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.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Weeki Tatu (Week Three)
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Weeki Mbili (Week Two)
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! :-)
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! :-)
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