Serendipity

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
This morning I put my culinary skills to work and demonstrated how to make deviled eggs. We decided to call them Angel Eggs to be more positive! Eating cold eggs in any form is not part of the Tanzanian diet. I assume this is because refrigeration is fairly uncommon coupled with the relentless power outages. I mixed the yolk with avocado, lime juice and onion. Everyone enjoyed them. Lunch today was another traditional cooking lesson - Banana (plantains) and Bean Stew with Peanut Sauce. It was bona fide comfort food and something I can easily make at home.

Ellie not only cooks but cleans my room. She regularly folds my bath towel into a duck and places it on my bed. Yesterday she folded my cover sheet in the shape of an “M”. Today I reciprocated and made an “E” for her. This form of amusement could really stretch my artistic abilities!

Speaking of towels, mine are white which, of course, shows all the dirt. The dust here is brutal. When I return from my morning runs there is a definitive line where my sock stops and my leg begins. I don’t use sunscreen in the morning but as the day heats up it is a necessity. The dust clings to the sunscreen adding another layer of protection. It is astonishing to watch the stream of brown flowing to the drain when I shower.

This evening I accompanied the whole family to La Fuentes. It is a newer Mexican Restaurant in the upscale neighborhood of Moshi known as Shantytown. The grounds are beautiful. There is indoor and outdoor seating plus a playground for the children. Nie and Jonas like to eat there occasionally but tonite we went for the playground and just had drinks. The weather was perfect and a gorgeous full moon shone overhead.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24

Ellie has truly outdone herself. Today not only did she make my sheet into a heart but she sprinkled flowers around the bed and formed another “M”, this time with flowers.

It was very relaxing hanging around Pasua all weekend. Jovin ran with me this morning. After lunch we all watched a video documentary about the animals of the Serengeti. I had promised Jovin he could use my camera so we went for a walk along the railroad (Relini). Passing by the area Waste Water facility, I asked if we could go inside; I have been curious to know more about the water system and waste management. The guards allowed us in to walk around. The area is open to the public as it is a thruway for the farm laborers who work in the surrounding areas. The outlying scenery was beautiful and Jovin found many photo opportunities. On our way out we asked about a tour and were told to come back tomorrow afternoon and a guide would take us around.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25

Nie is part of a government committee on HIV/AIDS and had a meeting this morning. Before leaving, Nie shared that the woman with the shop in Arusha reported that many women responded favorably to the sanitary pads and she would like to sell them in her shop. This is incredible news and could turn into a much needed income-generating project for TAFCOM and the Tailoring program.

The volunteers and I rode out to Minnesota Academy for Jasmine and Selam’s first trip. They were not used to the bumpy roads and Elizabeth commented that this route was far better than the way she came the first time. Walking around the grounds I explained about the future plans for the school. Ibrahim, the head teacher was teaching a math lesson and invited us to watch. After the lesson, the children worked on a series of assigned number problems. Each child had or was sharing a textbook.

For private primary school, it is each family’s responsibility to buy textbooks for all subjects. Most private schools will not allow a student to attend without them. Minnesota Academy is allowing children to share. The curriculum includes textbooks covering 6 subjects: Swahili, English, Math, Science, ICT (Information, Communication & Technology) and Personal Development Studies which combines sports and character building. All textbooks must be purchased at the beginning of each school year which for many parents is quite a financial burden.

The children emptied the classrooms for a short break before porridge and wanted to perform songs with us. (See video: )

 

This afternoon, Nie, Jovin, Joan and I walked over to the Waste Water Facility for our tour. I offered my camera to Jovin and I could tell he was pleased. As usual, I had a bzillion questions; Nie and Jovin translated for me. The facility services all of Moshi. The men who led the tour commented often about the lack of technology. There are 2 dumping areas, one for sewage brought in by trucks and one connected to the town’s drainage system. The men use a type of rake to drag out the solids. There are at least 7 filtering ponds for the water to flow through. No chemicals are used and the water ends up back in streams and for farmland irrigation. There is a large rice field next to the facility. In the distance is Njoro forest. Nie asked about the forest and one of the men said he could take us on a hike there some weekend. It was agreed that this would be a great adventure. Njoro forest has monkeys and some very large trees worth seeing.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26

