One Big Happy Family

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 (Happy Birthday, Neal!)

Besides the Micro Loan I am beyond excited about the startup of a new program. Like many developing countries, Tanzania’s young girls have many obstacles to overcome in order to finish their education. One such impediment is the lack of sanitary pads. It is a complicated matter involving hygiene issues, sanitation and waste management (Click Here for Blog with Details ). Girls miss school on a monthly basis when they have their periods which puts them behind academically. At the end of Primary School all students take a National Test which they must pass in order to continue on to Secondary School (similar to high school). Many of these girls are unable to pass the test and their education ends at this point as they are not given a second chance.

Through the efforts of friends in the US - who I am so indebted to for their sewing, cutting and donations - I was able to bring 50 reusable sanitary pads plus patterns and material to make many more. Prior to leaving Tanzania in 2014, the tailoring women had made a few samples to try and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The tailoring students started sewing yesterday. (Some of them even miss tailoring classes because they cannot afford sanitary pads.) A workshop on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) will be arranged and each participant will receive a determined number of pads. Those young women interested in sewing their own will then be trained by TAFCOM tailoring students. Nie has an appointment set for Friday to meet with UMATI, the national SRH and family planning organization. It is hard to contain my excitement as I begin to comprehend the potential for this project and the far-reaching impact it will have on young women.

Ellie is not only helping me with Swahili but also teaching me to cook some Traditional foods. Today we cooked Mchicha greens (similar to spinach) in oil with carrots, green peppers and onion. In addition, we had boiled sweet potatoes which are delicious and taste nothing like ours. Grated tomato, carrots, curry powder and coconut milk are mixed together as a sauce for many dishes. Today I put it on the potatoes. Lastly, some vegetables mixed with mayonnaise. I am not crazy about the mayo and most everything is cooked in oil. For example, the vegetables were first boiled then cooked in oil. Ellie is very accommodating so we are using a lot less oil and salt (my feet and hands swell) in my food and it is still delicious. I especially enjoy planning my meals with Ellie. The food is always fresh and I am able to eat so healthy.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15

Nie and I left this morning to pick up Elizabeth in Moshi and meet with the folks at UMATI. Nie shared that her uncle was the first doctor hired for UMATI’s northern region of Tanzania in 1959 when UMATI was first established. We met with 3 women who were very enthused about our program. A facilitator from UMATI will provide a 2-3 hour presentation covering topics related to young women aged 12-20.  A fee that approximates $40 USD will be charged and TAFCOM will also cover the copying costs of materials.  An overview of UMATI’s programs was fascinating. They have many varied and formidable programs throughout the country. We talked about future collaboration opportunities. They have a Youth Club in the 5 primary schools in Pasua which could develop into a partnership with TAFCOM. UMATI receives funding from some worldwide organizations and governments but many of its programs, like TAFCOM’s programs, are donor dependent.

The three of us ate lunch at Milan’s, my favorite Indian restaurant; and it is all vegetarian! We reviewed our work plans for next week. Nie called Joseph, who will conduct the Micro Loan workshop and he will stop by tomorrow morning. We returned home and I took a much-needed nap!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16
I have known Joseph since 2010 and find him to be one of the most fascinating men I have ever met. He is highly educated and his knowledge of history and current world events would put most people to shame. It is my hope to do a story on him.

It is impossible for politics not to come up when you tell someone that you are from the US. In past years there have been very enjoyable conversations with locals and other volunteers comparing different countries. I am very grateful that I am not living with a group of volunteers this time because I strongly desire the distance from US politics. However, I must share Joseph’s first comment to me after we greeted. He said, “So, Americans feel that they must all carry guns now. There are so many shootings. What do you make of that?” Part of me feels I should just end here…but I must say that I will always share my opinions if asked; I also express a caveat that my opinion is just one of many and others may think differently.

Joseph will only be in the Moshi area until the end of January and then is off to Dar es Salaam for a couple months. He is pleased to teach the Business Management portion of the Micro Loan workshop. He left it to us to figure logistics and let him know the date and time. Nie and I will coordinate what needs to be done on Monday and discuss prospective participants.

