hospital staff and police. Cultural and family pressures also play a significant role in the lack of reporting. Currently, TV campaigns encourage women to speak out about gender-based violence.  

The US State Department produces a human rights document for Tanzania (and other countries). One of the interesting segments related to women and marriage laws. Girls as young as 15 can marry with the consent of parents or guardians, although no consent is required for orphaned girls without guardians. Additionally, the law allows Muslim and Hindu girls to marry as young as 12 as long as the marriage is not consummated until she is 15. To sidestep these laws, police are bribed or the family is paid a “bride price” to avoid persecution.

The women, in particular the poor, are arduous workers. These women perform all the housework, cooking, cleaning. Vendors rise at the crack of dawn to bake or buy their goods at the market. This life also takes its toll on the small children. Many times the young children sit with their mothers while they are selling. Toys and books are not a part of their day so there is no stimulation or creativity. Even as the country is placing more emphasis on education they are missing a huge piece in early childhood development.

  

Truck Hauling 

Bicycle Carrying Crates
Imagine the weight when full of bottles.

The role of men in Tanzania perplexes me. I have observed many fundi (laborers) doing construction, pushing heavy carts loaded with goods, transporting people by bus, taxi, daladala or motorcycle. They work long hours, sometimes 6 or 7 days per week. Alternatively, I see men sitting around much of the day visiting and drinking tea. I get the impression that many men here are restless in that they do not spend a lot of time at home. They come and go many times during the day; sometimes for church or mosque, sometimes for errands or visiting.

Ibrah is on the go much of the time but since he is arranging tours for safaris and climbs he is often meeting with clients and arranging the logistics. He often jokes that he is going to town to “sell his face”! He hired a dada to help Debra, especially during volunteer season and he takes an afternoon to watch Rahim so she can have some time to go to town or have her hair done. Fred, Debra’s brother is one of the more “progressive” men I have met. He and his fiancé live together which is not a common practice. They share cooking and on Saturdays he cleans and does laundry. They both work; Fred is a full-time computer tech and tour guide, and Grace works part-time at a lodge. Jonas, Nie’s husband, earns the “busiest man” award. He not only works with TAFCOM but also operates a computer business. He received his degree in teaching before switching to computers. TAFCOM was originally Nie’s brainchild. According to Nie, Jonas has always been supportive and has a very “giving heart”. I certainly saw evidence of this during the time I spent with him after Rose died.

Bicycle racing

Motorcycle racing

July 15 – Some time ago, while walking home from watching Magembe play basketball, Molly and I noticed several young men on rather small bikes in an open field. As we got closer, we observed that they were riding backwards. We stopped to watch and they rode over to talk to us. They race/perform on Sundays at a track in the town of Kiboriloni. Magembe, Molly and I decided this was a must-see. We took the daladala and arrived around 5pm. Some races had finished but we were able to see both motorcycle and bike races as well as a number of bike stunts. The track is one of only 3 in the country. They also had some dancers perform after the races. It was quite an interesting mix of people; we were the only mzungu. Several men sat at a table munching on the stems and leaves of a plant called Milungi. When chewed, it has a hallucinogenic effect. There was another area with a strong smell of marijuana.

Motorcycle Mama
Complete w American Flag

Bicycle Stunts

Unfortunately, Tanzania has not escaped the drug problem. Marijuana is common as well as heroin use and its trafficking. 2011 was a record-breaking year for drug seizures in Tanzania. The largest ever single drug haul seized 210kg of heroin worth $5.9 million. The UN Office of Drugs and Crime reports that Africa is emerging as a heroin trafficking hub, much of which is a result of ongoing corruption, widespread poverty and limited law enforcement.

I will end with a Rahim story. Rahim likes to visit. He comes to our building, calling “Bibi” at my door. It means grandma in Swahili. I find it quite endearing that I am called “Bibi” by everyone at the house. Rahim enjoys playing in (or destroying) my room. He recently learned how to flush my toilet and thinks it is great fun to try and open my vitamin bottles. The other day our outside door was open; Rahim knocked on my door. I heard “Bibi”. As I opened the door he said “Hello” sounding like a little adult. He is now 16 months old and I may be prejudiced but he is an exceptionally smart and precocious little guy.