Missy's Adventures in Tanzania

Weeki Kumi na Tano (Week Fifteen)

2009-11-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

Monday morning I made may way to the kitchen and the school to help the Mamas make Chapattis. While making the chapattis I tried to encourage (using my half broken Swahili) to continue their efforts at marketing their yogurt product. I told them about the possibility of selling at Isamilo International School and I introduced them to the idea of putting together a marketing pitch. The Mamas seemed keen on the idea and I encouraged them to look at selling to more places in order to expand their market and to expand the project as a whole.
In the afternoon I had to run some errands and had to grab some food from the market so I headed into town. On my way I grabbed some drinks and snack for our weekly meeting with Alex and the Mamas and headed home in time for the meeting. Unfortunately Alex could not make it to the meeting so the Mamas and I talked about what we could and enjoyed some snacks and drinks together.
In the evening I started to organize a task list for myself since there were many things running through my head that I wanted to do and there were some requests from the team at home. It seems to be much busier now without the other interns.
Later on I headed to Tunza Beach Lodge for my friend Kate’s going away dinner.

On Tuesday I did a little bit of work from home and printed all materials for Membership Card System so that I could bind them and give them to the Mamas so that they could implement the new documentation system. Later on in the day I headed off to Isamilo International School to book appointment with the Headmaster, Iain, so that we could talk about the possibility of selling the yogurt at the school canteen.
After I book the appointment I headed home to put together the Mamas marketing ideas into pamphlet form so that they could effectively promote themselves and the probiotic yogurt product. After doing some work at home I headed to the kitchen to get the Mamas to look over the pamphlet that I made and to tell them about our appointment for the next day at Isamilo. I also suggested to them to bring some yogurt so that they could sample it. When I went home I cut up a bunch of different fruits and bought some honey for the next day too to show them all of the different recipes that you can make with the yogurt. The Mamas and I talked about thinking of different ways to market the probiotic yogurt. We also talked about changing their marketing strategies depending on who their target customers are.
After visiting the Mamas I went to the internet café to print the pamphlet to take with us to Isamilo International School.
Later in the evening I worked on editing some more documents for Kivulini.

On Wednesday morning Mama Paskwalina and Mama Elizabeth came over to propose a pricing strategy for the yogurt. We wanted to make sure that if institutions were buying in bulk, they would get a better price for the yogurt. After typing up the cost per litre form we headed off to the International School to meet with Iain and the lady that runs the canteen. Alex met us as the school in case we needed some assistance with translation. The Mamas, Alex, and I explained about Tukwamuane Women’s Group and the benefits of the probiotic yogurt. We then did a little bit of taste testing and both Iain and the Canteen Supervisor loved the yogurt. After a few minutes of negotiations, they decided that 17L of probiotic yogurt would be purchased per week for both the canteen lunches and the students who live in residence. The Mamas and I were pretty happy since increasing their sales puts them closer to their 100L per day production and sales target for sustainability. After the meeting I headed home to work on the Master Plan document. Alex wasn’t feeling well so he headed off to the clinic. He called me later and informed me that he had malaria so there would be no meeting that day with the Mamas. Some of the Mamas ended up coming over anyways since we would be able to discuss a few things.

Thursday I had planned to do a lot of paperwork on the computer, do some photocopying and printing and use the internet but the power was out both at home and throughout town. At the same time, the water was also cut off so I couldn’t shower, couldn’t do the dishes, I couldn’t even wash my hands. It was a little frustrating not being able to get anything that I wanted to do done, but here, you have to be flexible with all of you plans and be able to adapt to and deal with unexpected roadblocks. The electricity and water has been shutting off quite a bit lately, there must be city-wide shortages. Again, it made me think of how lucky I am that I even have access to electricity and water since many people here in Mwanza do not have access to these amenities.
I thought that I may as well make myself useful so I decided to head to Mabatini to help the Mamas cook the yogurt or to maybe help cook chapattis at the school.
Later in the afternoon I walked to Kivulini to see if they had any volunteer work for me to do. I always love going to Kivulini because the staff and volunteers are always so friendly. They are a great bunch of people.
In the evening I studied Swahili again by candlelight.

On Friday I headed to the print shop to bind the membership card documentation books and the attendance log that I had made for the Mamas. It was nice chatting with the ladies who work there again while I waited for them to do the binding. After that I headed to the internet café to send off some emails.
In the afternoon I headed to the kitchen to visit the Mamas and to check if there were any more updates or business matters to deal with.
My friend Jessica had invited me to her brother’s wedding so in the evening her and I headed of to the Wande Hotel to enjoy the wedding celebrations. This was the second wedding that I have attended here in Tanzania and it was very different from the first one. Just like in Canada, I bet all weddings are different. The one thing that was the same though was the constant addition of music and dancing throughout every part of the ceremony…I loved it!

On Saturday I woke up later in the morning and finished editing some documents for Kivulini. I also worked on a few documents that I had to prepare for Tukwamuane. In the evening I went out for dinner with some friends.

On Sunday I decided to go to Church with my friend Salome. Even thought I am not associated with any religion I am very open-minded and eager to learn about any religion. So she came around 8am in the morning to pick me up so that we could walk there together. It took us about an hour to walk there but it was a nice day and we had a good chat on the way there. Salome’s church is a Pentecostal church. It was a large church that was decorated very nicely with Christmas lights and big decorative sheets and awnings. The service was very lively and full of life as the majority of the time people were singing and dancing in celebration. Most of the service was in Swahili but a Pastor and his wife from Oklahoma had been visiting and gave a sermon in English that was translated into Kiswahili. Even though I didn’t understand the majority of the service the music was wonderful and the spirit and energy within the crowd of people was very positive. At one point in time a children’s group came up to the front and performed a song and dance session for about 30 min. It was so cute to see all the little ones dancing. They sure know how to make church fun. Although I had a great time, I don’t think that I will go again since the service was about 5 and a half hours long…it was a little too long and intense for me but I am happy that I went for the experience.
In the afternoon I came home to rest and spent some time on the Kivulini documents.
Later on in the evening I was happy to meet up with my friends Letitia and Joseph for a nice meal. I met Letitia and Joseph the last time that I was in Tanzania and we hadn’t seen each other for about 2 and a half years. Letitia is a Canadian woman from BC. She is a nurse had has worked in Tanzania many times as her husband is from here. She has also worked in Kenya and is now off to Sudan for a year to work with MSF (Doctors Without Borders). They are good friends of mine and it was really nice to catch up with them over a delicious Indian meal!

Weeki Kumi Na Nne (Week Fourteen)

2009-11-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

I started off week 14 with a visit (kizuru/ tembalaya) to the new (mpya) kitchen (jiko) site (mahali) with Mama Elizabeth, Mama Paskwalina and Mama Sabina so that we could meet with the Fence Fundi (builder) and feed and check on the cows (n’gombe). Once we arrived (tunafika) we met with the fence fundi and the people (watu) living (ishi) in the small community (jamii) right next to (karibu) the site to discuss some business matters. After talking for about 30 min, the Mamas finalized some documents and we went over to the site to feed the cows. I helped the Mamas unload huge burlap sacs full of grass (majani) and cow feed. It was particularly hot (joto sana) so the Mamas and I decided to take a break (pumziko) in the guardhouse. We sat together on the floor of the small shack (banda) and enjoyed some sugarcane (mua) that we bought from a nearby vendor (mchuuzi). The Mamas bought 3 huge stalks of suguarcane. We had no knife (kisu) so we had to use our teeth (majino) to peel the sugarcane husks off. I don’t know if most of you are familiar with sugarcane husk but its actually a pretty tough substance and it was really difficult to peel off just using my teeth. But the Mamas started munching away so I joined in hoping that I would not chip a tooth or anything. We sat on the floor for about half an hour (nusus saa) just chatting (ongea). About half way through our conversation Mama Paskwalina asked me if we grow sugarcane in Canada. I told her that we don’t and we talked about all of the foods (chakula) that are harvested (mavuno) and grown (makuwa) in Canada. It was funny (chekesha) because (kwa sababu) after (baddo) Mama Paskwalina asked (anauliza) me about the sugar can she said in Swahili, “Ninshangaza, unakula mua kuma Mbongo”, “Oh, I’m surprised, you eat sugarcane like a Tanzanian”. We all had a good chuckle about that. After our little break we headed back to town (mjini) on the daladala.
After my visit with the Mamas I went into town to the Foto King to print some pictures for Buswelu and Mtoni schools as well as for the Mamas. I find that pictures really mean a lot to people here since many of them have no pictures of themselves in their families (famalia) because the cost (bee) of cameras and developing the photos is way to expensive for the average person (watu wastani) here. So every time I take a picture of someone here I try to provide them with a copy.
After taking (chakua) the pictures in I headed to the market (sokoni) to try to take some pictures of the area to use for an upcoming WHE fundraiser that we are doing. I was a little bit weary of walking around snapping pictures at the market because first of all it put me at a bit of a risk for theft (wizi) and secondly (pili), many people (watu wangi) here in Tanzania really don’t like (sipendi) it if you take their picture (piga picha) without asking or paying them (which is understandable). So, I had to think of some creative ways to take the pictures I needed without losing my camera (kamara) or upsetting anyone (yoyote). By the way it is a little bit difficult (mgumu) to sneakily take pictures when you are a young white Mzungu in Tanzania so I ended up chatting to people for a while to convince them to take their pic. I also had to pay a few of the people to take a photo of them, from some vendors I bought some of their produce and some I promised to print their photo and bring it back to them. After a long afternoon (mchana) of attempting to get market photos, I had only succeeded in taking 4 (nne) photos so I decided to call it quits and try to get some more pictures another day (siku nyngine).
On the way home I stopped to run some errands and spent a bit of time at the internet café. When I got home the power (umeme) was out again so used up rest of my computer battery then studied Swahili by candlelight (taa ya msumaa).

On Tuesday morning I headed to Mabatini to the Yogurt Kitchen to pick up the profiles that the Mamas had written about themselves to put on our revamped website (www.wersternheadseast.ca). When I arrived, the mamas were sitting in a small meeting with the fence fundi. I sat quietly (kimia) and listened (skiliza) to the conversation. From what I understood (my Swahili is getting better every day!) I overheard that the budget for the fence was going to be about three times as high as we originally thought because of a mix up in communication. So, I asked the Mamas if what I thought they were saying was right. They let me know that I was right and that they were trying to negotiate the budget. Since many things are arranged verbally in Tanzania, I sat back and waited as the Mamas discussed the new budget with the fundi. After everyone had come to a consensus on the various prices of the fence materials, labour and transportation for the materials, I suggested that we formally write out the budget so that no one would get confused. Everyone agreed that that was a good idea so I assisted them in writing out a budget.
After my visit at the kitchen I came home and translated and typed put the Mamas profiles to send back home.
Later on that evening (jioni), Hassan, our housekeeper’s son came over for another computer lesson. This time I used word to help teach him some more English as well since he asked for my help with reading (soma) and writing (andika) English.

On Wednesday morning I headed to the kitchen to pick up the finalized fence budget and to meet the Mamas so that we could go to Saint Augustine University (SAUT) together. It was funny (chekesha) because when I walked into the kitchen, a man that had never seen me before asked, “mgeni ni nani?” “who’s the visitor?” and Mama Paskwalina said “Melissa siomgeni, wewe binti wangu na anafanya kazi hapo” “Melissa is not a visitor, she is our daughter and she works here”. It was really nice to hear that the Mamas think of me as their daughter…pretty cute!
After some of the Mamas (Mama Elizabeth, Mama Paskwalinia, Mama Leah and Mama Sabina) finished up some of their duties, the five of us headed off to SAUT to meet with George, Alex and one of the vendors at the canteen (cafeteria). The Mamas wanted to inquire about expanding their market to include a probiotic yogurt dispensary/ shop at the university campus and I had to visit the accountant to deal with some account business. On the way to SAUT on the daladala the conductor tried to rip me off (charge me extra) for the ride because he thought that I didn’t know the price of the trip. I knew that he was trying to do that and I was going to wait until I got off to ask for my change back but one of the Mamas noticed that he didn’t give me any change and boy did they give it to him. As pleasant (kufarahaisha) as the Mamas are, you don’t want to anger (hasira)four (nne) very strong African Mamas. It was kind of funny because the conductor was really embarrassed and I don’t think that he will ever try to rip off another mzungu again.
While George and I were at the accounts office, the Mamas started to discuss the options for opening up a kiosk at the canteen with one of the shop owners. Although sometimes the Canadian team initiates or proposes ideas or plans of actions to Tukwamuane, we like to make sure that the Mamas are fully involved in all the processes and activities associated with their project so that they can learn more skills and be fully sustainable on their own. After about thirty minutes of discussion, the kiosk owner expressed his interest in having the Mamas sell the probiotic yogurt at SAUT and said that he would look into the formal procedures for them.
After our meeting the Mamas and I headed back into town. I got dropped of at the big market so that I could head into town to get the membership cards for the people living with HIV/AIDS laminated. Although the lady who was working there instisted that I wait there until they were done because it would only take half an hour, it took 2 and a half hours for them to finish. I wasn’t worried or frustrated though because I have really got accustomed to the pole pole (slow) way of life here. Instead, I just chatted with the employees, other customers and studies the Swahili handbook that was in my purse. After my long visit at the printing ship I spent 3 hours catching up at the internet café. I had a ton of documents and pictures to send back to WHE Canada.
Later on in the evening after dinner, Miraji from Kivulini stopped by to make sure I was ok. It is funny, now that I am living alone in the apartment I have so many visitors. People around here hate the idea of anyone being lonely. I must be honest, although I miss them like crazy, I sure haven’t felt lonely since Ashley and Jon left. Soon after Miraji arrived, my friend Musiba (who runs the WW Talent Camp) came over to show me the ‘documentary’ that he and his team made about street children in Mwanza. Musiba explained to me that his team was acting in the movie but that the entire video was based on real life happenings, that is why he calls it a documentary. I was really impressed with the concept of the documentary as well as the acting involved in it. He told me that his next project is going to focus on explaining the issue of domestic violence in his community. I am always amazed when I meet with Musiba about how enthusiastic and driven he is to make a difference in his community.

On Thursday morning I headed off to Buswelu School once again to go with Headmaster Chinyele to pick up and paying the remaining balance on the desks that were donated by
Tecumseh Elementary School. I decided to go by daladala and pikipiki (motorbike) to save some money. It is always an adventure to get to Buswelu because it is a little far away and it is a very rural area. The daladala ride wasn’t bad at all, I actually got a swat the whole way there. Once I reached the main intersection (stand) I was dropped off and hopped on a pikipiki. It was a pretty hilarious ride because we ended up driving through a herd of cows that were blocking the road, dodging some goats that were in the way and at one point we had a swarm of children chasing us yelling Mzungu and waving at me. I’m pretty sure that these random, hilarious adventures around the Mwanza area are one of my favorite things about living in Tanzania!
Once I arrived at Buswelu school I met with Headmaster Chinyele for a little while and then we headed to the desk fundi to pick up and pay the remainder of the balance for the desks. On our way to the fundi we ran into the retired school teacher that I saw the last time I was at Buswelu. She was coming from the market and was very happy to see us. We stopped and chatted with her for a bit and she ended up giving a bunch of carrots as a gift and invited me to come to her house another day. I thanked her for the delicious looking carrots and off we went. Again I am always so impressed and touched by the generosity of people here. Like many other people who have given me small gifts, I know that the teacher has very little money but people here are always wanting to share and make you feel welcome.
When we arrived at the fundi he showed us the 13 desks that we were able to purchase from the Tecumseh Donation which will seat 26-30 students. The desks were handcrafted (as most things are here) and were beautiful!
After picking up the desks with Mr. Chinyele I headed back into town via daladala. I went to pick up some clothes that I had gotten made from the clothing fundi and later came home to edit some documents for Kivulini. I really enjoy assisting Kivulini (Women’s and Chidlren’s Rights Organization) with editing their documents because their documents are very informative and provide me with a better understanding of the local context in which in live. I really learn a lot when I help them out.
In the evening I decided to go for another hardcore aerobics workout with my friend Liz. Afterwards her and I went out for a delicious samaki (fish) dinner to refuel ourselves.

Friday morning I went to see the Mamas again and helped them make some chappatis for the breakfast program. Later on in the day I finalized the Charity Ball Application for funding and made a trip to the post office to send it off.

On Saturday I made another trip to the market to see if a few more people would let me take pictures of their shops/ stands. For some reason this time it was a bit easier to convince people to let me take some pictures…maybe because it was the weekend or maybe my negotiations skills in Swahili had improved. In the evening I went to a birthday party as 3 of my friends were turning 40 within the same week.

On Sunday I headed to Nygezzi Beach with some of my friends. Later on in the evening I went to a BBQ and met some more teachers from Isamilo International School. Some of the teachers are on the Mwanza Grand Charity Ball Committee so I managed to put in a good word so that we can hopefully get funding again this year. I also managed to talk to the Headmaster of the school (Iain) and his wife (kate) about setting up a meeting to possibly sell probiotic yogurt at the school cafeteria.

All in all, it was a good, productive week!

