JUNE
23, Monday
Walking
to TAFCOM this morning I encountered my usual “mini paparazzi” of children. It
fascinates me how resourceful they can be. I see no “toys” as we know them.
Instead I observe children playing Pickle and Soccer using a ball made from
rolled up plastic bags held together with string and rubber bands. One of the
kids on my road was excited to show me his paper airplane. Sometimes planes are
made from the corn stalks and sticks the children find. Plastic water bottles
are made into cars with the tops used for wheels. The most common toy is a
bucket lid and stick which the kids are extremely adept at rolling down the
roads.
Jonas
had been notified over the weekend that two new volunteers would be coming
today. Apparently their placement had not worked out. Our 2 German volunteers
will be leaving in 2 weeks so this is good timing for a transition. Caitlin is
from New Zealand and Maya is from Israel. Nie requested that I handle
orientation of new volunteers so that was how I spent my morning. It was also
Nele’s last day with us. She is also from Germany and had been traveling the
last 2 weeks. She relayed a story of how she was detained in Kenya because of
the political unrest and had to stay at the police station in Nairobi until
there was a full bus available to travel to Tanzania that could accommodate
several police for the passengers’ protection. Fortunately she arrived back in
Tanzania with one day to spare before her flight home to Germany.
I
have thoroughly enjoyed running here. I usually finish my day at TAFCOM by 1:00
then take about a 45 minute run before heading home to lunch. Today when I got
home Neema surprised me with an apple. I typically eat an apple every day in
the US but they are very expensive here ranging from 50 to 60 cents for one.
This was my first apple and I was almost as excited as when I get dark
chocolate. I decided to save it for breakfast.
JUNE
24, Tuesday
Apple
with Peanut Butter for breakfast! I shared with Neema as she had never tried PB
on an apple before. Whenever I introduce her to some new culinary delight she
calls it “Designer Food”.
I
sat in on several of the Upper Level classes this morning. I took notes and
have some good ideas for Thursday. Much of the teaching is lecture style and
Jonas is encouraging the teachers to be more interactive with the children plus
add group activities. I am amazed at their attention span and respectful
behavior. I can’t imagine trying to control a class of 40+ children. The government's
goal for teacher/student ratio is 1 teacher for every 45 students.
The
three broken sewing machines require some new parts. Three new machines will be
purchased on Thursday. I have been talking to Nie and Jonas about the
feasibility of moving the tailoring women into the original classroom as it is
larger. The concern relates to security since the room only has an opening for
a door and is surrounded by windows facing the front of the building.
Apparently 2 sewing machines have been stolen from the current training room
which is more secluded. Curtains would make a difference so Nie an Jonas will
give this plan consideration.
Soweto
is an area of Moshi where I lived in 2012. The largest market for second hand
clothing is located there. Unless one has their clothes made by a tailor there
are very few clothing shops in Moshi. It is always fun to go there and there is
nothing you cannot find. Neema had asked to go so we planned an afternoon lunch
of Zanzibar pizza at Taj Mahal, followed by a walk to Soweto where we met up
with Jenn (volunteer) and Debra (Ibrah of Afrishare’s wife). We spent more than
two hours walking the rutted dirt paths in and out of home-made wood platforms
covered in canvas bags and loaded with all kinds of clothing for every age.
I
was aware that many girls miss school on a monthly basis because of lack of
funds for sanitary pads. I had researched the issue and found several patterns
for home-made re-usable items. Potential material was on my buy list.
UNESCO
estimates that one in 10 African adolescent girls miss school during menses and
eventually drop out because of menstruation-related issues, such as the
inaccessibility of affordable sanitary protection, the social taboos related to
menstruation, and the culture of silence that surrounds it. (AllAfrica, 2011) The
lack of toilets as well as the disposal of products are additional issues that
remain unaddressed and increase environmental concerns.
The
topic of menstruation is seldom discussed in the home and definitely not an
area of focus within the educational system. Sanitary pads are unaffordable for
those living in poverty. Not only are there homes without water and sanitary
toilet facilities, but many schools also lack basic sanitation facilities and
disposal systems. The research indicates that poor sanitation is a leading
reason for girls missing school. (Forum of African Women Educationists, FAWE 2006)
These conditions also affect female teachers who may also miss school in a
country that already has a teacher shortage. Adult women miss work causing loss
of income. The cycle of poverty continues….
The
repercussions of all these conditions are far-reaching. I remember a culture of
silence around menstruation when I was a young girl. It still can cause
embarrassing situations for girls and women. Anxiety and discomfort coupled
with the lack of money, poor sanitation, and hygiene issues all contribute to
female students’ low concentration in school, absences, and drop-out rates. From
my reading and observing, a girl’s education is the most important investment
for women. It leads to greater income potential and healthier lifestyles,
On
a side note, it saddens me that we do not place more emphasis on celebrating
the onset of menses as a time of empowerment. As women, the ability to replicate
life is one of the marvels of our existence.
As
we wandered through the second hand market I shared my desire to find absorbent
material for the tailoring women to sew some cloth sanitary pads. We found some
great, cheap blankets. I bought a small child’s blanket for a tester. The plan
is to use one of the on-line patterns to design the pads and then have them
tested by some of the girls before buying more material. I also want to do a
fact sheet or booklet and TAFCOM will then organize a distribution strategy. I
am really excited about this but sad that I probably won’t be here for the
final steps.
