Twice in one week I broke the golden rule and left the house without toilet paper...and this time it cost me. After a quick breakfast at the coffee shop in town, Jasen and I went with Marianne to the bus to send her off. Her time here is up and she is headed back to Norway. Of course, nature strikes when you least expect it here and not only did I have to find a bathroom, but I had to stop to buy toilet paper somewhere, too. Let it be known, the two are NEVER in the same place. I had about 20 minutes before the bus was scheduled to leave, so off I ran. Well, for the first time in the history of buses in Africa, this bus left, not only on time, but a few minutes early. While I was fishing around for my phone (which I dropped) in the dark back corner closet "bathroom" (aka - hole in the ground), Marianne was pleading with the driver to wait for me. We hadn't even said goodbye. She also tried to call me, but of course, when I dropped my phone it broke open and I couldn't receive any calls. The way I see it, my stop to buy toilet paper cost me my chance to say goodbye to Marianne - and I have no one to blame, but myself. So, a quick shout out to my friend: "Marianne, I love you and miss you and I'm so, so, so sorry I didn't get to hug you goodbye. Now you must come back! Safe travels, my dear."
A quick update on little Abu, who I mentioned in an earlier post: He is doing much, much, much better. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and for asking others to prayer. After 3 years of pain, lethargy, and uncertainty, the doctors believe the problem was a peptic ulcer. The medication is helping tremendously and Abu is doing great. His family is truly appreciative and so thankful to have their precious little boy healthy again. I can't begin to imagine how frustrating it was to go three years with no real guidance or medical support for the local doctors. Please don't misunderstand me, there are some great doctors here, but often hospitals are short-staffed and trained physicians are hard to come by. Many times patients are treated without even seeing the actual doctor. After such a long time, I know Abu and his family were extremely discouraged. Thank you everyone, for lifting them up! We are so happy he is doing better!
I'll be heading back to Arusha the second half of this week and, while I have a lot of work to get done for the safari company, I also hope to have some time to meet with Mama Jane again. She and her husband were so warm and encouraging. In between, locating an office for the safari company, buying camping equipment and visiting hotels to develop partnerships in the area, I hope to sit down with Jane again and hear more about her goals for the future. Many of you have heard me talk in the past about the importance of education here in Tanzania - in all of Africa for that matter. Without it, many children have little hope for a stable job or income in the future. While public education is "free", families still have to buy uniforms, books and school supplies for the children. On a salary often less than $1 a day, these costs are enormous - and many times impossible to incur. With few exceptions, even families who can afford to send kids to school here have to choose which of their children they can send. It is often a decision based solely upon gender and birth order.
In addition to rising school costs, East Africa is currently experiencing one of the longest and most devastating droughts it has seen in over 60 years. Almost 10 million people are severely affected by food shortages and in desperate need of food aid. Food costs at the market are literally rising daily. Tanzania has not been hit as hard as Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti, but the food shortages in neighboring states are affecting life here. Smugglers are taking truckloads of food over the borders to Kenya and Uganda in hopes of receiving a higher price for the food. In turn, Tanzania is beginning to experience food shortages and prices are rising here, as well. Our power outages last about 12 hours a day now, forcing prices up, as well. Everyone I speak with is worried about the future. Even though Fatuma has a stable job and room and board, she too, is worried, stockpiling as much food as she can store for the future.
I read a great opinion article earlier today. It was written by an African who was looking for other Africans to write stories of hope and promise in their local newspapers. Stories that told of the progress being made on the continent. He argued that much of what Westerners hear is about the devastation, corruption and desolation on this continent. Africa is still behind much of the rest of the world, but it is also moving forward. Yesterday, the people of South Sudan celebrated their independence as a state and freedom from the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir. We cannot even begin to imagine the horrific occurrences these people have nearly all witnessed firsthand. Though they have a long journey ahead of them, South Sudan is free and moving toward a better tomorrow. Every day literally thousands and thousands of organizations in every country on this continent are working, step by step, to improve the lives of those in their communities. At the same time, many organizations back home in the States are doing the same thing for the people here - and it is helping.