Weeki Kuni Na Tatu (Week Thirteen)

2009-10-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

On Monday I made my usual visit to the yogurt kitchen to visit the Yogurt Mamas and to collect the monthly expense budget. When I arrived Mama Paskwalina was the only Mama working since some of the other Mamas were sick and the rest were making chapattis, chai and mandazis for the Mtoni High School Students. Mama Paskwalina was looking a bit tired and worn down herself so I asked her if she was feeling ok. She told me that she also had malaria but she wanted to make sure that there were enough people at work to make sure that the yogurt was made. I can’t believe sometimes how hardworking and dedicated these women are. I stayed for a few hours and helped Mama Paskwalina make and serve the probiotic yogurt so that she wouldn’t ware herself down. After the majority of batches of yogurt were made for the day I reminded Mama Paskwalina to not work to hard and to make sure that she got some rest and headed off to the Kivulini Office to inquire about some project financial matters. While I was at Kivulini I chatted a bit with some of the staff and helped Mama Justa with some of her computer and printing problems. I was successfully able to assist her and she thanked me for the help.
After visiting Kivulini I headed off into town to the big market to grab some groceries. I realized this time when I entered the market how much more comfortable I am with the culture here, the language and doing things all on my own. At first it can be a bit scary venturing out into an unfamiliar atmosphere where the culture and language are quite different than what you are used to but I feel as though now I am quite comfortable and can get by pretty easily.
For the rest of the afternoon and evening I worked on a proposal for funding from that Mwanza Charity Ball and wrote some emails to send off the next day.

On Tuesday morning I took a piki piki (motorcycle taxi) to Buswelu Elementary School to visit the Headmaster Leonard. The purpose of my visit was to go with Leonard to inquire about getting some desks made for the school from the money that was fundraised by the Tecumseh students in London, Ontario. The piki piki ride was quite long and relaxing, especially through the rural Buswelu area. The ride ended up being quite a funny adventure. At one point we were dodging herds goats and cows that were spread out all over the road and later on there were a group of children that chased us down the road yelling ‘Mzungu’ as they waved at me with excited grins on their faces….life is never boring here in Tanzania.
When I got to the school I was warmly greeted by a group of students who were reading outside. The students walked me over to Leonard’s office and we chatted about their studies along the way. When I arrived at Leonard’s office I found him hidden between numerous piles of papers. He looked quite busy. As I mentioned before, the Buswelu teachers and Headmaster are very overworked and tend to have overwhelming workloads due to lack of funding and extremely high student to teacher ratios. We sat and chatted for a while and then I offered to help him with some of his work. Leonard explained that he was preparing and sending off his standard seven student’s applications for their national exams to enter high school. I helped him organize the exams and pin them together for about an hour until we were all finished. Soon after Leonard received some unexpected visitors and told me that we would have to wait a little longer to go and inquire about the desks. I told him not to worry. I am now used to the way things work here…sometimes a visit or a task that you think will only take a short time, ends up taking much longer than expected. I almost plan now for interruptions and delays and I tend to only schedule one meeting per day/ plan for one task a day since it often works out that there are long delays or unexpected things that arise throughout the day. Although this can be frustrating at times, it is actually kind of nice sometimes to practice my patients and to learn to be more flexible and easy-going (not that I had a problem doing this before).
During the wait, I ended up being able to sit in on a standard one class for about an hour while I waited for Leonard to finish with his visitors. I was introduced to the class and all of the students warmly greeted me saying “Good morning teacher, how are you? We are fine thank you. Welcome!”….it was pretty cute. Then I watched their English lesson for a little while as they copied some sentences that the teacher wrote on the board. Afterwards I helped the teacher mark some of the student’s notebooks before they went out for recess. During recess, mwalimu (teacher) Helena and I sat and had some chai and chapattis together and discussed our families, and some of the differences between school in Canada and Tanzania. When recess (pumziko) was over the students came back into class for music lessons (song and dance time). It was really nice to listen to the students sing some traditional songs and to dance some traditional dances.
When Leonard was finished he came to get me and apologized for the wait. I told him not to worry, that I had really enjoyed my morning at the school.
The two of us headed off on the daladala to visit the local carpenter (). When we arrived we discussed which desks would be suitable for the school and the budget and cost of the desks with the head carpenter. We ordered 13 double seater desks with the money from the Tecumseh students!
During our meeting earlier that morning Leonard also mentioned that the school was in need of some more stationary and teaching supplies so Leonard and I headed off to the stationary shop in town to spend the rest of the money raised by the Tecumseh students on these much needed supplies. After purchasing a bulk order of stationary, pens, pencils, glue and other school supplies I sent Leonard off in a taxi with his big box of supplies. He thanked me numerous times and kept saying “God bless you and the students and teachers in Canada, we would have nothing if it were not for your help”. I reminded him that I was just a messenger and that the thanks should go to the students and teachers at Tecumseh Public School.
After parting ways with Leonard I headed off to Kivulini to finalize the financial matters for the project and to pick up some documents for me to edit. Since I have a little extra time on my hands now that I am living alone I have decided to volunteer a little bit more at Kivulini. So far my volunteer tasks have consisted of editing documents and assisting with the writing and preparation of community handbooks that assist in educating local community members about domestic violence and how to prevent and manage violence in their communities. I spent the rest of the evening working on the kivulini documents.

On Wednesday morning I met up with my friend Kate who was working in Buswelu at one of the orphanages so that I could bring her to the yogurt kitchen to show her the facilities. When we arrived at the kitchen Mama Leah and Mama Cecila were very happy to see us. They mentioned that they were a little short on help because some of the Mamas had to attend a funeral. Kate and I offered to help them make yogurt for a little while and then we headed to Mtoni to assist with making some chapattis for the breakfast program. The Mamas warmly welcomed Kate and we all taught her how to make the chapattis. During our discussions while making chapattis I was trying to figure out who had pass away but because of the language barrier, I was unsure as to who had passed. We all discussed that it was better that we have our scheduled meeting the following day rather then that evening because of the funeral. After making the chapattis and serving the students, the Mamas served Kate and I some of the food with some tea. The Mamas served me a generous helping of 2 chapattis and a mandazi with some delicious chai. I ate it all after eating breakfast that morning and when I was finished the Mamas offered me more and I said no thank you because I was full. It was pretty funny because Mama Paskwalina said (in Swahili of course), “Melissa, why do you eat so little? You are too skinny. Why don’t you want to be fat like me”. Then the other Mamas joined in and started talking about how I was getting too skinny and how they have to fatten me up with yogurt and chapattis before I got home. Kate and I were laughing really hard because although I have lost about 5-10lbs here, I definitely am not too skinny. I actually eat way more here then I do at home. This is another cultural thing that is quite different from back in Canada. It is actually a good thing to be a little bit plump here, to Tanzanians it is a sign of health. It is very common here for people to call you fat with a big smile on their faces, thinking that they are giving you a complement.
After our fun morning at the kitchen, Kate returned to Buswelu to do some work on the orphanage library and I headed to Kivulini to help work on the domestic violence booklet. Afterwards I headed to the bank to try to deposit a project cheque. After walking all the way to the bank, I realized that the bank closed at 3pm and it was 3:15…just missed it. I sometimes forget that unlike at home where we have many 24hour conveniences, shops, banks and offices often close much earlier here.
Since the bank was closed, I headed off to the post office to mail the Charity Ball application that I had completed earlier that day. After that I made my usual trip to the internet café and came home to study Swahili.
At 7pm, one of the boys that I used to work with at Kivulini (Livi) came over for an English lesson. Livi is 19 years old and used to be a part of one of Kivulini’s youth groups called Tuelimishane. Now Livi works doing research for Kivulini and other NGOs in the area. He speaks English very well but asked mme to teach him how to write better and how to use proper grammar. Our lesson lasted about an hour and then we chatted for a bit. Afterwards I went to sleep since I was exhausted from such a long day.

On Thursday I went to visit the Mamas at the kitchen and at Mtoni. Afterwards I went to visit the Headmaster at Mtoni High School to drop off some of the pictures that I had printed of our last visit there with the teachers and students. I also wanted to inquire about the progress of the sign that was being built for the school as a donation from the Clarke Road students in London. I also needed to schedule a time to go and purchase school supplies, teaching resources and science equipment from the remainder of the funds sent by Clarke Road.
After visiting for about an hour I headed into town to try to go to the bank again. So far this was my 5th time going to the bank to try to attempt to deposit a cheque into the project account. It seems as though each time I went they told me I needed something else to deposit the cheque. I was really hoping that this time would be the last time that I would have to return to the bank for this purpose. Once again, I was told that I needed another official stamp from Saint Augustine University. I was a little, no, very frustrated at this point because the original teller should have told me all of the procedures that I had to go through from the beginning to deposit a cheque and each teller seemed to want something different so I asked the current teller to write a list of all the things I need to deposit the cheque and I made him sign it because I was tired of wasting my time.
I worked out my frustrations on my walk home from the bank and headed home to prepare for the meeting that we were having with the Mamas.
The meeting with the Mamas ended up being very informative and productive as usual. Alex and I really tried to make the meeting more of a motivational one to try to get the Mamas thinking about the future of the project and their importance in the success of the project. We stressed the importance of them taking the marketing of their product in their own hands in order to expand their business.
In the evening I has planned to do some more work and blogging on my computer but the power was out again and my battery was dead so I ended up studying Swahili by candlelight then I relaxed and read a book for the rest of the night.

On Friday I went to the Yogurt Kitchen to collect the membership cards that Mama Cecilia had filled out for me so that I could laminate them and cut them into cards. While at the kitchen I helped the Mamas with some of their month end recordkeeping and accounting. I then went home to work on some project documents. While I was at the kitchen, the Mamas spoke to me and I realized that the funeral that they had attended during the week was actually for another one of Mama Joyce’s children. I was heartbroken when I heard this because Mama Joyce had lost two of her children and her mother within a month and a half. I could not even fathom the pain that she was feeling. The Mamas informed me that they were having another ceremony the next day and that they would like it if I came. They also gave me a kenga that they had bought for me to wear at the ceremony. It is tradition here in Tanzania for those associated with each other to wear matching kengas to a funeral. They told me that since I was a part of their group that I should wear the kenga. It was actually quite beautiful.
Later that evening I went over to my friend Liz’s house for a good old All American Mac and Cheese dinner. I was really excited for this since cheese is really rare and expensive here and it is one of my favorite foods. The dinner was delicious and I enjoyed some good times with my friends.

On Saturday morning I headed off to Mabatini to attend the funeral ceremony at Mama Joyce’s house. When I arrived the Mamas were working hard cooking food for the hundreds of people who were going to show up later on in the day. I asked if I could help and they set me up with a bucket of onions to peel with some of the younger girls. There were about 20 younger girls that were there helping as well and they loved that I was helping them. For a good part of the morning we all peeled onions and tomatoes and had funny conversations in both Swahili and English. The girls asked me to teach them some English so I sat with them for hours preparing food and teaching them random words and sentences. Later on more children came and soon I had a group of about 40 children surrounding me yelling “Melissa, how do you say this…” and “take a picture of me…” and all kinds of other things. As much as I love kids it was a little tiring and overwhelming but I got through the morning and then joined Mama Joyce and the other women for a couple of song and prayer ceremonies. Then the other Mamas and I all got together to help serve the food that we had been cooking that morning. Just like last time the men and the women were separated for the funeral ceremonies and participated in different rituals. I really did not know what to say to Mama Joyce because I couldn’t even begin to imagine the hurt and pain that she was experiencing so I just sat beside her and held her hand and tried to join in in the singing of the mourning songs. She looked so empty, so numb…I wished that there was something more I could do.
After spending most of the day at the funeral ceremony I went home and slept for a little while since I was exhausted from all of the running around.
Later on in the evening I went out for dinner with my friends at La Kairo Hotel and joined my friend Nadia for some dancing since it was her last night in Mwanza.

On Sunday morning I met my friends Salome and Sophie at the International School for some swimming. I had not yet visited the school even though many of my friends and people that I know around town work there. I also hadn’t swam in a while so I was a little nervous. Sophie explained to me that she has just learned to swim this year and Salome told me that she did not know how to swim and she asked me to teach her. Even though Tanzania is right on the shore of the second largest lake in the world I find that many Tanzanians do not know how to swim. I guess most people do not have the luxury of taking swimming lessons when they are kids as most of us at home do. We had a great afternoon together. I taught Sophie how to float and how to dive and she practiced her swimming skills. With Salome, I tried to start of with teaching her how to float but for some reason it was not her forte…she just kept on sinking. So, we worked on swimming in short spurts and getting used to going under the water. I tried to think back to when I first learned how to swim but it was so long ago that I almost can’t remember when I started. I also remember having the luxury of being able to use water wings and flutter boards to get me use to the water.
After a long afternoon of laughing and swimming in the pool Salome invited me to her home to meet her two adopted sons and to see her farm animals. It was about a 20 minute walk to Salome’s house up a really large hill with numerous homes built along the way. Of course because it is rare for the people living in her area to see white people everyone stared at me and yelled Mzungu at me. I even had one little girls run up to me and grab my hand and walk the whole way with me.
When we reached the top of the hill (where Salome’s house is) I was quite out of breath from the hike up there. We sat outside for a bit and took in the beautiful view from her house.
When we go to Salome’s quaint little house she introduced me to her two adopted sons. Salome is 30 years old and is single and really loves children so she adopts local street children who are in need of a safe place to stay. She take in however many children she can afford to raise at the time. Right now she has the funds to support 2 children. She told me that she gives them the freedom that they need and want and provides them with food, clothing, school fees and supplies as well as a safe place to stay. She says she gives them rules and if they follow them then they are welcome to stay but if they keep breaking them or do not want to stay then they are free to leave at any time. Salome explained that she loves her children and loves being a mother and that the two boys that she is raising right now (ages 12 and 14) have been with her for about 3 years. She says that the boys respect her and that they love each other like a true family.
It was so nice to see someone who by no means is rich or has any kind of luxury, share what little she has with others. I really admire and look up to Salome. She is truly a kind, caring and loving individual.
It was really neat because Salome was so excited to show me her goat and her two ducks because she has saved enough money to purchase them herself. Her next goal is to save enough money to build another small house for her two adopted sons and her.
I really enjoyed my afternoon with Salome and her family.

Weeki Kumi na Mbili (Week Twelve)

2009-09-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that it has already been three months since I’ve been here…time sure does fly by…
Monday morning Ashley and I headed over to the yogurt kitchen to see the Mamas. Ashley also had to put up posters for her health benefits study that she was finishing that week. When we got to the kitchen only Mama Sabina was working in the kitchen and she said that 5 of the Mamas were sick with malaria, typhoid, amoebas, etc. and they really needed our help with the breakfast program and making yogurt. After hearing the news that the Mamas were really short on help, Ashley went straight to Mtoni to help make chapattis for the breakfast program and I stayed at the yogurt to help Mama Sabina make yogurt. For some reason this year it seems that everyone has been more sick than usual, even the local people. No wonder Ashley, Jon and I had been sick so much.
Ashley and I spent the rest of the morning and part of the early afternoon helping out until the Mamas caught up on their work schedule. It was really nice to spend time in the kitchen just Mama Sabina and I. She is often very quiet and shy and I was able to spend some time getting to know her. Turns out she is really quite funny once she opens up. We spent a lot of time conversing and laughing while making yummy yogurt!
Once the Mamas were all caught up with their work Ashley and I headed over to the Mtoni High School as we had planed to visit the Headmaster earlier that morning. We brought with us some more sports equipment (soccer balls) that were donated by Clarke Road High School in London, Ontario and were able to give them to the students. We also talked to the Headmaster about the Mtoni School Sign that the Clarke Road students fundraised money for. We wanted to see if it the sign been made yet and if they were finished constructing it. The Headmaster told us that it was not quite finished yet and that he would let us know when it was finished. We also discussed the possibility of heading into town to purchase school supplies, books and science equipment with the remainder of the funds raised by the students at Clarke Road. The Headmaster informed us that he was very busy but would give us a call when he had the time to go and purchase supplies. Ashley spent some time talking with the Headmaster since it was most likely the last time she would see him before going home to Canada.
After our visit to Mtoni we went back to the kitchen to meet Mama Elizabeth so that we could all go to the bank together to work out a small financial matter that had come up. It was great because Mama Elizabeth packed a bucket full of 1L yogurt containers to sell to the workers at the bank. She told us that every time she goes to the bank she tires to bring some yogurt to sell…what a good way to market the yogurt! The bucket was pretty heavy so Ashley and I took turns carrying it for Mama Elizabeth. When Mama Elizabeth was carrying the bucket she was carrying it on her head which actually makes the load feel quite a bit lighter so Ash and I each took turns trying to carry it on our heads. Of course, we on’t have the skill and balance quite like the ladies here so we had to hold it on our heads but we walked the whole 20 minute walk like that.
Later on in the afternoon we returned went to meet up with our friend Geoff (the other SDF intern who was working in Sengerema) since he was spending his last night in Mwanza before he headed off to Zanzibar and then home to Edmonton. Geoff and Ashley wanted to go and get some souvenirs and gifts for friends and family before they went home so we all went to the market in search of local art, crafts, scarves and Masai blankets. I also had to pick up some groceries so it was the perfect time to all take a trip to the market…As I’ve said before, going to the market is always quite an adventure. This time Geoff showed us a place hidden away in the centre of the market where you can buy really cheap and good quality souvenir items. We spent a while bargaining with the local vendors and conversing about this, that and everything. We then went on a search for scarves for Ashley to buy her friends and family. I know a special little place that sells scarves in this small nook down this tiny ally in the market so I took both of them there. It was quite unfortunate because on our journey through the small ally way a man was coming though with a shipment of goods and I tried to move out of the way and didn’t make it in time and I got wailed in the face with a box. It really hurt but it didn’t end up leaving a mark. I find that the way movement and transportation works here is quite interesting…when people are working they tend to never stop for anything. And the rule is, whether you are a pedestrian or traveling in/ on some sort of vehicle, the rule tends to be whoever is bigger wins and you better watch out…I guess I was in the way..lol!
That evening we all went to one of our favorite Indian restaurants in town, Diners. It was our friend Eyla’s last night in town as well so Eyla, Geoff, Ashley, Kate and I all went to have a delicious meal.
That evening Dr. David Cechetto from the university of Western Ontario also called me to inform me that he had made it to Mwanza to come and visit the yogurt project. David has been working on and off in Kigali, Rwanda for the past 10 years in the health sector and was coming to view the project so that he could possibly assist us with setting up a project in Rwanda. I actually get to travel to Kigali, Rwanda with three other interns in October to start to set up contacts so that we can see if a probiotic yogurt project will be feasible. I am very excited to go since I have always been fascinated with the history of Rwanda. It will be nice to visit another country in East Africa.

