Of course we have time for a fundraiser!

JULY 4, Friday

Most mornings I wake up early and work on the computer. This morning as I was typing I noticed a quick movement on the floor under my feet. A mouse had scurried by and was now in the corner near my clothes. As always, Neema came to the rescue except she wanted to kill the mouse. I only wanted to get the little fellow outside. Fortunately his life was spared as he was too fast for us; somehow he darted out of the room and has not been seen since.

Hanna from Tanzania Volunteers came to the TAFCOM office today. It was a very productive meeting and TAFCOM will be added to their list of volunteer organizations. Hanna is hoping to place a volunteer with us in August.

Jonas decided that since we now have 4 volunteers we should plan a fundraiser. Just the word “fundraiser” can make my eyes bulge! I immediately had a flashback to my days at Big Brothers Big Sisters. I must first qualify this by saying that working for BBBS was one of the best jobs ever and, in my humble opinion, is one of the best youth serving organizations. However, the fundraising piece of it was non-stop, tiring work that consumed me for months at a time.

I came to my senses and adjusted my attitude! This is Africa (TIA) where stressing out is just not an option. I had been involved in 2 of TAFCOM’s fundraisers in the past. The templates we needed were on the computer and I had almost completed a document in 2012 on planning a fundraiser. I was feeling pretty comfortable with the workload knowing that it would be shared. Trying to decide a date became a challenge when we learned that the 3 other volunteers had safaris planned and two of them would be gone from July 10-14. It was decided to secure the venue for the 15^th. Shifting gears, we all talked briefly about what needed to be done and the other volunteers agreed to distribute flyers before they left for safari.

Neema and I spent the afternoon in Soweto at Memorial Second Hand Market. Mary met up with us after she finished at TAFCOM. I was looking for shoes for John (the boy with the prosthetic leg.) I brought along one of his shoes to try and match his size.The section for shoes was humongous. I searched table after table for a good fit and finally found a pair that was in great condition.

Spoon fighting was planned for the evening so we headed to AfriShare after the market. The oven was fixed so it was unanimously decided to attempt another pizza meal. The meal was a great success. Spoon fighting was outrageously loud and fun.

JULY 5, Saturday

I am having new issues with my knee. It is swollen and feels warm, making me think I have fluid on the knee. I decided to stay home, work on TAFCOM projects, and have an otherwise lazy day. I visited my favorite Duka la Dawa (medical store) and got some ibuprofen in the hopes that an anti-inflammatory and my wrap might reduce the swelling.

JULY 6, Sunday

Neema and I went to church this morning. After lunch Mary, Neema and I headed to Moshi. Magembe was playing basketball. Earlier in the week Jenn and I had agreed to watch his game. We arrived at the site where he usually plays and no one was there. I was unable to reach Magembe by phone. I felt bad that I had not confirmed the location of the game. The day was not a waste, however. We walked into Moshi, met Mary’s brother who has a shoe store, and found an ice cream vendor. I don’t know if it was because I have not tasted ice cream since I got here but my 50/50 (chocolate & vanilla) bar was really flavorful.

Magembe called later and we both felt bad about missing his game. Turns out it was a championship game and his team won. It was played on an indoor court near KCMC (hospital) nowhere near the field we went to.

JULY 7, Monday

Saba translates as 7 in Kiswahili. Today is Saba Saba Day (or 7/7), a national holiday also know as "Worker's Dat". An anual International Trade fair is held on this date near Dar-es-Salaam. Currently the fair hosts 1800 exhibitors from 18 African countries presenting their products to international businesses.

I walked into TAFCOM and the Tailoring Center had moved to the bigger room. The broken window had been fixed and new curtains were up. It is so much sunnier and roomer. Everyone was pleased.

The TAFCOM fundraiser has been scheduled for July 15^th. I am mixing fundraising work with other projects I want to complete before I leave. The week was planned out and Jonas and I will visit a variety of volunteer houses and organizations to advertise the fundraiser. 

Mary brought corn from her family farm and we ate boiled corn and tomatoes for dinner. It was delicious. The kernels were much larger than I have seen in the US but the taste was similar.

JULY 8, Tuesday

I did not feel well after dinner last night and eventually got sick in the middle of the night. I am not sure the cause but I was pretty queasy most of the day. This is not the time to get sick. Fortunately I brought herbal digestion tea and have been using it and handing it out to others as needed. I distributed fundraiser flyers, bought supplies and made copies in Moshi before meeting up with Jenn and some other volunteers at Memorial Second Hand Market. I wanted baby clothes for Mussa (Lee Ann's Kili guide)and Shaila's baby which is due in October. Finding baby clothes was easy with so many to choose from. I even found a baby blanket at a different vendor that matched one of the outfits.