I tried to call Mussa several times since my arrival. He will be my guide when I climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Note to new folks: He was my daughter’s guide in 2008 and he took Lee Ann and me on a day hike in 2009. ( Click Here for a heartwarming story about Mussa. ). I was able to reach him by phone today and he was in Moshi. I quickly got ready and rode the daladala to town where we met up. I got a huge hug that lifted me off the ground! We then drove to his shop in Soweto, a part of Moshi on the west side, where his wife, Shaila, and son were waiting. Mohamed, Moody for short, is 14 month’s old and adorable.

I stayed in Soweto for 6 months in 2012. Mussa and I walked over to the volunteer house where I stayed so I could surprise Ibrah and his wife, Debra. (Ibrah runs AfriShare, a tour company, and a house for volunteers. On our way we actually ran into Ibrah who was driving to the Mosque and would return home shortly. I woke up Debra who was so surprised. They have 2 boys, Rahim & Nasri who are the spitting image of Ibrah. We had a wonderful visit and I was invited to spend a weekend soon so we could all get together and play games like we used to. There are 2 students who also have lived there for many years but they were in town. I have so many fun and fond memories from my time there and am very much looking forward to my next visit.

I walked back to town on a road that is now paved. I have noticed several newly paved roads which is the kind of progress needed. I decided this was my day for reunions so I turned to go to the Jambo Stationery store where I have done all my copying and purchasing of office supplies for many years. Before I could walk in the door I heard Alice, the owner, say “Bibi Is back!” (I acquired the nickname, “Bibi” - which means grandma in Swahili – when I lived with Ibrah & his family in 2012 and spent lots of play time with their 1 year old son.) Stella and Eunice are still employed at Jambo and we exchanged lots of hugs and kisses. 

I was so filled with joy as I left. What an amazing feeling to have been able to visit with so many of my favorite people in one day!

I stopped at a small grocery and treated myself to a jar of mustard, which is not commonly used here. I especially love mustard on eggs and mixed with greens. I continued into the main part of Moshi and was wandering around when I noticed the sky darken. Within minutes the wind increased and I could feel a sudden cooling. Abandoning my plans for an afternoon stroll I headed to the daladala. As I waited for it to leave, I watched swirls of wind picking up dust and blowing everywhere. Then the rains came. The windshield wipers were broken on the daladala and the potholes and ruts on the dirt roads filled quickly with water. As always a memorable experience! It was actually a refreshing walk from the bus stand to home as the rain had eased and I do not have far to travel.

“Hamna umeme” is commonly heard and means, “There is no electric.” Our electric has been out for 9+ hour stretches the last two days and my internet service has become hopeless. Even here, the dependency on the computer and internet is evident as it is crucial for much of what I am doing. I shared my internet concerns with Jonas. He informed me there is a new internet provider, Halotel, which he uses and is much faster than Zantel (which is what I have). He let me borrow his internet stick and I thought I died and went to heaven! It was as fast and efficient as in the states.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17

One of the things I love about where I am staying is that there is always a lot of activity. Life happens here; people coming and going. Background noises are a mix of roosters, birds, goats, laughter, and the joyful sounds of children playing.

Joel, who teaches one of the pre-school classes, was one of our visitors today. I enjoy walking in the afternoon so he accompanied me today. His English is very good and Joel is a very genuine, kind soul.  He showed me where he lives. It is in the same compound as Ellie, Josephine and Happy. (Josephine is Jonas’ younger sister who runs a small store next to TAFCOM. Happy is her daughter & Joan’s playmate). We followed a route that took us to the road I lived on in 2014. I walked this road several times a day for two months so was quite familiar with the families and vendors. I heard a woman call out “Marian” and was so pleasantly surprised to see one of the women with whom I always exchanged a daily greeting. Another woman who we bought a lot of produce from also called out my name. I was flabbergasted that they remembered my name. Joel helped me with my Swahili and I reassured them that I would be back to visit.

Joan & Happy visited my room today. I would like to say they came to visit me but they are very shy around me. I gave them a few books to look at and read to them. Mostly they chattered to each other, rolling around on the bed giggling. I always travel with Phase 10, a small dice game that is easy and challenging at the same time. I taught Jovin (Nie & Jonas" 10 year old son) how to play today. As we talked he expressed an interest in learning how to use a camera. We agreed to spend an afternoon taking photos. He would like to have his own camera someday.

What a joyous weekend for reconnection. It is at the same time uplifting and humbling to share an experience of harmony and connection that allows one to know that we really are not all that different…that we are all one family.