In the morning Ashley headed off to Nyakato to continue her health benefits study and I headed to Tilapia Hotel to meet Dr. Cecetto. David and I sat down for a while and got to know each other a little bit and then we made a plan for the day so that he could see as much of the project as possible. We planned to visit the yogurt kitchen, the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and Saint Augustine University (SAUT).
When we got to the yogurt kitchen, Mama Joyce was working away all on her own as some of the mamas were still very sick. I explained to David that there are usually at least two of the Mamas working at one time but many of the Mamas had been ill that week. It was great that Mama Joyce was working though because she knows how to speak quite a bit of English and since Dr. Cecetto only knows a few words in Swahili, this was perfect. Mama Joyce and I showed him the facilities and explained to him the procedure for making the probiotic yogurt. We also explained what equipment and supplies were needed for the kitchen and what some of the daily and monthly expenses were. We also talked about the plans for the new kitchen site at Nyamhongoro and our plans for dairy production with the cows that had recently been purchases. After tasting some of the yogurt and spending about an hour discussing the yogurt project as a whole, David and I decided to go and visit the rest of the Mamas around the corner at Mtoni High School. I wanted David to be able to see some of the spin-off community outreach programs that are also run through the program.
The rest of the Mamas greeted David very warmly and served us some chai and mandazies. I explained how the breakfast program worked and told David about how WHE interns are often the liaisons between schools at home (Tecumseh and Clarke Road) who fundraise for schools in the Mwanza community. I also explained a bit about the Mamas training in community counseling, especially related to women’s rights and HIV/AIDS. David seemed to be quite pleased with the project as a whole.
Our next stop was NIMR so that I could show David where the probiotic culture is cultivated and stored. David wanted to see what equipment and training would be needed to facilitate probiotic production in Kigali. We met up with Simon, the main lab technician at NIMR and he showed us around the lad. Simon was very good at explaining the entire procedure for probiotic yogurt cultivation and he was able to show us all of the equipment that is utilized during this process. David was able to take some pictures and to videotape some of the procedures which was great.
After visiting NIMR we decided to take a short break for lunch. I offered to take David out for lunch since I know many good local spots but he had to get back to Tilapia to work on his motorbike (piki piki). Dr. Cecetto and his son Luke flew into Arusha and travelled all over Tanzanian on motorbikes. The next day they would be leaving for Kigali, then Nairobi, some other places and back to Arusha so they had to get their bikes in good shape to go...what an adventure!
David and I met up again later on in the afternoon so that we could head to SAUT and meet with our project director, George Mutalemwa. It was really nice because David got to see a bit more of the Mwanza area since SAUT is a little bit of a drive out of town. When we got to SAUT we met George at the school canteen (cafeteria). Over sodas and water we talked about the role of SAUT in the probiotic project. George explained his position at the University and explained about the different programs that arer offered at the University. George explained that part of his position is to act as a liaison for Western students. He also talked about the administrative role that SAUT has taken on and their future plans for student exchanges and course credit acquisition. Other topics that we discussed were SAUT student internships and research opportunities for the University. After talking for about an hour David and I headed back to Tilapia to meet his son Luke.
We decided that we would all (Dr. Cecetto, Luke, Myself, Ashley and Esther (the SAUT student that was helping her with her study)) go out for dinner at Isamilo Lodge. We had a great dinner and had great conversations about our experiences and knowledge of Rwanda and Tanzania. We also talked about possible partnership opportunities in Rwanda. David and Luke had made quite a few connections in Rwanda and were very willing to set up appointments for us. It was great because Luke explained how is is working with the Minister of Gender and Children and that he would set us up with an appointment with her. Turns out that Luke and I actually went to the same high school as well back in Canada but we didn’t go there at the same time because he is a few years older than me. It’s funny though because we found out that we actually have some of the same friends….what a small world! After dinner we said goodbye and wished David and Luke safari njema (good travels) since they were leaving early the next morning for Kigali.

On Wednesday morning Ashley and I headed back to the kitchen and Mtoni to help out again. It was nice for both Ashley and I to spend so much time with the Mamas this week since Ashley was leaving on Friday…She is really going to miss the Mamas…who wouldn’t, they are such lovely ladies! We made chapattis all morning and for part of the afternoon and then headed to the clinic since I still felt tired and a little malarius. Ashley also wanted to get a checkup before she went home to make sure that she was malaria, worms, typhoid and amoeba free.
Luckily neither one of us had anything! The doctor just told me that since I had malaria for 3 weeks and that I was on 2 different medications that my body was still recovering.
In the evening we headed back to the apartment to have our weekly meeting with the Mamas. We had rescheduled from the usual Monday time slot since so many of the Mamas were sick.

Thursday was Ashley’s last full day in Mwanza so I decided to dedicate my day to her to do whatever she needed to do and to go wherever she wanted to go. I told her that I would be her personal assistant for the day because I knew that there was so much she wanted to do. In the morning we went to the market to buy some last minute gifts and items. Later on in the morning we met up with our friend Mussa who is a tailor (fundi) to retrieve the 20 (ishirini) or so bags (pouchi/ mfuko) he had made for Ashley to take home and sell for our WHE fundraisers. Next we went to Kivulini’s new office (now located at Kivulini Kitchen in Isamilo) so that Ash could say bye to Maimuna (the director/ our neighbor) and the rest of the Kivulini staff who are always very helpful and friendly. Next we went to Ashley’s other fundi to pick up some clothes (nguo) that he made her and to say goodbye to him and all of the other fundis who work in the shop with him. Next we hit up the internet café so that Ashley could confirm her flights and make sure that she would be at the airport at the right time the next morning (not that she would mind if she missed her flight cause she didn’t want to leave but she was on her way to Egypt to visit family and then off to Canada to finish school). Ashley still hadn’t packed anything up yet so she went home to pack while I went to Tunza to do some yoga and relax a bit.
Later on I came home so that Ashley and I could meet up with all of our friends for her goodbye dinner and party. When I got home Ashley was all flustered because she still hadn’t packed anything and the power went out so she couldn’t see anything. So I helped her for a bit and then we went out. Ash still hadn’t packed much but we planned on staying up all night packing. Our friend Kate stayed over at our place so we all stayed up to help her pack.

Friday morning was kind of hectic since Kate and I had only slept for a few hours and Ash had only slept for about 20 minutes. I was really sad to see Ashley go and I knew that she was very sad too. But we both knew that just like me, she’ll be back to Mwanza again sometime soon. I helped Ashley gather the rest of her things and carry her suitcases out the door. Mama Joyce came to see her off too so we all headed to the airport. Ashley got all checked in and Mama Joyce and I returned to Mlango Moja (my neighborhood).
I came home and ate some breakfast and headed out the door again to go to SAUT to meet George about the project bank account.
Later on in the day I headed down to the immigration office since my visa was going to expire in a few days.

I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and hanging out with friends since the week was so hectic and crazy. On Sunday I even went tubing in Lake Victoria…so much fun!

Weeki Kumi na Moja (Week Eleven)

2009-09-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I was still feeling pretty tired (choka) and icky from the Malaria so I took it easy for the first part of the morning (asubuhi). Later on in the morning Ashley and I headed off to the yogurt kitchen to see the Mamas and to see if there was anything (kitu chochote) that they needed. Later Ashley and I came home for lunch. We ate tomatoes (nyanya) and avocado (parachichi) with lentils (dengu) and balsamic vinegar (siki)…one of our frequent favorites! After lunch I worked on finishing the packaging label (kitambulisho) by adding the suggestions from the Mamas. Later on in the afternoon (mchana) Ashley and I headed to Tilapia Hotel to use the internet to send project emails. We were supposed to have our weekly meeting (mkutano) in the morning but we had to cancel it because Alex unfortunately had to attend the funeral (mazishi) of one of his colleagues. I really can’t believe the number of funerals that I have had to go to here and all the ones I have heard about. They are definitely way more frequent than at home. It’s quite depressing to compare and contrast the causes of death and the amount of people who die here from preventable causes. For me, thinking about these differences really clarifies the quite obvious inequities (kutokuwana sawa) between the ‘Western World’ and a country such as Tanzania in health care, food availability and safety standards.
After plunkin around on the internet for a while, Ashley and I returned home to do some organizing (mpanga) and household chores (kazi ya chosha)…it was that time of the week again where we had to wash our underwear using laundry soap (sabuni) and a bucket (ndoo)! So much fun…NOT…lol!

On Tuesday I stayed home and worked on the membership card documentation system. Later in the morning Ashley and I headed to the kitchen to see the Mamas. Most of the Mamas were at the kitchen when we arrived so we all sat down (kaa) and chatted for a while. We had some very funny conversations (mazungumzo) with the Mamas as Ashley and the Mama’s retold the story (hadithi) of when the thieves (mwizi) stole their packaging in Kenya. We sat and chatted for about an hour (saa moja) and near the end (mwisho) of our conversation I realized just how much mine and Ashley’s Swahili had improved…We were able to carry out a full hour long conversation all in Swahili! It was awesome! Ashley has seemed to catch on pretty quickly with the Swahili, she almost knows as much as I do. I think that she is a very fast learner when it comes to languages and I think it helps that she knows a bit of Arabic because many Swahili words are derived from that language (lugha). We headed back home later on in the afternoon. The malaria still seemed to be dragging me down so I had to rest (pumzika) a little bit. In the evening Pendo’s (our housekeeper) son Hassan came over for some computer lessons (msomo ya Computa). I spent a long while with him teaching him how to use Mircosoft Word. We started with just the basics like centering, bold, italics, underlying, using tabs etc. While I was teaching Hassan, I tried to remember (kumbuka) the first time that I used Microsoft Word or a program like it…it really was so long ago that I literally could not remember. It made me really realize how sometimes I take the many skills (ustandi) I have learned and the open access that I have had to many forms of technology for granted.

On Wednesday I was feeling quite dizzy and blah. When you have malaria it is not the best idea to be walking all over the place in the blistering heat so I decided to stay home and work on some documents (hati) for our master plan. Later in the afternoon I felt a bit better so I headed out to buy a bulk load of stationary supplies for the Buswelu Elementary School that we would be visiting the next day. I had about 200, 000TSH (~$180.00 CAN) to spend on these supplies (vifaa). Since items are so cheap to buy here I was able to purchase about 400 notebooks, 50 pens, 50 pencils and some sharpeners with the fundraised money. What a deal! Since there were so many supplies I had to take a couple of trips to the stationary stores in town. By the end of the day I was pooped!

Thankfully, I felt much better on Thursday so Ashley and I headed off to Buswelu Elementary School that is a little ways outside of town to bring the stationary supplies that the Tecumseh Public School Students fundraised for the teachers and students. When we arrived we went to the ‘teachers lounge’ and said hello to all of the teachers. Then we headed off to Leonard Chinyele’s (the headmaster’s) office to greet him and drop off the supplies. I was surprised because Mr. Chinyele actually remembered me from two years before. He greeted us very warmly and we sat down and chatted for a while. Soon after, Hellena, one of the head teachers (mwalinu) came in and greeted us as well. Both Hellena and the Healdmaster were so thankful and pleased that we brought the huge box of school supplies that were donated by the Tecumseh Elementary School in Canada. Leornard and Hellena explained that they were in dire need of such supplies since they were receiving very little funding from the government and their students were unable to purchase notebooks and writing supplies for themselves. We chatted for a while about the school, the students and the teachers. Apparently there are over 1300 students at the small school and only 28 teachers! There is quite a shortage on space, furniture and supplies but the teachers seem to make due with what they have. Leonard explained to us that they have a plan to build another school to house half of the students because they are currently way over capacitated. The only problem is funding….so they will wait until 2010 or 2011 so that they have enough time to come up with the funds. After our long chat we took a tour of the school so that Ashley could see the school for the first time and so that I could see the few changes that have been made at the school. We visited a few classrooms and when we walked in the students greeted us (in sync) saying “Good morning teacher. How are you? I am fine thank you”. Afterwards Ashley and I spoke to them in Swahili a bit, asking them how their studies were going. They seemed a little surprised that the Mzungus could speak Swahili but they seemed to enjoy it. Next, we headed to the Memkwa class building. The Memkwa program is a program that is run by the Tanzanian government to try to get children back in school who have not yet completed their primary studies. These children are between the ages of 11-18 and are encouraged to return to school to finish their primary education. We were told that some children are not able to/ do not finish their studies because they are forced to work at an early age to support themselves or their families or because they do not have the funds for school books and uniforms. Therefore the Tanzanian government has created a special program that sponsors these children to return to school. Just like the regular classes though, the Memkwa classes are quite over capacitated and lack many of the necessary learning and teaching supplies.
After visiting most of the classrooms, Leonard took us to visit one of the retired teachers who lives on the school grounds at Buswelu. He told me that I would probably remember her since she was still working the last time that I visited Buswelu a few years back. As soon as I saw the teacher (I still can’t remember her name) I instantly remembered her. She is a very kind and loving individual although at first glance she appears quite burly and tough. We then returned to the school office to plan our next meeting where we would go and order some desks to be made by the local carpenter for the school. The students at Tecumseh Elementary School in Canada had worked extra hard all year to fundraise a large some of money to be put towards buying desks for Buselweu. We set up our appointment, said goodbye to all of the teachers and students and were off to Mabatini to visit the Mamas.
Ashley and I headed to the kitchen to give the Mamas their new kengas (skirt wraps) that Ashley had purchased for them as compensation for participating in her sensory evaluation study. Since the Mamas were in need of matching uniforms anyways, Ashley decided to buy them all kengas that matched their work t-shirts. The Mamas were so happy to receive their gift and of course they sang and danced to celebrate and to thank Ashley for her generosity. While we were there I handed over a printed copy of the membership cards to the Mamas to see if they approved the writing on the cards and design of the cards. After looking them over the Mamas told me that they were quite pleased with the cards. We stayed at the kitchen for a little while longer and then headed home to have dinner and work on some project documents.

On Friday my friend Elya who was doing work at one of the orphanages in Buswelu decided to join me for the day to see the yogurt project and to see what kind of work I do on a daily basis. I thought that it would be good to expose as many people as possible to our project and it was nice to have her along for some company. Ashley was meeting with Esther to work on her study so it was just Elya and I for the day. Elya and I first visited the Jiko La Jamii (community kitchen) to see the project and to taste some of the yummy yogurt and then we headed off to Mtoni High School to visit the rest of the Mamas who were running the breakfast program. While I was there I was able to chat with some of the Mamas about some project matters. The Mamas were very welcoming and hospitable (as usual) and served us some chai (tea), chapattis and mandazis (donut type things). In the afternoon we headed home to see what Ashley was up to. Later on in the evening Ashley, Elya and I went out for dinner to the delicious Samaki Place and later joined some of our friends at Tilaipa Hotel for so relaxation time.