We
all walked away from the market pleased with our purchases. We also ran into
Sigrid and Marcel. Neema and I did not arrive home until 7pm. I have always
been told it is not safe for muzungus to be out after dark. I feel very secure
in Pasua because so many see me regularly. I worry far more about falling or
tripping. Unless they have an uncanny sense of balance, I have no idea how
people walk these roads after dark. It also happened that the electric was out
so none of the shop lights were on, adding to the uncertainty of my steps. I
just hung on to Neema and she guided me home. I have a head lamp and we have a
solar light so we could see for dinner. I spent the rest of the evening reading
with my head lamp and went to bed at 9:30pm. The electricity came back shortly
after I settled in.
JUNE
25, Wednesday
Instead
of going to TAFCOM, I was scheduled to meet with Tanzania Volunteers. One of
the owners, Louis, has a sister in Columbus (mentioned in a previous blog. I
brought items for their father.). Unfortunately, Louis was not available so I
have yet to meet him. However, I spent a very enjoyable morning with his wife,
Hanna, who is from Finland. Tanzania Volunteers operates a volunteer house and
placement service for volunteers. It is a very nice facility and appeared to be
well-organized and efficiently run. It is located in one of the best sections
of Moshi. It is humorous to me that this upscale neighborhood is called
Shantytown. Our visit resulted in a potential partnership for TAFCOM. Hanna
will come to the center a week from Friday to meet Nie and Jonas.
Hanna
explained that Tanzania Volunteers works with about 50 organizations for
volunteer placements. Several were of particular interest to me. One involves a
nursery that grows trees. One of their programs involves selling trees to
schools at a reduced rate and includes environmental education for the
children. I am going to explore this further and hopefully get some trees for
the Minnesota Academy.
Another
placement is within the Juvenile Court system. I was unaware of how the system
worked so Hanna spent time explaining it to me. A child can be put in juvenile
detention if accused of breaking the law or a parent can bring a child if they
feel their behavior is unruly. The concept of “innocent until proven guilty”
does not exist. The children normally wait three months before going before a
judge and some have lingered for several years. Volunteers teach the children
and Moshi’s detention center is considered one of the best in the country. In
many facilities volunteers are not allowed. Hanna described the youth as eager
to learn and relayed a story from one of the volunteers who had asked the kids
if they wanted to play sports and they replied that they would prefer to learn
English. The grounds of the facility are open and it would be easy to escape
but this is rare. For many of these youth, food and shelter are a welcome
change.
I
decided to walk back to Moshi. I used to run in Shantytown as it is near Soweto
where I stayed in 2012. The walk took about an hour; it was a beautiful day and
I enjoyed rediscovering some of the sites I had forgotten. Also, I find myself
not feeling hurried to get so much done. The pace of life is slower here and,
most of the time, I have been able to adopt the same relaxed mindset; today
being one of those days.
JUNE
26, Thursday
While
working at DCA (my day care job) in Delaware, OH I learned the phrase “Kiss
Your Brain”. It includes the motions of kissing your fingers and then touching
your head. It is one of my favorite phrases and I taught it to the Upper Level
class today. The English lesson for this week is about likes and dislikes. When
I observed this class on Tuesday, I noted that the teacher was not using examples
that would elicit a strong reaction to differentiate the two definitions. Using
“snakes” and “spiders” produced the responses I wanted. The children were then geared
up to supply their own examples. I also taught a rhyme for keeping their hands
in their laps. I have no idea where this came from but the teachers tell the
kids to “sit like a manager” when they want them to be still.
I
began the reorganizing of the teacher resource book case. Sometimes you have to
make a mess as the first step and that is exactly what I did. Piles of books
were stacked on the table, chairs and floor. I had to leave my chaotic
arrangement so we could go to Moshi to purchase the sewing machines. The store
had two assembled and one machine in a box. During our wait, Nie and I walked
over to the tailor who is teaching the Finish and Design class. The girls impressed
us with their work and the instructor also praised them commenting that all 3
were exceptional students.
I
was not aware that a seat belt law existed in Tanzania and was even more
surprised that it was enforced. Iddi, our taxi driver was called to drive Nie
and me home since it was taking a very long time to assemble the sewing
machine. As we were driving through town a policewoman, on foot, waved the car
to the side. The exchange between Iddi and the policewoman was loud at times
and I repeatedly heard Iddi saying the Kiswahili word for “Listen”. Even Nie
raised her voice on several occasions. I kept quiet as a mouse, clueless as to
what was going on. At one point, the policewoman got in the car and Iddi
started driving around the block. She finally exited the car but not without
taking Iddi’s driver’s license and car registration. It was only then that I
learned that Iddi was being ticketed for not wearing his seat belt. I was flabbergasted
as no one wears a seat belt. The police woman wanted Iddi to go directly to the
police station and pay the $30 fine. This procedure, I was told, could take
hours. The argument was all about taking us home first which she finally agreed
to.
I
felt so bad for Iddi. He is Nie and Jonas’ regular driver whenever they need a
taxi. I have known him for several years. During the ride home Iddi did not act
too upset. He and Nie continued their conversation which always includes
laughter. We stopped for gas. This experience was a wonderful step back in time
because someone else pumps the gas and they wash your windows. Since it is
Thursday this will pass as my TBT story.
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