One of the Minnesota Academy students, Amina, has always been special to me. I met her along with all the other pre-school children in 2010. I felt an instant connection with her then that was out of the ordinary. Although totally understandable, I remember feeling a little disappointed in 2014 when I returned and she did not remember me. However, we lived close to each other during that time and would often walk home together after school. This time she did remember me. We both make an extra effort to give a special wave to each other in the classroom or from the bus. Yesterday as we were in our circle for songs, Amina came over to be with me. Looking up at me she said, “I miss you”.

I have resisted sponsoring a child because there are so many who, along with their families, need support. I believed that my funds and donations would be better spent serving many through specific projects and for the emergencies that predictably arise. I am adjusting that attitude. I will not stop supporting projects and emergencies. But after a restless night I woke up knowing that when someone remains in your heart for this many years they are in your life for a reason. I have decided to make sure Amina continues to receive a quality education by becoming her sponsor.

I am such a sap. I entered Nie’s office and before I could get a word out about sponsoring Amina I got all choked up. I could see the instant relief and gratitude in Nie’s demeanor and expression when I told her. Nie then shared that Amina’s mother, Rachel, had come to Nie in December crying. She had a local charcoal business and there was some kind of crackdown on those businesses that are causing deforestation. She spent 3 months in jail and Amina, age 8, and her older brother had to stay with an aunt. Rachel is a single mother. She left her husband because of his abusive behavior and the risk to the children. When Rachel got out of jail she was homeless. Nie’s mother lives about a 5 minute walk from TAFCOM. Nie & Jonas decided to wall off a room at her house and are renting it to Rachel and her children. TAFCOM also provided Rachel with a Micro Loan. Now I understand that Nie’s display of relief had a deeper meaning. Nie & Jonas’s generosity never ceases to amaze me. I am christening Nie as the Mother Teresa of Pasua!

Nie scheduled 3 home visits for the volunteers today. We discuss expectations prior to visiting a family for the first time. Pictures and verbal descriptions help but the emotional reaction is what I look for. I can still feel the emotion and see the mental pictures from my first home visit in 2009. The volunteers know that Nie and I will be a listening ear and help them process their feelings.

During our visit to an elderly woman we were shown a spot on her arm that requires medication. After paying for her clinic visit she did not have enough funds for the cream prescribed. We each chipped in to help.

Curiosity got the best of us while talking with another woman whose source of income is derived from making and selling local brew. It is typically made with sugar, yeast and a flavoring of some type (coffee is one example). She agreed to show us how it is made next time we return. Jasmine (visited with Steve-1^st blog) was our last stop. Because of her long hospital stay for her leg issue she is currently without income. Nie had talked to her about a Micro Loan and she had honestly stated that she was too destitute to be able to pay it back. I agreed to buy her first two bags of charcoal to restart her business. I was able to use my Swahili and told her I missed her smile and wanted to see it return again soon!

My afternoon plans included a trip to Moshi in order to copy and purchase what we needed for the Micro Loan workshop on Thursday and go to the bank. Ellie was gone this afternoon for her son’s 3 year birthday. He is staying with the child’s father in Moshi until I leave. Ellie talks to her son on the phone daily. I had no idea until 2 days ago that she even had a child. I don’t know if I could make the kind of sacrifices these women make, always being in survival mode. The women here have a fervent sense of responsibility when it comes to taking care of their children. Communal support also plays a major role in making sure children always have a safe place to go and someone to look after them.

I rode the daladala home and one of its stops is the former bus stand. After people exited at this particular stop I was the only one left. The two gentlemen working the daladala turned and stared at me. I tried to explain that I wanted to go to the new bus stand. My Swahili completely failed me but it became obvious they were not going to take me any farther. I could hear the laughter in the background as people noticed the silly Mzungu (white person) who wasn’t getting off the daladala. Fortunately, I remembered the way home. I later learned from Nie that if there are not enough people left on the daladala it is not worth their time to return to the bus stand so they restart their route from the old bus stand. Another day wiser!!