Elya decided to stay with us for the weekend so that she could run some errands and tour around town a bit. So on Saturday Ashley and I spend a good part of the day showing Elya around and taking her to the market. That evening we (Ashley, Elya and I) were all in the kitchen making dinner together and we heard a knock at the door. It was Teddy, one of the Kivulini Ladies who works downstairs. Teddy was all dressed up in a beautiful dress and was asking us what we were doing. Turns out that that the Kivulini ladies had invited us to a wedding about a month before and we had forgotten about it….whoopsie! Since Ashley and I were in our pajamas we had to quickly get ready and meet the ladies down the street at the hotel. We asked Elya if she wanted to join us but she did not want to come so we threw on our dresses and headed out the door. We were laughing because neither of us had ever had to get ready that fast before for a wedding and we managed to be out the door within fifteen minutes. It was nice because I had an occasion to wear my new African dress that I had purchased.
The wedding was very beautiful and lively. It was really nice to see a local wedding. I really liked how everyone sang and danced the entire time and how the bride, groom and rest of the wedding party danced down the isle. Although it was very neat to see a Tanzanian wedding, it was a little strange because we did not know the couple getting married, we only knew about 3 of the ladies from Kivulini. It was also strange because the MC for the wedding kept mentioning ‘the mzungus’ and Ashley and I were clearly the only Mzungus there. I also was still not feeling 100% from the malaria so we ended up leaving early.

We spent most of Sunday resting and did a little bit of work on the internet.

Weeki Kumi (Week Ten)

2009-08-28T02:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday I spent the morning at the apartment working on creating a label that would fit the new packaging. Even though I’m not the most artistic person (as most people know), I was pleased with the outcome of the 3 samples of labeling that I created. I made 3 different designs so that the Mamas could choose which one they liked best. Later on in the day Alex and the Mamas came over for our weekly meeting. We spent the majority of the meeting debriefing about the big Steering Committee Meeting on Friday since only 2 of the Mamas attended the meeting. Later on in the evening I spent some time with my neighbor Nyasa and her boyfriend who had just flown in from New York City to come and visit her.

On Tuesday I headed off to the yogurt kitchen and Mtoni High School to visit the Mamas and to help them make chapattis again for the breakfast program. Helping the Mamas with the breakfast program is one of my favorite things to do since it gives me time to hang out with the Mamas and just chat. It is nice because I am able to catch up with the Mamas on their personal lives as well as project matters while helping them out a little.
Later on I came home to the apartment to print out the label samples to bring to the Mamas the next day and I spent a little while finalizing and fine-tuning the membership cards for the new documentation system for the subsidized yogurt that is given to people living with HIV/AIDS.
In the late afternoon my friend Nyasa invited me to go with her, some of the other kivulini volunteers and her boyfriend Scott to visit one of the local organizations that our friend Musiba runs. The organization is called WW Talent Camp, which stands for Wote Wanaweza Talent Camp. Wote Wanaweza means ‘Everyone Can’ which suits the name of the organization since they promote self confidence, cooperation, learning, and growth through various artistic means. Our friend Musiba is just 27 years old and is a local artist who started WW Talent Camp last year. He told us that he recognized a need for extracurricular activities for the youth in his community to keep kids out of trouble and off of the streets. He thought that the best way to do that would to start a local community club where youth could come together to guide, teach and learn from one another. Since music, art and drama are his passion he decided to create WW talent camp where youth could focus on building their skills and confidence through signing, dancing, arts and crafts as well as martial arts and drama. Currently there are 52 members of WW talent camp and they meet every weekday from 3-6pm to learn, share and practice. Musiba directs the camp everyday and makes sure that he takes time out of every day to talk about local community issues and to provide advice and guidance to the rest of the group. He told us that many of their performances are centered around local community issues which include topics such as HIV/AIDS, youth pregnancies, and domestic violence. samaki place for dinner for Nyasa’s going away dinner. The WW Talent Camp currently pays for their supplies, production costs and equipment (stereos, radios, CDs, movie budgets etc.) out of their own pockets since they do not have a sponsor. Musiba expressed to us all that he would like to eventually find a sponsor so that they can expand the camp and possibly have enough funds to produce a full feature film that they can sell on the local market.
When we arrived at the camp we were warmly welcomed by about 15 of the WW Talent Camp members who were waiting to perform for us. They had 5 chairs set up for us and were all ready to present the various art forms that they had put together. The performance lasted about an hour and a half as the members showed us samples of all of the pieces that they have put together. It was amazing because we got to watch them do traditional Sukuma dances, Tarabu dances, martial arts, different drama skts and we got to hear them sing various styles of music including local Bongo Flava, Gospel, Reggae, Tarabu and Hip Hop….What a talented group! It was neat too because our friend Musiba even performed a few reggae songs for us. He was amazing! Musiba explained after that he has actually recorded some of his music in a studio and has produced a CD. He ended up giving me a copy of his CD and it is absolutely brilliant! I listen to it almost every day. In the evening we all went out for dinner at the good old samaki place so that Scott could get a taste of some local food. He seemed to really enjoy the fresh grilled tilapia with rice just as much as we did.

On Wednesday I took Scott, Nyasa’s boyfriend, to the yogurt kitchen, Mtoni high school and all around town so that he could have a tour of Mwanza. While I was at the kitchen I brought the print outs of the labels that I had made and asked them to choose which one they liked best. Four of the Mamas liked one design and six of them liked the other. I decided to go with the majority vote since that’s the one that Ashley and I liked best as well.
Since it was Nyasa’s last night, we all went to Tilapia Hotel for dinner and met up with all of our friends to say goodbye. I was really sad to see Nyasa go as she had become one of my best friends here in Mwanza. Her and her housemate Pamie had become my close friends and it was sad to see all my girls slowly leaving but I knew that I would see them again soon since we are all planning to have a reunion in New York City (where Nyasa lives) sometime next year.

On Thursday morning Ashley and I woke up extra early to say bye to Scott and Nyasa before they left on their safari to the Serengeti, Arusha, Zanzibar, and then off to New York. Later on in the morning Ashley and I headed to the yogurt kitchen to see the Mamas and to buy some of their yummy yogurt. In the afternoon Ashley and I headed to the market to buy some food for the apartment since we were getting very low on groceries. The market is always an adventure…we spent about an hour weaving in and out of the busy crowds with people hollering at us trying to get us to buy their produce. I must say that are bargaining skills have improved quite a bit…they seem to get better and better as time goes on. Later on in the evening Ashley and I met up with our friend Liz who is volunteering at Bugando Hospital for some delicious local chicken and ugali. After dinner I was not feeling so well so Ashley and I went home to rest.

When I woke up in the morning on Friday I still felt very aweful. It felt like I have malaria again but this time it felt much worse. I was very dizzy, had a cold and was extremely exhausted. Because I felt so awful I decided to go to the clinic to check for malaria. I thought that since I had just had malaria that it would be unlikely but I wanted to see what was wrong. After seeing the doctor and waiting a short time for my results the doctor explained to me that the malaria strain that I had the week before had gone out of my bloodstream and hid in my liver, which is why I thought that I was better. While the malaria parasite was hiding out in my liver, the cells probably spit and multiplied and the strain returned to my bloodstream with an even greater potency….sneaky, sneaky malaria. The doctor gave me a 2 week dose of medicine to ensure that the malaria would not reoccur. The medicine was pretty harsh and ended up making me feel worse again…a necessary evil though. I spent the rest of the day in bed.

On Saturday I was still feeling very sick from the malaria so I took it easy and watched a movie in the morning. Later on in the day I was getting very stir crazy and had to get out of the apartment so I decided to go to Tunza to relax and use the new wireless internet that they set up. It was a good time to catch up on some of my blog writing since I had fallen behind.

I spent the rest of the weekend lazing around, drinking fluids and doing small bits of paperwork…malaria is NOT cool!

Weeki Tisa (Week Nine)

2009-08-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

Monday we spent the day (siku) preparing the agenda for the upcoming Steering Committee Meeting (mkutano). There were a number of key items that were to be discussed and the meeting and we wanted to prioritize our key discussion items so that we could address all the immediate project concerns (uhusiano) and goals (mwisho). We prepared the agenda using the information we have gathered in the last few months (mwezi) and from our communication (taarifa) with the Canadian team. We also wanted to make sure that we prepared the agenda based on the needs and wants of the Tukwamuane Yogurt group. It was essential for us address the Mamas concerns and to make sure that their concerns and goals were vocalized. We decided to focus our weekly meeting on explaining the Steering Committee agenda to the mamas so that we could get their full input and make any necessary changes (mabadaliko) to the agenda based on our discussion. As we went through the agenda, the mamas informed us that we had covered most of what needed to be discussed at the meeting. There were a few new updates and changes to be made to the agenda, but in general, they were pleased with the first draft. After our meeting with the Mamas and Alex, Jon spent some time saying goodbye (kwa heri) to them since he was leaving early the next morning (asubuhi) to head to Ireland and then back home to Canada. Jon thanked the Mamas for everything (kila kitu) and the Mamas wished him a safe and pleasant journey (safari njema). After our meeting with the Mamas we decided to take Jon to his favorite local eatery for his goodbye dinner. I can’t remember the name of the place but we call it the Samaki Place (Fish Place) because they have the best grilled fish in town (mji). It was nice to enjoy some delicious food (chakula) while in the company of our good friends (rafiki).
We also spoke to one of our friends who had taken care of very young kittens before and she informed us how to care for the Littlest Hobo so we bought some Nido (formula) and continued to feed him using a syringe. At first Hobo was very squirmy and reluctant during feeding time but once he tasted the formula he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. I have never cared for such a tiny, fragile creature before so I was a little nervous but I was determined to do all that I could do to keep this cute little guy alive. For the rest of the week we continued feeding Hobo as often as possible and also assisted him with his toilet time. We made him a comfy bed (kitanda) out of a box (kasha) and some blankets (blangeti). I even used one of my scarves (skafu) as a mosquito (mbu) net for the little guy….so cute! Even though I would love to keep Hobo, I was quite realistic about not having him as a pet since I am leaving in December (mwezi wa kumi na mbili) so I talked to one of my friends who lives here and made sure that once Hobo was a little bigger and stronger he would have a safe, loving home. My friend agreed to take him once he was able to eat on his own.

Jon left very early on Tuesday morning to head to the Mwanza airport so Ashley and I woke up to say goodbye and see him off. We were sad to see our roomie go but since Jon was so sick the whole time, it was probably in his best interests to leave early. Later on in the morning I headed over to the kitchen (jiko) and Mtoni High School to assist the mamas with cooking chipatis, mandazis and chai for the breakfast program. Because the Mamas were short on help, I stayed until about 1pm rolling chapattis. I was exhausted after making so many chapattis and my arms really hurt from all of the doe rolling I did. It made me think about how hard the Mamas all work each and everyday (kila siku). The Mamas open the yogurt kitchen everyday at 7:30pm and start working straight away until about 7:30 or 8:00pm. Not only do they work hard at the yogurt kitchen and at home with their families but they work so hard to keep the breakfast program up and running. It is amazing how much of a difference 10 driven women can make within a community. I constantly admire these women who can work so hard to benefit their families and communities while at the same time never losing their positive spirit and nurturing attitudes.
When we were finished with the breakfast program I went home for lunch and then headed to the internet café to work on some project emails. Later on that day Alex came by to work on our Master Plan document and to translate the Steering Committee Meeting Agenda into Kiswahili. In the evening the other Students for Development Intern (SFD), Geoff, returned from his trip to Kenya so he came to stay with us for a night before he returned to Sengarema. That evening I started to feel quite tired and ill so I decided to go to the clinic and get checked out. It turns out I had malaria…3 rings. I spent the rest of the evening resting and drinking lots of water as the doctor advised.

Even thought I was not feeling the best from the malaria, I spent Wednesday working on the Steering Committee Meeting preparations since there were only a few days before our big meeting. I spent most of the day organizing (panga) and printing documents for the meeting and making confirmation calls to the members of the Mwanza Steering Committee. Just the photocopying and printing that I did took about 2-3 hours because I had to print and photocopy about 100 pages and things work a little slower here than at home sometimes. In the late afternoon we had another meeting with the Mamas to prepare for our big Steering Committee meeting on Friday. Although I participated in the meeting I started to feel quite ill again and had to rest for the remainder of the evening.

On Thursday I was feeling a bit better because the malaria medication that I had taken was finally kicking in. In the morning I finished calling the remainder of the Steering Committee Members while Ashley picked up all of the drinks, snacks, and supplies for our meeting the next day. Just after lunchtime Ashley and I headed to Mabatini to meet the Mamas. The Mamas were very excited because they were to receive their cows that they had purchased for the new kitchen site in Nyamhongoro that afternoon. The Mamas had received some funding from the Tanzanian Social Action Fund (TASAF) for the purchase of the cows so that they could start producing their own milk (maziwa) supply.
The Mamas asked us to accompany them to Nyamhongoro to celebrate the arrival of their cows so off we went on the daladala to the new kitchen site. Once we arrived at the Nyamhongoro site we realized that the Mamas had had a new structure built on the property. The Mamas informed us that they had 50, 000TSH (~$50.00 CAN) left over from the purchase of each cow because they had overestimated the cost of the cattle so they used the extra money to build the storage(uwekaji) and guard (askari) house (nyumbani) that they needed for the site. It was nice to see the Mamas taking such initiative in spearheading their project. Once we arrived at the site we relaxed for a little while and then started to work a little on the new site preparations. Mama Elizabeth, Mama Leah and Mama Cecilia started loading stones and rocks to finish the floor (sakafu) of the store/ guard house so Ashley and I decided to join in and help them out. Even though I had malaria I thought that I would help out because I know that when the Mamas are sick, they still come to work and work very hard at that. Besides, I was feeling much better. We began by loading larger sized rocks into the hut using an old steel pan and our hands. Then we added a layer of smaller sized rocks to the base. Lastly we added a layer of sandy gravel to complete the floor of the structure. A lot of time and sweat went into finishing that floor and we were happy to finish after about an our and a half. I thought that it was pretty neat that we finished (tulimaliza) building a floor to a structure using such simple materials. I total we used rocks, sand, a steel pan, a burlap sac and a small shovel to complete the construction of the store/guard house…pretty sweet. At least now I know how to construct a proper house if I am ever stranded in the middle of nowhere or on a deserted island somewhere.
After about an hour of rest time (pumzika) we saw the truck with the cows in it in the near distance. As soon as the Mamas spotted the truck they began singing and cheering and we all ran to the road to greet Mama Paskwalina, Mama Sabina and the newly purchased cows. When the truck arrived the Mamas continued to sing and dance and we all celebrated for a little while. I though it was really hilarious and quite random that the truck was painted white with black spots and had the phrase MMMMMMHHHHHHH? written across the back of the vehicle. Ashley and I could not stop laughing. The unloading of the cows from the truck was also quite amusing because one by one the cows leaped off of the truck (it looked like they were jumping hurdles or something) onto the grassy area beside the road. The cows immediately started munching on the grass and we not hesitant to belt out a good solid ‘moooooooo’ every once in a while. Since we were a short distance from the cow banda we had to herd the cows to their new home at the kitchen site. The men who delivered the cows as well as the Mamas, Ashley and I surrounded the cows and all held sticks in our hands to shoo them into their new home. After some really hilarious shenanigans chasing the cows all over the field, we finally rounded them up and got them into the banda. I never could have predicted that I would become a construction worker and a rancher all in one day…but that’s how things work here in Tanzania, there are surprises around every corner and you find yourself learning so much while participating in the strangest activities.
Once the cows were secured in their new home, we all sat for a while watching them. Mama Paskwalina explained to us that there was one male and four female and she suggested that Ashley and I name them. After about 30 minutes of throwing around names for the cows we finally decided on a name for each cow that perfectly suited their personality. The final names for the cows were Bruno, Sally, Alice, Beti, and Lolita! The mamas told us that they loved the names and made us write them down so that they wouldn’t forget them and so that they would know who was who. After hanging out with the cows for a little while we decided to return home since it was going to get dark soon. We spent the rest of the evening preparing for our big meeting the next day.

Early Friday morning I woke up feeling quite sick again from the malaria. I am pretty sure that the malaria medication made me feel even worse than the actual malaria itself. I felt really strange. The medication combined with the symptoms of the malaria made me feel very groggy, tired and dizzy. It wasn’t the best day to be feeling so awful since we had our big Steering Committee Meeting but regardless of how I felt, I had to be there and I had to pull myself together. Alex came over before the meeting so that we could print out a Swahili version of the meeting agenda to accompany the English version. Ashley was nice enough to take over the task of printing out the agendas and gathering the supplies for the meeting so that I could rest a little bit before the meeting. Soon after we were on our way to NIMR to set up for the meeting.
When we arrived at NIMR the room that we had booked for our meeting was still being cleaned by the cleaning staff so we waited outside for them to finish. As usual things were running a little late and we did not quite start our meeting on time. We had to wait about 30 minutes after our meeting was supposed to start for the staff to finish cleaning the room and on top of that over half of the Steering Committee Members arrived late. Finally about an hour (saa moja) after we were supposed to start our meeting we commenced our discussions. Unfortunately the Deputy Mayor and The Women’s Rights counselor from Mwanza City Council called earlier on that morning to inform us that they would not be able to attend the meeting since they had to attend a very important meeting to elect the new Mayor for next year. We were a little disappointed that they could not make it since we were counting on them to be a main resource to find avenues for local funding for the project but there reason for not being able to attend was understandable. The meeting lasted about 2.5 hours and all the agenda items were discussed. Some of the topics that were discussed included quality control of the probiotic yogurt, funding, packaging, marketing, networking with other community groups and women’s collectives as well as research initiatives.
After the Steering Committee Meeting I went directly home to rest since I was feeling very dizzy and ill. I spent the rest of the day and evening in bed.