Jonas and I were going to a couple volunteer houses during the dinner hour. He was to pick me up in Soweto so I waited at Jenn’s and had time for a nice visit with Ibrah.

At dinner, Mary and Neema were in rare form. I was curious as to what kind of students they were in school and was not at all surprised to learn that both of them would have been considered “class clowns”. Mary described herself as quiet and studious until the teacher left the room then she would go to the front of the class and imitate the teacher. She had us in stitches doing some of her imitations.

JULY 9, Wednesday

Nie and I went to see Mwamini this morning. She is the mother of Rose, the 1 year old who died of AIDS during my 2012 trip. I have a special fondness for her and was looking forward to our visit. I had seen her when she came to the Micro Loan business training in June. She is still very thin but looking much healthier than two years ago. She is using her micro loan to expand her business. She not only sells laundry soap and cooking oil now but has added a side business of cooking and selling fish at the market. She was ecstatic to receive water bottles for her cooking oil.

It is extremely rewarding to witness positive change of any kind. Getting to know the families over the years I have been here is such a bonus for me. This visit has afforded me several opportunities to realize and appreciate the strides made by many of the families served by TAFCOM.

Mwamini appears determined and goal-oriented. During our visit she shared that she is actually saving money to buy land and build a house. She has friends in the Boma area (about 45 minutes from Moshi) where land is cheaper. She is up-to-date on the two younger children’s school fees so they consistently attend school and are doing well. Her oldest son is in Arusha attending a secondary school that also provides vocational training in mechanics.

Most of the clothes I brought with me will be left here for those who sell second hand clothing. However, Mwamini, although taller them me is thinner so I brought her one of my sweaters plus a skirt and top that should fit her. She immediately put on the sweater, expressing a special thanks and sharing that she did not currently own one.

Nie and I had a busy day scheduled. After leaving Mwamini we headed to a couple volunteer sites to talk about our upcoming fundraiser. One of the places, Msamaria, is a center which provides housing for street children. This is where Jenn volunteers. We met up with Jonas in Moshi and all went to lunch at Milan’s. This one of my favorite Indian restaurants and the food was as good as I remembered.

When Lynn was here we planned to visit Shah Industries but it did not work out. Since Lynn was unable to go to Shah I had agreed to purchase items for her which she will sell or auction at her fundraiser in October. Shah Industries is a unique business. It provides employment for both albinos and those with physical handicaps who otherwise would not be able to find work. They are all trained in the arts and crafts that are so popular to visitors. After our lunch we stopped in. The building is not easy to find and one enters through a guarded gate. The ambience of the store was warm and welcoming; the variety and volume of items almost overwhelming. I knew that we all had lots to do so I did a quick overview, paid attention to the directions and planned to return before my trip ended. I commented to Nie and Jonas that I wanted to know more about who started this business. It impressed me that the concept of a sheltered workshop similar to what we have in the US existed here as it is a very forward thinking concept. Sadly, Albinos have a history of being treated very poorly and the needs of those with physical handicaps are just recently being addressed.

I was dropped in town to finish some errands and drop off more flyers. There are several curio shops in town that cater to tourists. Chui Traders is one of the higher quality and more reasonably priced shops. I stopped in to see if they would post a flyer. As the owner and I were chatting he mentioned selling items from Shah Industries. I shared that I had been there earlier that day and was so moved by the concept of the business and the quality of the items. When he disclosed that he was the owner and founder of Shah Industries I was totally awestruck. I spent the next half hour talking and listening to Hamati Shah’s story. He shared pictures of the first worker he employed showing the house the man lived in and then the house he built for him with the help of Lions International. There were pictures of Hamati with the former president of Tanzania and awards he had received for Shah Industries. (http://www.kiliweb.com/shah). Currently, Hamati’s son and wife manage Shah while he runs the curio shop and is involved in other charity work.

I also learned that he had lived in the US for some years and spent time in the Cleveland area. I asked if he missed anything about the US and he said that Tanzania is his home and the best place to live. He got no argument from me. Before I left he posted a flyer and donated 10 shirts for us to sell at the fundraiser or to give to clients.

I was so pumped when I left. I easily found everything else I needed and finished my errands at a local grocery store buying some apples to celebrate my day. As I was approaching Pasua on the daladala I passed a large field. Coca Cola had set up a big screen TV and chairs for the community to watch the World Cup. It is encouraging to see this kind of give back and I know the area folks love it by the loud cheering I hear whenever there is a game. I dropped by Nie and Jonas’ to share the apples and stories of my afternoon before heading home.