Return On Investment

MAY 27, Tuesday

Neema is helping with the food preparation for today’s Micro Loan workshop so we walked together. On the way I recognized Mwamini, Rehema and Mwajuma heading to TAFCOM. I called out to Mwamini. All three women turned around and I ran into a frenzy of hugs and kisses. I had to choke back the tears. Mwamini is the mother of the child who died of AIDS in 2012 (see blog post of July 13, 2012 – Week 20: Reflections on the Death of a Child).

Ten women and one man attended the Micro Loan workshop. Jasmine was unable to attend due to a broken leg. Pius, the only man, is a single father raising 7 children. His wife died in 2006 from AIDS. Single fathers are not common in Tanzania. Amina, from the tailoring center, also participated. We agreed to hold her funds until we raise another $55.00 to purchase a sewing machine for her. In the meantime, Amina will continue to work with TAFCOM. Several volunteers are bringing items back to their home country to sell. This will not only give Amina an economic boost but also help the other tailoring women as they receive a portion from the items that are sold.

A group photo concluded the one-day workshop. Each participant will receive a picture and certificate. It was an emotional ending to a fulfilling day. Each person thanked me individually with handshakes, hugs and kisses. The authentic and sincere depth of their gratitude is again such a humbling experience. I extend that gratitude to all of you who helped make this day possible. I hope that in some way they understand how grateful I am to play a small part in what is hopefully a betterment of their lives. They renew my sense of purpose.

I received a text from Nie later in the day. She was able to stop at Jasmine’s to take the workshop material and loan. Jasmine’s story pained my heart when I first met her in 2012. The previous year she lost both her husband and 4 year old daughter to AIDS-related illnesses. Prior to her husband’s death, the family had a stable income and owned their home. Her husband’s parents blamed Jasmine for the deaths and have ostracized her. At that time women were not allowed to own property so she also lost the family home. With no financial means, Jasmine was forced to rent a room in a mud building where she now lives with her oldest daughter. Nie’s text was a message from Jasmine saying how appreciative she was for our support.

MAY 28, Wednesday

The rains started at 7am and poured non-stop until 8:15. I was planning to travel the railroad route to TAFCOM in hopes of better roads. A text arrived before I left that Jonas and Nie would pick me up. The rains did not deter TAFCOM from holding Batik training for the tailoring students. The teachers attended a 4-day training in Batik in April. With a pile of solid colored materials, Maulida, demonstrated different folding and tying techniques on each piece of fabric. She then mixed two concoctions of chemicals and dyes. For this she wore both a mask and gloves; the fumes were pretty intense. Maulida then proceeded to dip specific parts of each piece of fabric in the dye.  We waited a short period for the dye to set, no one knowing what to expect. It was like anticipating the onset of fireworks on the Fourth of July. As Maulida unfolded one piece of fabric at a time the ooh’s and aah’s indicated resounding approval, each piece as beautiful as the one before.

The students spent the rest of the afternoon practicing their new craft. The work they did was remarkable. This gives them a marketable skill that will generate much needed income and is an art not attempted by many of the local tailors.

I had ordered some homemade bread thru Tanz-Hands Bakery which the German volunteers brought to the center today. Started by a German man in 2013, the bakery trains young adults with special needs to become bakers. The first loaf I ordered was a sourdough made with 5 local cereals including wheat, cassava, millet, corn and chickpeas. The crust was coated with sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I am looking forward to consuming many more carbs.

MAY 29, Thursday

Neema toasted the bread this morning and it was scrumptious.

Nele, a volunteer from Germany and I spent our morning with Marselena. She attended the Micro Loan workshop and is using her loan to expand the family cooking business. Marselena is the mother of 5 adult children. Her husband died of AIDS over 15 years ago. Four of her daughters are single mothers. The family of 10 lives and works together, struggling to make ends meet. Aminawe, the youngest child, was very determined to return to school after having her baby. She currently attends accounting school. Marselena has sacrificed much so that her daughter could return to school and attend college.

For Marselena and her daughters, the morning starts around 6:30am with a trip to the local market. When we arrived, large pots were everywhere boiling and steaming. A delicious mix of smells permeated the air. Nele and I assisted in sorting, cleaning, and chopping spinach. We hung fish to dry and cleaned the eating area for the customers. Before leaving we sampled one of the meals. Marselena is an efficient businesswoman with a highly functioning operation.

Nie had mentioned that she had not been feeling well and was going to the hospital to get checked for malaria. The good news is that she tested negative for malaria, the bad news is that she was diagnosed with typhoid fever. This can be life-threatening if not caught in time. It is spread through contaminated food or water and is still common in the developing world where it affects 21.5 million people each year. This contrasts to only 7,500 cases per year in the US. (Source – CDC)

On my way home I decided to stop at TAFCOM. The tailoring women were still there working on the batik pieces. They were fraying and tying off the edges. It looked interesting so I spent about an hour with them. I think this could be a new form of therapy. It was meditative and so relaxing.

MAY 30, Friday

I worked at home today but stopped by TAFCOM briefly to visit Nie and plan for the next week. I am already talking about when I will return again. My new words are “wakati mwingine” or next time.

I took my regular walking route. Several men were shoveling dirt and setting rocks in the worst part of the road. Ropes portioned off the section to prevent cars and heavy vehicles from passing through. As the road became more passable, the men asked for money from the drivers. Nie explained that these men took on this job of their own volition. Municipal road crews are non-existent.

Neema made guacamole and some type of flat bread for dinner. It was as delicious as I expected it would be. She is very excited as she is going to Arusha to spend the weekend with her family. I will be at Afrishare overnight on Saturday.

I am loving Game Night. I treated everyone to Fanta which is very popular here and comes in many fruit flavors. Bisura joined us and we filled the house with shouting and laughter. Mary is on a winning streak, or just beginner’s luck, with another win for the second week in a row!