On Saturday I woke up feeling almost 100% better. It must have been all the rest that I got. I wasn’t planning on it because of the malaria but because I felt so much better I decided to join about 25 of my friends on a trip to Kijereshi Lodge, just outside of the Serengeti. We stayed until Sunday evening and we all had a blast! It was neat too because we got to see some cool wildlife. We saw ostriches and baboons and some buffalo…very cool. We returned home late Sunday evening so that we could rest up for another workweek.

Weeki Nane (Week Eight)

2009-08-18T05:45:00.001-07:00

Week eight started off with a visit to the Mwanza City Council (MCC) building so that we could talk with the Deputy Mayor about attending our Steering Committee Meeting that we were planning for later on in the week. The Mwanza Steering Committee steering committee was initiated in November 2008 and the purpose of this committee is 1) to formulate and advance the vision for the probiotic yogurt program in Tanzania including providing advise on: mechanisms for identification and recruitment of stakeholders and actors 2) to assist with the mobilization of capital and non capital resources for the program including those for capacity building; providing guidance related to local compliance matters including legislation; advocating for the program at all levels of government and other agencies; providing advice on the nature of involvement desired of the Canadian WHE team including the interns and 3) act as the primary troubleshooting team for the project in Tanzania; meaning that solutions to any project hitches should be provided by them first and at their request, the Canadian WHE team. So far there has been one Steering Committee Meeting in April and we were in the midst of planning the second meeting that was to occur at the end of July. As we suspected, although Mr. Minja (The Deputy Mayor) is quite accessible at the local level, he was too busy to meet with us that day. So instead we visited Mr. Ngowi at the TASAF office to ask for the Deputy Mayor’s phone number to set up an appointment at a later date. After our short meeting with the always so helpful Mr. Ngowi, we headed home to prepare for our first formal weekly meeting with the Mamas. We decided to invite the Mamas over after the meeting so that they could enjoy some ‘Western’ cooking. We decided to make pasta and garlic bread since it is a quick meal and can be made in large quantities.
Our first meeting went really well and we were all very pleased that we decided to arrange these weekly meetings. Through our discussions we were all able to get a better understanding of project updates and issues coming from both the Tanzanian side and the Canadian side. After a long (3 hour) meeting, Ashley, Jon and I finally prepared dinner for the mamas. It was unfortunate because a few of the Mamas had to leave early. We didn’t expect the meeting to go on for so long and didn’t think that some of the women were expected to be home before dark for various reasons. This was another one of those moments when our cultural differences were quite apparent. Some of the women explained to us that they had to leave so that their husbands would not be upset with them or because they had to cook for their children. We were sad to see some of them go but we totally understood why they had to leave. We would definitely keep this in mind for next time. The good thing was, was that 5 of the Mamas, along with Alex were able to stay for dinner. They all seemed to enjoy their pasta with garlic bread quite a bit. It was neat because I noticed that the Mamas ate the pasta like they would eat a meal here… African style…sauce on the side and eat with your hands…I had never seen pasta eaten that way. It thought that that was a creative and different way to eat pasta so I decided to join in and eat it that way too.

On Tuesday Ashley and I spent the day at Tilapia Hotel so that we could get our work done and use the internet. Later on in the afternoon we decided to take a little break and go fishing with our friend Jon…It had been a really long time since I had fished so I was really excited. None of us caught anything but we did end up having quite a good time!

On Wednesday, Ashley, Jon and I headed to Saint Augustine University (SAUT) to meet with our project coordinator George. George had been very busy with exam period and faculty seminars and was not able to meet with us much as we had planned so we all set aside a day for us to visit SAUT and to chat with George about our project work. When we first arrived at the school George met us at one of the many entrances. When we arrived we chatted with George for a few minutes and then proceeded on to go and meet a ‘few’ of George’ colleagues who were having a meeting. We walked into a huge school building filled with professors and administrative staff and all eyes turned on us as the new visitors. Unfortunately, George failed to mention that the ‘few’ colleagues that he wanted to introduce us to consisted of a room full of 150 SAUT faculty and staff… Because of my experiences in leadership and teaching I am usually comfortable in front of large crowds but today was a different story. I was really nervous introducing myself (in Swahili by the way) to a room full of SAUT faculty and staff but I worked through the nervousness and thankfully remembered all the correct words to use in Swahili. Not that my Swahili is bad or anything but it is hard being put on the spot like that in front of 150 people. Jon and Ashley introduced themselves next and then the crowed welcomed us all very warmly. It was a good experience for me to practice my Swahili in front of a crowd like that but it was funny because later on George told us that we could have introduced ourselves in English because all of the faculty and staff speak English and all the lessons are taught in English….thanks for telling us that afterwards George!
After attending the meeting for a short while, George excused us and we went off to eat lunch and take a tour of the SAUT campus. We ate lunch before we went on our tour since the cafeteria was located near the meeting room. The cafeteria was a really nice place to be. It was an outdoor seating area with small vendors and restaurants surrounding it. The atmosphere was very studentesque, just like a university cafeteria at home would be. My favorite thing about the cafeteria was a tiny garden fence that lined the area that was made solely from used plastic water bottles. It was actually quite beautiful looking and quite resourceful!...yes I know I am an enviro-nerd cause I get excited about these kinds of things but if you think about it, it’s pretty cool! It always surprises me how resourceful people are here in Tanzania with there material goods. Things like the bottle fence make me think about my own use of material resources and makes me think about how much people tend to waste in other parts of the world (i.e. in Canada)….Anyways, just some food for thought…
Our lunch was very delicious. George treated us to chicken, spaghetti and beans. Although this sounds like a meal that one would eat in Canada, it was actually prepared quite differently than it would be at home. The beans were prepared in a tasty sauce, my piece of chicken was a neck and part of a wing and the spaghetti noodles were chopped up and mixed with sugar and fried in oil…very different but actually quite tasty.
During lunch (and throughout the rest of the day) we discussed many things with George including cultural differences between Canada and Tanzania, differences in our Universities, our partnership with SAUT and plans for further collaboration as well as some of the history of the university itself. We even discussed the possibility of the Yogurt Mamas selling some of the yogurt at the SAUT cafeteria. George informed us that he would look into securing a spot for the Mamas since selling at the university could increase their market quite a bit. I am sure the students would also love to have access to the delicious ‘Fiti’ probiotic yogurt.
After lunch George took us to his office and showed us around the rest of the campus. SAUT is actually quite an impressive school with a beautiful campus that is approximately 600 acres in area. As George told us, the school itself is actually only 10 years old and services over 10, 000 students. The school used to be funded by the government of Tanzania but is now funded by the Catholic Church. Although most of the buildings were very simple, there was a lot of construction going on throughout the campus and new buildings were popping up everywhere. We ventured off to the new library which was actually quite stunning, it was a newer building, about 6 stories high and it reminded me a lot of the Weldon library at Western at home in London. There was even a floor that had numerous computers that looked quite new. The only difference was in their book collection. Many of the shelves were only a half or a quarter full. George informed us that they were looking for sponsors to expand their collection.
After our long and peaceful tour of the beautiful SAUT campus, George invited us to his home that was just a short walk away to meet his family. Although his wife was out of town on business we got to meet George’s two beautiful daughters, Georgette (4) and Georgia (2). At first the girls were very shy to meet us but after a little coaxing with some gum I had in my purse and some conversation in Swahili, the girls were talking non-stop. The visit to George’s house was a peaceful end to a long day.

On Thursday Jon and Ashley prepared their studies in the morning and I decided to start organizing for our upcoming Steering Committee Meeting. I began with making a list of the people that we had to call and invite and then the items that we needed to purchase for the meeting (i.e. soda (not pop…lol!), water, pens, snacks). After Jon was finished preparing his study, the two of us began calling the long list of people who we hoped would be able to attend our meeting. The MSC is made up of people from all different organizations and communities such as the Mwanza City Council, Tanzanian Social Action Fund (TASAF), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), scientists, technicians and directors from the National Institute of Medical Research, doctors from supporting clinics and hospitals, various members from community and women’s groups and any other individuals who can share in interest of the of the probiotic yogurt project. After calling as many people as we could from the committee list, we decided to visit the yogurt Mamas at the kitchen to let them know who we invited and to ask them if there was anyone else that they would like to invite or anyone else that should be invited. I am glad we asked because the women suggested that we invite a women’s rights leader from their community who we were not familiar with. After our visit to the kitchen we came home and enjoyed some much needed downtime.

On Friday morning we finished calling the members of the MSC and made a list of the members that needed to be called by Alex (i.e. the ones who wouldn’t understand our broken Kiswahili). Later on in the afternoon, Alex came to meet with us. We had decided that the interns would meet with Alex every Friday before our meetings with the Mamas on Mondays so that we could prepare a meeting agenda and have time over the weekend to collect any needed information for our meetings. We spent about 2 hours with Alex discussing various project issues and goals. In the evening we went out to enjoy some live music and dancing.

Our Saturday started off very slowly since we were out late the night before but later on in the day I decided to get a little bit of work done. I spent some of the day working on my expenses and updating my picture gallery on my computer. Saturday evening we ended up going to a party at one of our friend’s houses.

On Sunday morning my neighbor Nyasa and I went across the street to Zagaluu shop to buy some snacks and water and on the way we stumbled upon a tiny little kitten who only looked a few days old. It was about the size of half of my hand and fit nicely into my palm. The poor thing was meowing and struggling in the hot sun so we scooped him up and tried to help him out. We looked all around the area for its mother or any other cats but saw none in sight. Being the animal lover that I am I couldn’t just leave the poor little thing there to die so we took him up to our apartment. I had no idea how to care for a cat that small but I knew that it would need to stay warm and would need to be fed by hand. We found a box to put the cat in and used some fuzzy blankets to make a little bed for the cat while we figured out what to do. We figured that the cat would need milk of some sort so we bought some milk from across the street and a syringe from the pharmacy and started feeding the kitty by hand. The milk would have to do until the next day when we could find out some more information on how to take care of this fragile little fuzz ball. The kitty, or The Littlest Hobo as we decided to call him, slept right through until the next morning in his newly furnished box.
Later on in the day we invited Pendo, our Tanzanian House Mama, and her family over for some soda’s, snacks and dancing. It seems to be tradition that the interns periodically throw mini parties for Pendo and her family so that we can all get to know each other better and so that the interns can show their appreciation for all that this family does for us. In total, I believe that there were 8 members of Pendo’s family and 3 of us. Pendo explained to us that not all of her family could come because some were busy or out of town. I don’t know how that woman manages a household that includes 8 of her own children, extended family as well as a few grandchildren. For the rest of the evening we chatted, took pictures and played games with Pendo and her family.

Weeki Saba (Week Seven)

2009-08-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Weeki Saba (Week Seven)

The week started off well, with us having a productive meeting with the coordinator of Tanzania’s Social Action Fund (TASAF), which has been supporting the Tukwamuane Probiotic Yogurt Project for quite a while now. We explored together the possibilities of further funding and community collaborations for the group as the women are in a new phase of expansion which will require some additional guidance and capital resources. The Coordinator, Mr. Ngowi, seemed very dedicated to his job and was full of great ideas to advance the project. We will continue to work with TASAF and to pursue other forms of support from both the local and international community.
Ashley was supposed to return home on Monday and we were eagerly waiter her arrival but I got a message from her in the afternoon saying that there had been a slight delay in her travels. Turns out that while switching buses in Kenya, a thief stole about $150.00 worth of packaging that the Mamas purchased for the project and they had to turn around and backtrack about an hour and a half, chasing the thief in a taxi. Once they caught up to the thieves, the thieves denied taking the package until Ashley and the Mamas released such a verbal furry on the men that that fearfully and shamefully gave back to package. Apparently the Mamas and Ashley were so stern while yelling at the thief that they scared him into returning the package. The Mamas and Ashley are some of the nicest people I know but I wouldn’t like to see them angry like that…way to go ladies! Because they had to backtrack for about an hour and a half, the ladies missed their bus from the Kenyan boarder to Mwanza so they had to stay in a guest house for another night.

On Tuesday Jon headed off to the clinic cause he was feeling unwell again... turns out he had a bad case of malaria, so bad that he had to be hooked up at the hospital for a while to clear his system. Pole sana Jonny ! I was very worried about Jon so I spent most of the day checking up on him via text message as I waited for the Mamas to come over to work out some of the project finances. Ashley returned around 3pm and we were able to chat for a while about her adventures in Kenya and the new updates with the new probiotic yogurt kitchen in Oyugis. It has been really nice to be involved with the project for so long (3 years now) because I get to see so many changes and the enormous progress that has taken place over the years. It is very exciting that the project has expanded to Kenya and soon to other East African countries. Later in the afternoon Jon returned from the hospital feeling very ill from the malaria and all of the meds. We decided to all take it easy for the rest of the night so that we could make sure that Jon was alright.

On Wednesday I stayed in the apartment in the morning to work on parts of the big master plan document for WHE and Tukwamuane. In the afternoon the Mamas and Alex came over for a meeting so that we could discuss project updates. Alex brought along with him one of his colleagues, Mussa who would be helping Jon with his study. Mussa would be translating the interviews that Jon was conducting on intercultural communication within the project and would be advising him on cultural differences and understandings so that he would get a more full understanding of the intercultural dynamics. We proceeded with our meeting with the Mamas and later Jon met with Mussa to discuss his sub-project. Since Alex could translate for us, our meeting was much more productive and informative than our previous meetings had been since language is often a barrier. We decided to propose weekly meetings for the entire group so that we could all stay informed, voice our ideas and organize ourselves a bit better on a more consistent basis. The Mamas loved the idea and we (The Interns, Alex and the Mamas) agreed to meet every Monday at our place.

On Thursday morning Jon, Ashley and I went to Mabatini to visit the Mamas at the yogurt kitchen. We stayed a little while, chatted a bit back and forth, ate some mandazis and drank some chai. Later on in the afternoon we returned home so that Jon could work on his study design, so that Ashley could meet with another one of Alex’s colleagues, Esther, for her study and so that I could continue to work on the Master Plan document. On Thursday evening our friend Danny took us all to one of my favorite places in Mwanza called Dancing Rocks so that our friend Pamie could see the area before she left to go back home to Canada. About 6 of us headed up the big, rocky hill in Bwiru to see one of the best view’s in Mwanza. On the way up to Dancing Rocks, we passed some of the local hillside neighborhoods and had numerous people greet us along the way. We had people waving to us yelling ‘Mzungu’ as usual but we also stopped to play a little football with some boys and to have a small conversation with a little girl who looked like she was about 6 years old…and we of course stopped to ‘piga tano’ (high-five) all the little children who came running out of their houses. We continued our hike up the rocky hill and eventually made it to the top where we were able to relax and enjoy the view. It was so peaceful sitting on top of Dancing Rocks, looking over a large part of the city, watching the most beautiful sunset. At this moment there was no other place I would have rather been.

On Friday morning I headed to Mabatini and Jon and Ashley stayed at home to work on their studies. I decided to join the Mamas at the local Mtoni Highschool so that I could help with the breakfast program that they run every weekday morning. Every morning the Tukwamuane women go to the school around 7 or 8 in the morning to cook about 200 chapati and 200 mandaziis as well as chai for the high school students. They sell the food and tea at a low cost to make sure that the students all have access to an affordable breakfast. Since the ingredients in the food are inexpensive the Mamas actually make a profit off of the program as well and it benefits everyone. My friend Joke and I spent all morning making and rolling out chapatti with the Mamas. It was nice to spend a little more quality time with the Mamas. We ended up having some really interesting conversations in broken English and Swahili. It was also nice to learn how to make chappati, I had no idea tat it was so easy. Although my arms really hurt the next day from all the rolling, I am happy that I have now become an expert chappati maker! Later in the day I returned home once again to work on the Master Plan once again.

On Saturday Ashley, Pamie, Nyasa and I went to Tilapia Hotel to use the internet all day and to work on the various documents that we were preparing for the project.

Sunday, we returned to Tilapia to do some more work on our computers. In the evening we made a special Italian dinner for our neighbor and good friend Pamie since she was leaving the next day to go back to Canada. She was really craving Italian food so we all splurged and bought some cheese (which is quite rare and expensive here) and made pasta and garlic bread with cheese. As most of you know, I have a unhealthy relationship with cheese and I have been missing it SO much so it was really nice to eat it for once.

Weeki Saba (Week Seven)

2009-08-10T04:45:00.002-07:00

Weeki Saba (Week Seven)

The week started off well, with us having a productive meeting with the coordinator of Tanzania’s Social Action Fund (TASAF), which has been supporting the Tukwamuane Probiotic Yogurt Project for quite a while now. We explored together the possibilities of further funding and community collaborations for the group as the women are in a new phase of expansion which will require some additional guidance and capital resources. The Coordinator, Mr. Ngowi, seemed very dedicated to his job and was full of great ideas to advance the project. We will continue to work with TASAF and to pursue other forms of support from both the local and international community.
Ashley was supposed to return home on Monday and we were eagerly waiter her arrival but I got a message from her in the afternoon saying that there had been a slight delay in her travels. Turns out that while switching buses in Kenya, a thief stole about $150.00 worth of packaging that the Mamas purchased for the project and they had to turn around and backtrack about an hour and a half, chasing the thief in a taxi. Once they caught up to the thieves, the thieves denied taking the package until Ashley and the Mamas released such a verbal furry on the men that that fearfully and shamefully gave back to package. Apparently the Mamas and Ashley were so stern while yelling at the thief that they scared him into returning the package. The Mamas and Ashley are some of the nicest people I know but I wouldn’t like to see them angry like that…way to go ladies! Because they had to backtrack for about an hour and a half, the ladies missed their bus from the Kenyan boarder to Mwanza so they had to stay in a guest house for another night.

On Tuesday Jon headed off to the clinic cause he was feeling unwell again... turns out he had a bad case of malaria, so bad that he had to be hooked up at the hospital for a while to clear his system. Pole sana Jonny ! I was very worried about Jon so I spent most of the day checking up on him via text message as I waited for the Mamas to come over to work out some of the project finances. Ashley returned around 3pm and we were able to chat for a while about her adventures in Kenya and the new updates with the new probiotic yogurt kitchen in Oyugis. It has been really nice to be involved with the project for so long (3 years now) because I get to see so many changes and the enormous progress that has taken place over the years. It is very exciting that the project has expanded to Kenya and soon to other East African countries. Later in the afternoon Jon returned from the hospital feeling very ill from the malaria and all of the meds. We decided to all take it easy for the rest of the night so that we could make sure that Jon was alright.

On Wednesday I stayed in the apartment in the morning to work on parts of the big master plan document for WHE and Tukwamuane. In the afternoon the Mamas and Alex came over for a meeting so that we could discuss project updates. Alex brought along with him one of his colleagues, Mussa who would be helping Jon with his study. Mussa would be translating the interviews that Jon was conducting on intercultural communication within the project and would be advising him on cultural differences and understandings so that he would get a more full understanding of the intercultural dynamics. We proceeded with our meeting with the Mamas and later Jon met with Mussa to discuss his sub-project. Since Alex could translate for us, our meeting was much more productive and informative than our previous meetings had been since language is often a barrier. We decided to propose weekly meetings for the entire group so that we could all stay informed, voice our ideas and organize ourselves a bit better on a more consistent basis. The Mamas loved the idea and we (The Interns, Alex and the Mamas) agreed to meet every Monday at our place.

On Thursday morning Jon, Ashley and I went to Mabatini to visit the Mamas at the yogurt kitchen. We stayed a little while, chatted a bit back and forth, ate some Mandazis and drank some chai. Later on in the afternoon we returned home so that Jon could work on his study design, so that Ashley could meet with another one of Alex’s colleagues, Esther, for her study and so that I could continue to work on the Master Plan document. On Thursday evening our friend Danny took us all to one of my favorite places in Mwanza called Dancing Rocks so that our friend Pamie could see the area before she left to go back home to Canada. About 6 of us headed up the big, rocky hill in Bwiru to see one of the best view’s in Mwanza. On the way up to Dancing Rocks, we passed some of the local hillside neighborhoods and had numerous people greet us along the way. We had people waving to us yelling ‘Mzungu’ as usual but we also stopped to play a little football with some boys and to have a small conversation with a little girl who looked like she was about 6 years old…and we of course stopped to ‘piga tano’ (high-five) all the little children who came running out of their houses. We continued our hike up the rocky hill and eventually made it to the top where we were able to relax and enjoy the view. It was so peaceful sitting on top of Dancing Rocks, looking over a large part of the city, watching the most beautiful sunset. At this moment there was no other place I would have rather been.

On Friday morning I headed to Mabatini and Jon and Ashley stayed at home to work on their studies. I decided to join the Mamas at the local Mtoni Highschool so that I could help with the breakfast program that they run every weekday morning. Every morning the Tukwamuane women go to the school around 7 or 8 in the morning to cook about 200 chapati and 200 mandaziis as well as chai for the high school students. They sell the food and tea at a low cost to make sure that the students all have access to an affordable breakfast. Since the ingredients in the food are inexpensive the Mamas actually make a profit off of the program as well and it benefits everyone. My friend Joke and I spent all morning making and rolling out chapatti with the Mamas. It was nice to spend a little more quality time with the Mamas. We ended up having some really interesting conversations in broken English and Swahili. It was also nice to learn how to make chappati, I had no idea tat it was so easy. Although my arms really hurt the next day from all the rolling, I am happy that I have now become an expert chappati maker! Later in the day I returned home once again to work on the Master Plan once again.

On Saturday Ashley, Pamie, Nyasa and I went to Tilapia Hotel to use the internet all day and to work on the various documents that we were preparing for the project.

Sunday, we returned to Tilapia to do some more work on our computers. In the evening we made a special Italian dinner for our neighbor and good friend Pamie since she was leaving the next day to go back to Canada. She was really craving Italian food so we all splurged and bought some cheese (which is quite rare and expensive here) and made pasta and garlic bread with cheese. As most of you know, I have a unhealthy relationship with cheese and I have been missing it SO much so it was really nice to eat it for once.

Weeki Sita (Week Six)

2009-07-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

On Monday Jon and I went to the yogurt kitchen to pick up the estimate for the fencing and store house. It was weird starting the week off without Ashley there. We really missed her. We spent about an hour with the Mamas, talking to them and discussing the plans for the new kitchen. After the kitchen we went home and called Dr. Butamanya from Sekoutoure Hospital and Mr. Ngowi from TASAF to set up appointments to discuss project funding, probiotic cultivation and project updates. I spent the evening working on the new registration system for PLAWs. fft

On Tuesday Jon and I went to the yogurt kitchen to help out the Mamas and to return their cost estimate sheets that we had copied the day before. After the kitchen we went to the internet café to create a list of priority tasks to tackle for the next little while. In the evening I joined Joke (a Dutch intern from the Netherlands) and Sophie (one of my local friends) went to the Family Fitness Centre for the most hard core aerobics session I have ever participated in. I was amazed that they even have a gym here in Mwanza but it was actually really nice. The class was led by a beefed up drill sergeant type man who was really nice but really tough on us. The composition of the class was quite different from classes at home. There were about 20 men and 4 or 5 women (including the 3 of us). The room looked quite similar to a workout room at home with mirrors encasing the room. Unlike gyms at home though, there was no air conditioning…it was pretty hot. The music was also a bit different, the African beats were much more fun to work out too but they were a little fast for my uncoordinated self. The class lasted about an hour and a half and I worked so hard that my face turned purple and I was sweating like crazy. I literally have never worked out that hard and I used to train at a gym at home. After our exhausting workout I headed home so that I could get ready to go out for dinner with one of our good friends, Ingerd, who was leaving the next day to go back to Norway. We decided to eat dinner at Ingerd’s favorite place to eat. She chose to go to a place called Diners that serves delicious Indian cuisine.

On Wednesday we visited the yogurt kitchen to buy some yogurt and to help the Mamas for a little while. We returned home for lunch and stayed at the apartment so that I could work some more on creating the 125 membership cards for PLWAs. Later on that day we paid a visit to Dr. Butamanya at Sekoutoure Hospital to (re)introduce ourselves and to discuss with him Ashley’s health benefits study, probiotic research as well as some ideas for project financing. We had a nice conversation with him outside under a tree while enjoying sodas and water (maji). Dr. Butamanya gave us some good suggestions and informed us that he would make some inquiries into local funding for us and report back to us at the July Steering Committee Meeting. After visiting Dr. Butamanya I decided to go to the clinic because I had been feeling ill since the morning. About an hour into waiting for my test results I had to leave to go home because I was violently ill. My amazing roommates were nice enough to pick up my test results for me. Turns out, I had an amoeba. I haven’t been that sick in a long time, I couldn’t even drink water without being sick and I didn’t eat for three days. But once I got my meds and they started to kick in I felt much better.

So Wednesday evening to Friday night were write-off days since I was confined to my bed. All I did was sleep. This was a nasty Amoeba…worse than the one I had the last time I was here. Its nickname was Pablo…

Pablo died on Saturday and I was feeling much better. Jon and I planned a meeting with Alex (our project coordinator) to brainstorm ideas for the Master Plan for the project. We spent about 4 hours drafting up a task chart and discussing the necessary components of the Master Plan. Since we were in need of some relaxation time we decided to head to Tunza to Relax. Because we were so relaxed we decided to sleep on the beach with a number of our friends. Tunza is one of my favorite places to relax…it was amazing seeing the sunrise in the morning.

As we were leaving Tunza on Sunday morning, walking down the long, bumpy dirt road we got a call from our friend Danny to come over to his house for breakfast. He just lived around the way so off we went. Danny has a really nice place about 5 minutes away from Tunza. He made us French toast (YUM!) and tea (chai). After our large and delicious breakfast we sat outside on Danny’s porch and watched the moneys (yea, I said monkeys) that live in the trees in his yard. As most people know, I absolutely LOVE monkeys so I was really happy to be sitting there. We sat and relaxed for a long while and then went home so we could go to the Sunday market to buy our weekly round of produce. In the evening I relaxed with the girls next door. We made a delicious dinner with fruits and vegetables and home made hummus…YUM! Later on that night Jon met up with another Canadian SFD (Students For Development) intern named Geoff. He was only in Mwanza for a few days so he stayed at our apartment on Sunday night before his bus ride to Kenya in the Morning. It was nice hanging out with another Canadian around our age. Geoff will be back in Mwanza in a few weeks for one night as he continues on to Sengerema. It will be nice to see him again.

Weeki Tano (Week Five)

2009-07-06T06:28:00.001-07:00

Week five started out very different then we all thought it would. The Mamas and Ashley were supposed to go to Kenya to start training with the Kenyan women’s group on kitchen health and safety and probiotic yogurt production but, as usual, plans changed. Turns out, the Mamas had to start their cow husbandry training this week through TASAF (Tanzanian Social Action Fund) and had to stay in Mwanza. Since the Mamas will be purchasing their own cows for the new kitchen to produce their own milk, they need to be trained in the area of cow husbandry. So their trip to Kenya was moved to the following week.
When we arrived at the yogurt kitchen on Monday morning the Mamas were anxiously waiting for the TASAF teacher (mwalimu) to arrive. The mamas gathered their notebooks (kitabu) , pens (kalamu) and chart paper in preparation for their lesson (somo) and we all sat and enjoyed some chai masala (milky tea) and andazi (fried biscuit things) while we waited for the teacher to arrive. Ashley, Jon and I were unsure whether or not we were supposed to attend the lessons so we waited for further indication from the mamas. When the teacher arrived the Mamas gathered up their belongings and said ‘tuwende’ (let’s go!). So we followed the teacher and the Mamas to Mtoni High School just around the corner. We entered into a completely empty brick building with dirt (uchafu) floors. I wondered how the lesson was going to take place without any furniture (fanicha) or blackboard (ubao). Just as this thought crossed through my mind, a number of Mtoni students (wanafunzi) came strolling down the hill carrying desks (deski) and chairs (kiti) for our lesson. Two students were even carrying a blackboard. The Mamas instantly rushed over to help the students and Ashley, Jon and I followed. It was neat to see some of the students and the Mamas balancing the desks and chairs on their heads. Women here often carry many things on their heads. It is a true talent. I was tempted to try this myself but I decided against it…maybe I would try some smaller items first. I did help carry the desks by hand though.
Once the lesson begun, the teacher asked whether the lesson should be taught in Kiswahili or in English. We all stressed that the lesson should be in Kiswahili since the training was for the Mamas and they are not fluent in English. So, the 5 hour lesson begun and we all sat quietly as the teacher explained the schedule for the week and delved into the subject of cow husbandry. Even though the lesson was in Kiswahili I was shocked at the amount of material I actually understood. Boy, did I learn a lot about cows that day! The lessons wrapped up at about 1:30pm (saa saba nanusu) and we headed back to the kitchen for some yogurt and buns.

The next day we decided not to attend the cow husbandry lessons since we could not understand all of the lesson and since the Mamas were the ones who were to be purchasing and caring for the cows. Instead, we thought that we would make better use of our time by filling in the shifts at the yogurt kitchen so that all the Mamas would be able to attend their lessons. The Mamas were pretty happy (furaha) and thankful (shukrani) that Ashley and I were taking over their positions for the week so that they could attend their classes. Jon was busy at home working on his research design and running errands in town. Mama Elizabeth’s granddaughter (Dorisi) who is sixteen years old, also helped us out at the kitchen. The first day was a little scary since we had never run the kitchen by ourselves. I also wondered how local community members would react to Mzungus running the kitchen since they were so used to the Mamas being there. The first morning running the kitchen actually ran pretty smoothly. I was surprised how well things worked out. Although we did get a few strange looks from people, everyone was very friendly and we were able to communicate quite effectively using the Swahili that we have already learned. So Ashley, Dori and I spent all morning cooking (kupika) and serving (hudumia) yogurt (maziwa). The Mamas returned from their lesson around 1:00pm and thanked us for manning the fort while they enjoyed their lessons.

On Wednesday Ashley and I went to the kitchen again to help out. This time we had the routine down pat and the yogurt customers recognized us from the day before. Ashley, Dori and I actually had a lot of fun all morning getting to know each other and teaching each other Kiwsahili and English. While we were at the kitchen we also obtained the list of the registered people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) from the Mamas so that we could start to create a new documentation system for the people who are receiving subsidized yogurt. We are creating a new documentation system so that the subsidized yogurt is accurately recorded on a regular basis both for financial record keeping and consistent operational record keeping. After the Mama’s lesson we also spoke to the TASAF teacher about applying for other grants through his organization as the mamas are in need of other sources of local funding. The teacher referred us to the director of TASAF, Mr. Ngowi and gave us his phone number (simu numba).

On Wednesday afternoon Jon, Ashley, Joke (a Dutch medical student) and Myself visited the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) to meet with Dr. Changalucha (the director) and Simon (the lab technician who makes the probiotics) to take care of some matters concerning the probiotics supply for the yogurt. We found out that Simon, the lab technician, is currently training a student on how to produce the probiotic culture for instances when he is away or unable to make it himself. He also mentioned that another student is coming in July and will be trained in probiotic cultivation as well. The training of other interns who know how to cultivate probiotics is very important to the success of the project to ensure that there are consistent supplies of probiotics. We also spoke with Dr. Changalucha to say hello and to inquire about a good time to have the next Mwanza Steering Committee meeting.

On Thursday Ashley, Jon and I headed to the kitchen again to relieve the Mamas of their yogurt shifts so that they could attend their ‘cow classes’. Since there were four of us Jon decided to go run some errands in town and to touch up some stuff for his research proposal. Ashley, Dori and I had another fun morning together cooking yogurt, serving customers and hanging out. At one point I reached into my purse to get something out and I realized that I had my ipod with me. I took it out and shared one of the headphones with Dori. Like any sixteen-year-old, she loved listening to the music while she worked. I showed her how to use it and let her borrow it for the rest of the shift. It was nice to see Dori dancing around the kitchen while she washed the floor, stirred the yogurt and tidied up.
After our shift at the kitchen we made some food and headed off to yoga. Later on in the evening I worked on typing out the list of PLWAs so that I could start making the membership cards for our new documentation system.

On Friday morning Ashley left for a safari in the Serengeti. She met up with some of Sabrina’s (a past intern) friends who were living in Uganda for the last little while. Jon and I went to the kitchen again to relieve the Mamas. This was the first day that Jon helped out in the kitchen. Since it is traditionally the women who do the cooking in Tanzania and since it is a women’s group that runs the kitchen, Jon made sure to ask if it was alright that he participate in cooking and serving at the kitchen that day. It was funny because the Mamas really encouraged Jon to help out. Some of them giggled and expressed that it was nice to see a man cooking for once. All the Mamas laughed when I said ‘Jon ana Mama ya Maziwe’ (Jon is a yogurt Mama!). I guess it was quite a sight to see. Although it was different for a man to be in the kitchen making and serving yogurt, the yogurt customers seemed quite comfortable with it and everyone greeted him the same as they greeted the rest of us. It was nice for Jon to get to know Dori better as well.

On Saturday Jon and I went with the Mamas to the new kitchen site in Nyamhongoro to get some cost estimates for the building of a fence around the new site as well as to inquire about getting a store house built for the cow feed and supplies. As usual we took about a 20 minute daladala ride to the site. Riding on the daladala is always an adventure cause you never know what position you’ll end up in. This time Jon and I were stuck standing up, smooshed near the door that flies open every time someone get on or off. We were relieved to get off as our backs and legs were hurting. It’s a good thing that it is a beautiful, relaxing walk in to the site area. We arrived to the site area and sat with the local family(ies) (about 20 people) and waited for the builder to come. In the meantime we checked out the newly finished banda (cow house) on the new plot of land. When the builder arrived Mama Sabina and Mama Asha had a long conversation with him. The Mamas relayed to us that the cost estimates would not be ready until Monday since he would be spending a good portion of the day measuring the prospective fence diameter and securing an area for a store house. In the meantime Mama Asha was teaching me some more Swahili. I learned the words for fence (wia) and post (nguzo). The rest of the day we spent hanging out with friends.

On Sunday Jon stayed at home to rest and relax and I went with some friends to a beautiful beach in Nyamgezi district. We spent the day hanging out, lazing around and eating delicious food cooked on the BBQ. In the evening I went with some of my friends to an Indian wedding reception ceremony. It was really neat to see a wedding celebration in another cultural context. Again, it was another great end to the week.

Weeki Tano (Week Five)

2009-07-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Weeki Nne (Week Four)

2009-06-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that I have been back in Tanzania for over a month now. Time is flying by so quickly. Although the time has seemed so short, if I look back at the past month I realize that there is a long list of things that I have experienced and accomplished since I have been here. I am looking forward to the rest of my time here in Tanzania…who knows what will happen next!
Week four started off as usual, as we took some time to organize and finish some paper work. Ashley Jon and I spent the majority of Monday working on the master work plan and outline for . We shifted through past intern reports and internet documents for most of the day and chipped away at the documents until the early evening. After spending so much time indoors, we decided to head to Tunza Lodge for our weekly yoga class. I really find that the yoga classes are extremely beneficial for us here (well at least for me) as they allow me to relax both my mind and my body. I really find that a little bit of relaxation time is necessary to be able to function on a daily basis since our day to day adventures can sometimes be stressful and overwhelming.
The next day Ashley and I headed to the yogurt kitchen to discuss some project matters with the Mamas and to spend time with them for a little while. Since both Ashley and I are working with the Mamas on kitchen health and safety and yogurt production and documentation, it is important for us to spend lots of time at the kitchen interacting with the mamas and observing their daily routine. When we arrived we were happily greeted by Mama Elizabeth and Mamas Cecilia. About half way through the morning one of the community members came by the kitchen and had a very intense conversation with the two mamas. Because I am not (yet) fluent in Kiswahili I was not quite sure about what was being discussed, besides I was unsure whether or not I should be listening to the conversation. Afterwards, Ashley and I found out that some bad news had been delivered. Mama Elizabeth explained to us that one of the other Yogurt Mamas’ (Mama Joyce’s) daughters passed away that morning. Instantly my heart sunk, I couldn’t believe the news. We found out that Mama Joyce’s 17 year old daughter passed away (anakofa) from Jaundice. Instantly I wondered if she had been receiving the quality of care that we are so lucky to receive in Canada if she would still be alive. These questions and comparisons are constantly flowing though my mind as I am consistently recognizing and observing drastic inequalities that seem to make no sense to me. But, at the moment, it was no time for me to be pondering such deep and complex issues, my attention turned to the pain and sorrow that Mama Joyce must have been experiencing. I would save these thoughts for a moment when I would be by myself to reflect.
Mama Elizabeth quickly left the kitchen to inform the other mamas while Ashley, Mama Cecilia and myself sat in dead silence. I didn’t know what to do or say so I waited for instruction from the mamas. The somber mood in the kitchen was excruciating as we all festered in our own thoughts and emotions. Eventually a few of the other Mamas showed up and we were told that we were all going to go to Mama Joyce’s house to visit her. The Mamas closed the kitchen for the afternoon and we headed down the dusty road in Mabatini to console and provide our condolences to Mama Joyce. As we walked to Mama Joyce’s house, I felt very unsure as to what the rest of the day was to bring. All I could think about was the pain that one must experience when losing a child. I also wondered about the customs and cultural processes that occur when someone dies in the community. I wondered what I was supposed to do and not do, where I was supposed to stand, what I was supposed to say. But I reminded myself that I should just feel out the situation (as I often have to do) and be observant of what others do. I just didn’t know what to expect.
When we arrived at Mama Joyces’ small 3 room hut we noticed the large crowds of people overflowing from her quaint home. There were hundreds of people from the community who were there to share their condolences to Mama Joyce. Ashley and I followed Mama Elizabeth and Mama Cecilia into Mama Joyce’s house so that we to could share our support. When we walked in, I noticed that her entire house was filled with women and children, all sitting around her on the floor. The men in the community all sat outside and would come in to share their condolences one by one. There was an interesting gender dynamic in this process. Ashley and I greeted Mama Joyce at the door and expressed our condolences as well and then joined the rest of the bunch on the floor of Mama Joyce’s home. It was heartbreaking to see Mama Joyce in such a broken state and to hear her and many others weep so passionately. It wa hard for us to hold back our emotions as well but it was ok for us to sit there and cry with everyone else. We stayed at Mama Joyce’s house for about two and a half hours, sitting on the floor singing songs and prayers in unison as people sobbed quietly to themselves. As we left we once again greeted Mama Joyce and apologized for her loss. Looking into the eyes of one of the strongest women I know and seeing such vulnerability and pain set deep within me; I could never imagine losing a child. We were told by the Mamas that the funeral (mazishi) and burial (maziko)would be on Thursday. We returned home to share the news with Jon and to have some time to reflect.
On Wednesday the Mamas came over in the morning discuss and take care of some project finances. We spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with our work at the internet café. Later on in the evening Ashley went to her Kiswahili lesson and Jon and I went home to work on our self taught Kiswahili. We made sure to get Ashley to ask her Swahili teacher about the process of funerals here and the proper attire to wear. When Ashley came home she informed us that Jon should wear dress pants, a nice shirt and shoes and that Ashley and I should wear our kengas, a nice shirt and a scarf. He also explained that funerals are a lot like at home where people attend a church ceremony and then the burial.
On Thursday the kitchen was closed (because of the funeral) so we took the morning to go grocery shopping at the market. The funeral started at two o’clock at the local Roman Catholic Church in Mabatini. When we walked up to the church it was packed and the building was once again overflowing with people; there were hundreds of people. One of our friends mentioned to us that one someone dies in the community, it is a community effort to console the family. Ashley, our friend Ingerd and I stood outside the door of the church with the rest of the overflowing crowd while Jon sat with the group of men outside of the church. After numerous songs and prayers the funeral was over and about tem men carried the coffin into the transport vehicle that was donated by Kivulini (the local women’s and children’s rights organization). The burial was to be held in Buswelu (about a 30 min drive from Mabatini) so the crowd dispersed into numerous vehicles. Since most people do not own vehicles here, there were many borrowed and donated vehicles. There were some daladalas (local VW wagons used for public transport), some cars and 3 gigantic trucks. The cabs of the trucks held about 50-60 people who would cram in to be transported to the burial. I have never seen that many people in one vehicle; all I could see were faces and limbs all mish mashed together. Our friend offered us a ride in one of these trucks but we thankfully declined; it looked pretty uncomfortable and dangerous. Instead we took a daladala and then a taxi to get to the burial. As we walked to the daladala station a young girl (about 5-6 yr. old) ran up and grabbed my hand; she wanted to walk with me. We peacefully walked hand and hand until we got to the point where she had to turn to go home. It was nice sharing a serene and silent moment like that. Our trip to the burial site ended up being quite long as our taxi driver got lost in the back roads of Buswelu. After about an hour of asking numerous Buswelu residents for directions, we soon arrived at the burial. Because we were late we quietly snuck into the back of the crowd to join in the ceremony. Numerous songs and prayers were again recited and the Minister blessed the body. At one point, the Minister asked representatives from both the family and community life to come up and present decorative wreaths upon the casket. Fist, they asked family members to come up and present wreaths, then friends, then schoolmates, teachers, people from Kivulini and finally someone from the yogurt project. When they announced someone to come up from the yogurt project, Mama Joyce signaled me and Ashley to come over. I had no idea that we were going to be apart of the burial ceremony; I was honored. Ashley and I moved through the crowds and entered into the burial area. The Minister called us over, handed us a wreath in which he had blessed and said a prayer as we laid down the symbolic, decorative item. We then returned to the crowds for more songs and prayer. After the ceremony us and the other ~300 people who were at the ceremony returned to Mabatini for another get together at Mama Joyce’s house. When we arrived back a her house, there were again an excess of people spilling out of the house, onto the hillside that she lives on. Some of the Yogurt Mamas alongside some other community members had stayed a her house all day long to cook food and prepare beverages for the entire crowd. We took our turn and went inside to sign the guestbook and present a small amount of money to help the family out during their time of need. I is a custom in Tanzania to give a small monetary gift at a funeral. Because there were so many people we decided to go home instead of eating at Mama Joyce’s house. We decided to relax for the rest of the evening after a very physically and emotionally draining day.
Since the Mamas were all going to be busy with mourning ceremonies, I decided to accompany my friend Pamie, who works for Kivulini Women’s and Children’s Rights Organizaion, to work on Friday. Pamie volunteers for a project through Kivulini that provides proper nutrition for malnourished children under the age of 5. The project is called Chem Chemi and volunteers circulate various rural communities in the area to provide proper nutrition training. Volunteers monitor nutrition projects alongside agricultural projects that are linked to feeding children in the area. The project teaches local individuals how to grow and farm nutritious foods and also teaches them how to prepare the food and serve it to ensure that the nutritional requirements of their children are met. So, I walked with Pamie to one of the Kivulini store to meet up with Thaeo, a local Kivulini employee who would take us to the Friday site in Sama (a community in the Buhongwa district). When Thaeo arrived we walked to the daladala station and took a daladala to Buhongwe. When we reached Buhongwe we then had to take bicycle taxis to our final destination in Sama. I was so excited to get on a bicycle taxi since I had only been on one once before the last time I was here. It was quite funny picking out a bike taxi to take as all the riders wanted me and Pamie on their bikes. After choosing a rider, I hopped on the back of the bike and off we went down a really rough dirt road. I felt really bad for the small driver of the bike that had to carry my big badunkadunk all the way to Sama, but the guys seemed very strong and had done it a million times before. The bike ride to Sama was one of my favorite moments of my trip so far. The landscape was so beautiful with all the rolling hills, boulders and green fields. I was totally at peace. It was really nice because the bike ride lasted for about 20 minutes before we arrived at the community clinic. When I jumped off the bike I was amazed to find out that the long, twenty minute bike ride was only going to cost me 500TSH (45 cents!). CRAZY! I made a mental note to take as many bike taxis as possible while I am here. When we arrived at the community clinic we were warmly greeted by a group of mothers with their children. We spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon with the Mamas and their children. We talked with them, played with them, ate with them and then weighed and measured them to monitor the progress of the project. It was a really relaxing and fun day. The community members were so warm and welcoming and welcomed me again when we left saying ‘karibu tena’ (come again). As we left I was so excited to get back on another bike taxi so we hollered over three young bike taxi drivers and were off on our way again down the beautiful road in Sama. I returned home later that day to enjoy a delicious meal with Jon and Ashley.
We spent the weekend relaxing, organizing, doing paperwork and catching up on our emails. We also found some time to hang out with friends and visit some local restaurants and clubs. I also used some of this time to reflect once again on our very eventful and emotionally draining week.

Weeki Tatu (Week Three)

2009-06-18T02:05:00.001-07:00

On Monday Jon, Ashley and I visited the kitchen as usual to see if the Mamas needed any help with project tasks. Even if there is not a lot of work to be done at the kitchen, we try to go and visit as often as possible so that we are able to have a strong personal and working relationship with the Mamas. I really enjoy my time spent with the Mamas. It gives us the opportunity to get to know them better. We often end up chatting and teaching each other in both Kiswahili and English. I have actually noticed that my Swahili has gotten much better from our interactions! It also seems as though each time we go I leave with a feeling of contentment as we often spend half of our time making jokes and laughing with each other. Afterwards I took Ashley to the clinic because she wasn’t feeling very well. We spent about and hour and a half (sa nusu) hanging out in the clinic (kliniki) and found out that Ashley also had malaria. Pole sana Ash!
On Tuesday Mamas were hard at work as usual and explained that they just needed help preparing their travel documents and arrangements for their trip to Kenya the following week. Some of the Mamas will be traveling to Oyugis, Kenya to train two other women’s groups to make the ‘fiti’ brand probiotic yogurt. The facilities (kitchen, lab, etc.) in Kenya and all of the women are all ready to start production, the Mamas just have to assist them with their last bit of training. Ashley is also planning on traveling with the Mamas as part of her work is to create a training manual that will assist with the set up of other probiotic yogurt projects. This manual will be available in English and Kiswahili.
As most of the Mamas have never traveled outside of Tanzania, they were a little unsure as to where to start with their plans. We expressed to them that we would take them through the process of getting their passports, booking their accommodations and arranging their mode of travel so that in the future, they could do it themselves.
On Wednesday Jon was not feeling very well so he went to the clinic in the morning. Ashley and I stuck around the apartment to do some paper work. Around 11am I got a strange call from Jon. Jon explained that he was trapped inside the bathroom stall at the clinic and that the lock was broken on the door. He explained that he had been trying to get out of the restroom for the past 30 (thelathani) minutes by banging on the door and trying to pick the lock. Although I felt extremely sorry for him, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing…Good thing he had his cell phone on him. I told him to hang tight and that I would be there as soon as I could. When I got to the clinic, I tried to explain in my broken Kiswahili that my friend was trapped in the restroom. I think that the nurse (nesi) thought that I was crazy (wazimu). I think she understood what I was saying but didn’t really know what to do. Eventually one of the head nurses (an Indian Nun who speaks fluent English) came out and I explained to her the situation. I brought her to the restroom that Jon was stuck in so that she could find the appropriate key (muhimu) to get him out. In the meantime, I talked to Jon through the restroom door (mlango), trying to distract him and calm him down a little. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a stinky, nasty restroom for almost an hour. The nurse tried ever key in the building and realized that the lock was actually broken and that even the proper key wouldn’t work. I just kept talking to Jon to keep him distracted. The nurse calmly explained to me that the locks (kufuli) and doors are 15 years old and have never been replaced due to lack of finances. She also mentioned that in the last year, 3 people have gotten stuck in 3 different stalls but that they hadn’t had the money to replace the doors and locks. Eventually 2 maintenance workers came to remove the lock from the door. They realized that they needed a star screwdriver and only had a square one…we spent more time waiting. Jon was not impressed (understandably) and was starting to get pretty irritated. I tried to keep talking to him to keep him busy. After another 40 minutes of working on the door, the maintenance men finally got the door open and Jon was released from the toilet (choo). I can’t even explain the look on Jon’s face when he was released...he was not a happy camper. I tried to joke with him telling him that he would laugh about it tomorrow and that he would have a funny story to tell. I also reminded him of the popular saying T.I.A (This is Africa)! We laughed for a bit and waited while Jon’s test results were to be prepared. After all of that, the poor guy found out that he still had malaria and also had a nice parasite called Guardia. Pole Sana Mr. Jon. We decided to take the rest of the day off so that Jon could recover from his traumatizing experience.
That evening we enjoyed a nice dinner with two of our friends Joke and Major. Joke is a medical student from Holland who is working with our project doing clinical trials with people taking the probiotic yogurt on a daily basis. Her boyfriend (kipensi) Major is one of my good friends who I met the last time that I was in Mwanza. Joke made us an amazing lasagna dinner with ice cream for desert. Although the food here is really tasty, we were so thankful and delighted to enjoy a ‘taste of home’. Personally, I was happy to get my cheese fix.
In the morning on Thursday Ashley and I visited the kitchen. Jon was not feeling very well because of his aliments so he had to stay home and rest. We talked with the mamas for a while and dropped off a budget tracking form sheet for the mamas that we created for their trip to Kenya. This form would assist them with recording all of their finances for better record keeping. Ashley wasn’t feeling well because of the malaria so she went home and I stayed to help the mamas. Mama Paskwalina, Mama Elizabeth, Mama Leah and I went into town to start preparing for their trip to Kenya. We first went to get their passport photos taken, then we went to immigration to fill out their passport forms. I really enjoyed spending a whole afternoon with the Mamas. We made a lot of small talk and they taught me some new words. Even in the moments of silence, it was really nice to spend some quality time with these ladies. I then returned home to check on the patients at home. Both Jon and Ash were not feeling the best but they were doing alright. Myself and some of the other Kivulini interns spent the evening at Tunza for some yoga and fun times with friends.
On Friday Jon, Ashley and I all worked together at home on the overall project budget and work plan forms. We also took another trip to the market to buy food for the week. I wanted to buy a new pillow because the one I have at the apartment was looking pretty rough. It is kind of strange finding random items that you need here. At home you can just go to a department store and find everything. Here, the shops are small and you often have to go hunting for items…at least I do because I am not familiar with the shops and stores. After being unsuccessful at finding a pillow at the market, I finally asked one of my local friends, Salome, where I could find one. Turns out, I could get one just across the street at the Mlango Moja market. Salome went with me to help me bargain for a nice pillow. I finally found one. I is SO much better than the old crusty one I was using. Friday night went out with some friends to Isamilo Lodge to hear the ‘Budgee Smugglers’ band play for the last time.
Saturday we spent the day relaxing at home, cleaning the apartment and reading books.
On Sunday Ashley and I traveled to the Kesesa region (Bughora) with two Kivulini interns, Pamie and Nyasa to attend a giant Sukuma (the largest local tribe in Tanzania) celebration. It was quite a long ride on the daladala (small VW-type bus thing) and then a ways walking to get to Bughora. Pamie had been to the Sukuma museum once before in the area but we were unsure of where the festival was to be held. Luckily we made friends with a lovely elderly lady on the way how showed us where the festival was going on. When we arrived there was a podium/stage set up and some bleachers with hundreds/thousands of people in a soccer field. As we looked around we realized once again, just how much we stick out here. Everyone was looking at us and trying to talk to us. It was a little overwhelming. Even though we felt a little uncomfortable we moved forward and made our way closer to the stage so that we could hear the local bishop and the other community officials talk. The officials welcomed everyone, talked about the community and explained the events that were going on throughout the week (at least that’s what I understood). Many strange things happened throughout the day that were funny but also irritating at times. We all really wanted to participate in this event but it was hard to have everyone staring at us all day. I am not used to being the centre of attention. Here are some of the random things that happened: 1) A mentally ill woman came up from behind me and grabbed be in a big bear hug and was babbling in my ear. It was hard to get her off of me but I eventually did. 2) A drunk man wouldn’t leave us alone and followed us. He was continually singing, yelling and dancing. 3) A young man told my friend Pamie that he loved her arm hair and that he thought it was sexy. 4) WE got constant marriage proposals all day…there were many other silly things that happened but if I wrote about them all I would be here all day. Although there were some strange/ frustrating things that happened, we really enjoyed ourselves at the opening ceremonies of the Sukuma festival. It was really neat to see the tribal dances and the ‘drum wars’. The drum wars were really neat. Two different Sukuma tribes set up dance and drumming areas at opposite sides of the soccer field. One tribe would perform in song and dance telling stories from the past. Large crowds of people gathered around to watch. When that tribe was done performing, the crowds would move to the other side of the field where the other tribe would perform. This went on for quite a while, back and forth, back and forth. Later, a winning tribe was declared and they performed for the bishop and other officials. It was neat because I found out that in the past the tribes would use the dance and drum competitions to compete for plots of land. It is a really interesting and peaceful way to settle land issues.
Later on in the day we met a young boy named Kasmil. We started talking to Kasmil and found out that he was a 12 year old artist. Kasmil showed us some of his drawings. They were mostly of animals and scenery around is area…they were amazing! We asked him if we could buy some copies of his drawings from him and he sold us a number of them. Kasmil ended up spending all day with us, just chatting and showing us around. He spoke pretty good English and was teaching us some more words in Swahili. He also explained quite a bit about the ceremonies that were going on throughout the day. Our little friend was so hospitable, it was like having a little tour guide for the day.
Later on we walked up the long, winding hill in the beautiful area of Bughora to the Sukuma Museum for some food. Kasmil came along with us and showed us where various things were in the community. When we got to the museum Kasmil said, ‘ok, I will wait here under this tree and then we can go back to the festival’. The young man was trying to be polite because he did not have money to buy food for himself. We told him that he must join us for some food and that we would buy it. He truly did not want to impose but we stressed to him that we would enjoy his company. You should have seen the smile on his face when he found out that we were buying him lunch…what a cute kid!
After enjoying some delicious chips myia (omlet with fries) and sodas we headed back down the hill for the rest of the ceremonies. On our walk down, a man who worked for one of the local NGOs offered us a ride and we jumped in the back of his trucks alongside about 6 kids who were already back there. We had fun bumping along and taking pictures of the ride. We left around 4:30 so that we could make it back before dark while the ceremonies were still continuing. Although some interesting culture shock moments occurred, it was a beautiful day and we ended up experiencing a really neat cultural ceremony and meeting a lot of beautiful people.

Weeki Mbili (Week Two)

2009-06-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Conveniently, a few hours after George’s visit, Alex (George’s top student who will be working closely with the project) was passing through Mlango Moja (our area) and dropped by to see us. He had just returned from visiting the Yogurt Mamas at the Yogurt Kitchen (jiko ya maziwa) in Mabatini. He and the Mamas discussed his roles and functions relating to the project and also touched on the priorities of the Mamas, including their needs, goals, objectives and future plans. As a group we decided to set up a meeting on Monday with all of the Mamas so that we could collectively explain our individual and group objectives, project needs, goals, and future plans. My internship objectives include 1) monitoring and refining the financial reporting and record keeping for the project 2) assisting with the production and marketing of the probiotic yogurt including refining the documentation process of the yogurt that is given to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) 3) inquire about other possible grants for the project (through TASAF etc.) 4) to assist the mamas with the progression (building, organization, set-up etc.) of the new probiotic yogurt kitchen in Nyamhongoro area 5) to assist the Yogurt Mamas with any other necessary project matters. I was excited to meet with the Mamas on Monday to explain my purpose in being here.

On Saturday morning Ashley and I headed to Mabatini wearing our beautiful new kangas for the Freedom Torch Ceremony. Jon was still unable to join us due to his illness (malaria). When we had arrived to the kitchen the Mamas were setting up a tent-covered area for the government officials that they were welcoming. Government officials joined by youth leaders travel with the FT to various communities sending a message of national unity and at the same time, often deliver a message regarding a chosen theme for that year. This year, the ceremony in Mabatini was to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness. The government representatives (one of who we believe to be the Vice-President) specifically honored the Tukwamuane Women for their work in the community and unveiled a plaque that is now on display outside of the kitchen. The women were extremely proud of their honorary mention as community members recognized them as significant leaders in the community. The people in the Mabatini community spent the rest of the morning celebrating by dancing and singing in the streets. It was really funny because many community members encouraged Ashley and I to dance with them and everyone seemed to be staring at the silly Mzungus dancing. Even though many people laughed and stared at us, they really included us in the celebrations. In fact, they would not let us stop dancing for three hours lol! Later on in the celebrations, a group of residents from the Mahina neighborhood (a nearby neighborhood that is closely involved in the project) sang a song about the health benefits of the yogurt and the community seemed to be very receptive. Many people came to buy more yogurt that morning compared to the other days we had been to the kitchen. This ceremony affirmed the Mamas prominence in the community and the progress of the project. We were quite proud of them. Unfortunately, to our displeasure, we were not allowed to take pictures when the government officials were present so we only have pictures of the celebrations before and after their arrival.

We spent Sunday relaxing and recovering from our busy week.

On Monday, we met Mama Paskawlina and Mama Sabina at the daladala station to take a trip out to the new kitchen site in Nyamhongoro. When we got to the new kitchen site, Mama Paskwalina and Mama Sabina showed us their large piece of land and explained some of their future plans for the site. At the time, 3 men were working on an almost completed banda (cow house/hut). The frame and foundation of the banda was complete but the men were still working on finishing the walls, the water (maji) trough and the cow (n’gombe) sheds. The Mamas also mentioned that they would be purchasing 5 cows in the next little while so that they will be able to produce their own milk to make the yogurt. After taking a look at the new site, we went with the Mamas to meet with the Chairman of the Nyamhongoro community. The mamas and the Chairman had a lengthy discussion before we headed back to Mabitini. Later that day, 8 of the mamas and Alex came to the apartment for our first meeting with everyone. After some formalities the interns, with the help of Alex, communicated to the Mamas our project goals and the reason why we are here. The mamas communicated their own goals, and we modified our objectives to meet their current needs.

On Tuesday, we visited Mtoni high school which is located just around the corner from the yogurt kitchen. As mentioned before Mtoni high school is ‘twinned’ or partnered with Clarke Road high school in London. The students correspond back and forth via letters and pictures sent through the WHE interns. Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of the students are on summer break right now so we could not meet with them. But instead, we met with the headmaster and his assistant along with some of the remaining students. Clarke Road had donated 6 soccer balls to Mtoni and we delivered them to the remaining students. They were so excited that they finally had some sports equipment. We spoke with the headmaster for quite a while and then headed on our way. We decided that we would come back in July when all of the students return to possibly help out with some lessons and activities and to collect the letters that the students will be writing to the Clarke Road students. At this time we will also meet with the headmaster to decide what items may be purchased for the school from the students at Clarke Road. He mentioned that there was a need for teaching materials, books and science equipment.

On Wednesday we went to the Ygourt Kitchen to meet with the Mamas. Later on that day, we took two Mtoni studetns (Lugembe and Donald) who had been helping us translate at the kitchen out for lunch. We talked about our favorite music, our families, school and our future plans. It was really interesting how many things we had in common with the boys but also how many differences there were between the five of us. The boys expressed their thanks to us as they don’t often have the opportunity to go out to eat due to a lack of finances. We also thanked them because the experience was just as enjoyable for us. After lunch, Jon took the two boys to an Internet Café to teach them how to type and access e-mails while Missy and Ashley went home to work on a work plan and budget for Tukwamuane.

On Thursday we worked on creating templates for a work plan and budget that the Mamas could work on. In the afternoon, we finally got to visit Forever Angels Baby Home! I was so happy to see that about 10 out of the 16 children that were here 2 years ago when I was here were still around and one of the older ones (Charlie) remembered me! It was also nice to meet the other children as the total number of babies and toddlers now sits around 50! I was impressed with how much the children have grown, learned and progressed since I saw them last. They now speak both English and Kiswahili! I had fun practicing my Kiswahili with the older children while they spoke to me in English. We could only stay for about an hour as visiting hours were coming to an end so we headed off to Tunza for some relaxing sunset yoga on the beach! I can’t wait to go back again to play with the kiddies! I already miss them.

On Friday we worked hard to complete more sections of on budget and work plan. On Friday we also took another trip to the market. It was packed! The market is quite an interesting place to be. There are so many people and so many vendors that it is hard to get around. At the same time it is quite hot and smelly so it is always an adventure. Although there are a few ‘Mzungu’ grocery stores that sell imported luxuries from home, we are trying our best to shop locally because the foods here are organic, cheap and delicious. We are also trying to be cautious of our social and environmental footprint so we do most of our shopping at the market. It is quite difficult to shop in the market though, being a Mzungu and all, because people sometimes try to charge you much higher prices but I have become quite good at knowing the prices and bargaining until we get a fair price. I often tell people, ‘Mimi simzungu, Mimi Nimbongo, ni ghali mno’ (I’m not a Mzungu, I’m a local, that’s too expensive). The vendors often laugh and are impressed with my attempts at speaking Swahili and often lower the prices for us.
In the evening on Friday we went to one of our favorite hotel/ restaurants (Tilapia) and spent some time with some friends. also trip to market for some hard core bargaining.

On Saturday morning Mama Asha invited us over to her house for a visit. We had a really great time with her and her family. It was nice because this gave us the opportunity to practice our Kiswahili. We spent about 4 hours chatting and eating delicious food (scones, vegetables, plantains, fish, fruit etc.) with the whole gang. Mama Asha also got us to sign her guest book as she always does with all of the interns and we took some fun pictures of us to bring to her later. On Saturday night we had another fun night hanging out with friends at Tunza Beach and Villa Park Club.

On Sunday we spent some more time at Tunza Beach to relax but we didn’t end up relaxing much because our friend Jan set up a gigantic blow up slip and slide (you know those things you go on when you are a kid where you run and slide into a pool at the end) and we ended up appending all afternoon on that. Can you believe it, a slip in slide in Tanzania! What a great end to the week! :-)

Weeki Moja

2009-05-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

After a long and interesting journey, I have made it back to the place that I called home (nyumbani) just two years ago. It feels nice to be back in Mwanza with so many familiar sights, sounds and smells. Upon first impression, not much has changed in two years. Many of the landmarks, hotels and shops appear to quite similar, fading into the busy hustle and bustle of the city.
Since it has been a whole two years since I have been here I was unsure whether people in the neighborhood would remember me or if I would be seen as just another Mzungu who has entered the area. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter two friendly faces (Maimuna and Rugaee) from Kivulini Women’s and Children’s Rights Organization who recognized me and gladly welcomed me back to Mwanza. I have always found that the people in Mwanza are very friendly and welcoming. It was nice to hear those welcoming words again ‘karibu’ (welcome)!
Settling back into the old intern apartment brought back many fond memories for me as I unpacked my overloaded suitcases from back home. I found it interesting the contrast in my feelings, demeanor and way of thinking when settling in this time compared to my first time here. I remember feeling so unsure, so uncertain, and to be honest, so out of place at times. But this time, I felt so positive, so comfortable, so excited, like I was returning to a whole other place, as an entirely different person. I thought about this for a while and reflected on my transition since my last visit here. I realized how much of an influence this place had on changing my entire way of approaching life. I realized how differently I think compared to last time, how much I have grown, and how much I have learned about life.
For some reason, this place sets of a spark in me, a spark that fosters me to appreciate, reflect, embrace and celebrate life. I think it is the wonder of this place that rekindles my desire and passion to continually learn, discover and experience.
As we started to settle in, I was reminded how everyday tasks are quite different from tasks at home. Simple tasks such as cooking, grocery shopping and accessing the internet take much longer to accomplish than back at home. I guess I have to get used to the African pace of things again and remind myself that things happen pole pole (slowly, slowly).
Although we are adjusting to the pole pole lifestyle we were eager to get to the yogurt kitchen (jiko maziwa) so that I could reunite with the Yogurt Mamas and Ashley and Jon could meet them for the very first time. So we headed off down the streets of Mwanza (Mabatini neighbourhood) to meet with the Yogurt Mamas. On our way we were greeted by many locals who stopped to ask us where we are from (‘anatoka wapi?’). Many of the locals also made small talk with us as they find foreigners very interesting. I enjoyed speaking with various people on the street since I need to practice my Kiswahili. It is my goal to be fluent in Kiswahili by the end of my trip. Many others who passed us on the street reminded us that we are different, that we are foreigners as they constantly yelled ‘Mzungu’ (White person) and waved to us.
At the yogurt kitchen Mama Paskwalina, Mama Leah and Mama Cecilia were working hard and greeted us with open arms. The Mamas expressed how excited they were to see me again and to meet Jon and Ashley. We spent about an hour at the kitchen chatting with the Mamas (using broken Kiswahili) as we enjoyed some chai (milky spiced tea) and andazi (local donuts) with them. The mamas told us to return the next day (kesho) so that all the Mamas could meet with us and discuss our plans for our internship. We set off again down the streets of Mabatini to our home (nyumbani).
The next day we were able to meet with all of the Yogurt Mamas and a few of their children. It was so nice to see all of them again. All of the mamas were surprised to see me again and welcomed me back to Mwanza with greetings and hugs. Since my Kiswahili is still a little rusty, a local high school boy (Lugembe) helped us translate our discussion about the Tukwamuane project and our goals for the internship. There are many elementary and high school students in the Mabatini area from Mabatini elementary school and Mtoni high school that get yogurt from the yogurt kitchen and they love to practice their English with the Mzungus. We also encourage them to practice Kiswahli with us. The Mtoni high school in this community is the school that is partnered with Clarke Road Secondary School in London, Ontario. The students from Clarke Road raise money to buy school supplies and sports equipment for the Mtoni students and they correspond though letters back and forth. This is what I like most about the Western Heads East project, there are so many aspects of the project that connect the Mwanza community with the partners back home. It really is a global community effort.
After a successful discussion, the mamas invited us to a big (kubwa) community celebration that is happening on the weekend called ‘Mwenge Wa Uhuru’ (The passing of the Freedom Torch)! This ceremony symbolizes independence in 1961 under the Nyerere government. The vice president as well as many other officials and local individuals will be carrying the torch through the community and there will be day long celebrations. The Mamas told us that they would like us to come and represent the yogurt project with them. They also mentioned that it would be nice for us to dress in traditional African clothing (Nguo) and that they would take us to the market (sokoni) to purchase this clothing the following day.
Today Mama Paskwalina took Ashley and I to the market to buy the material for our outfits. Jon had to visit the doctor because he was not feeling very well. Turns out he has a mild case of Malaria and he had to go home to rest. Malaria is very common here and can be contracted through mosquito bites. Fortunately there are many accessible (for those who have a little bit of money) clinics and medicines (dawa) to help cure malaria and Jon should be feeling better in a matter of days. Many local people here contract malaria but can not afford the cost of the doctor’s visit or the medicine so it can/ does sometimes threaten their lives. Knowing that the cost of Malaria medication and a doctors visit is only about $10 (at the most) Canadian makes it seem quite absurd that people in Tanzania and other surrounding countries are dying of this disease.
Anyways, on a happier note, on Saturday (tomorrow) (jumamosi, kesho) we will meet the Yogurt Mamas at 9:00 am (saa tatu) to wait for the ceremonies to begin. I am very excited to attend this event since all of the previous events that I have attended in Mwanza have been so interesting and so much fun.
When we returned (narudi) home from the kitchen we were pleasantly surprised to see that George (the director of development studies at Saint Augustine University) was at our apartment chatting with Jon. We were happy to see George since he and his students will be assisting us with completing our project goals and with translation at the yogurt kitchen.
I was also reminded this week about how lucky we are at home in Canada to have access to abundant and clean food and water as well as consistent electricity supplies. So far this week, our power has gone out three (tatu) times and we had no running water (maji) at all for three days. It is not the most pleasant of things to sweat all day in the African sun and not have access to any water for that long. But, that is life here in Mwanza and I have to remind myself of how lucky I am to even have access to these amenities on a regular basis. Luckily our water tank was filled again today and I was able to have a shower…man it felt good!