I try not to stand on my soap box too often, but if you have a moment, check out some of the links I have posted to the right. I will do my best to list them by location. These are just a few of the organizations doing small things that make a big difference in Africa. Many are just looking for a little bit of your time. If you have a free Saturday or a few hours in the evening, maybe you will find an organization that you could get involved in. Or you could host an event of your own. Maybe it's just enough to get your wheels turning right now. Even if what you find simply tells the stories of progress, instead of tragedy, in Africa, it is enough.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Third Time's a Charm
My first mattress had the consistency of one of those foam pits kids jump into. From the first night that I sank down into it and onto the wood bed frame, I knew I was going to have a tough time sleeping. What I didn't know what that once it caved in, it would never regain it's shape. I spent a couple of weeks trying not to fall into the pit in my mattress every night in order to avoid a sore back in the morning. Late last week, I confiscated one of the mattresses from another room that was no longer in use. After 5 minutes on it, I thought I would be sick. It literally smelled like cow manure. For two nights I try air freshener, sneaker spray and candles. Nothing helped. On Monday, Fatuma helped me switch mattresses - again - and I am finally sleeping well! Most nights I feel like a 5 year old kid in my malaria net fort....and I have to admit, I love it!
Remember Memoria, the gigantic flea market in my neighborhood I told you about earlier? It is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays and, yes, we were back again yesterday. On the hunt for shower curtain rings - which we didn't find last time - and some containers to store rice, sugar, flower and ugali in. The containers we found right away. 8 large containers and 8 smaller containers. They were brand new and the total was less that $15 US. Perfect. On our search for shower curtains I discovered what must be the biggest "Bridesmaid Dress Graveyard" in the world. Tara, you should get on a plane and get right over here. Many of the dresses looked like they were right up your alley!! On Friday I may return again just to take pictures so that you can all see these beauties. You may even spot one you were forced to wear!
Anyway, I finally found a few shower curtain rings that were attached to a curtain. Unfortunately, my stubbornness got in my way. The girl would not let me purchase just the curtain rings. She wanted me to buy the used curtain, as well. Usually when you say no and begin to walk away here, the vendor will track you down and change their mind. They see a mzungu (white person) and try to get all they can from us. Well, this time it didn't work - and I am still showering behind a moldy door. Fatuma laughed at me and away we went.
To be honest, yesterday was not my day. Every daladala was full or just sped right past us, so Fatuma and I ended up walking the 7km into town to buy medicine for little Abu, who we had visited earlier yesterday morning. When we got to the pharmacy I was cut off several times by other customers who kept pushing in front of me, over me or around me at the counter. Then we went to the post office so that I could mail some postcards and register a PO Box for JustUsFriends. The woman in the office said my postage was 100 Tsh short, but she didn't have 100 Tsh stamps so I needed to buy 300 Tsh stamps. When I purchased the stamps the guy at the postage counter outside said I had what I needed. I went back outside to him and found out the woman was just trying to charge me extra postage. And the PO Box? Well, they're all taken and we'll have to wait until next month to see if there are more. Oh, and the guy who manages the PO Boxes is on leave so no one can tell me how much they will cost.
After the 7k walk, the pharmacy and the post office, Fatuma and I decided to grab a quick lunch. An hour later our food arrived and her order was wrong. Fast forward another thirty minutes and we were finally on our way to the market. By this time it was about 3pm and we were pretty much exhausted. So exhausted that when the spice guy handed me the bucket of pili pili to look at I didn't think twice and took a big whiff - of spicy red peppers. Pretty sure I burned my smelling sensors and sneezed about ten times (with no Kleenex or toilet paper to be found anywhere). I broke the Golden Rule: Don't ever leave the house without toilet paper.
After the market we went to the paint store where I was interrupted several times, again, and purchased more paint for the house. I'm overseeing the interior painting of our house in Moshi while Jasen is gone and it is quite the task. After one coat, the walls are nearly as dirty as they were before. No one speaks English and trying to explain the the paint belongs on the walls and not the ceiling, floor, baseboards, beds, suitcases, shoes, shower grout, light switches and windows is a bit difficult. You get the picture.
As frustrating as the day could have been yesterday, I've learned to take things in stride and laugh at as much as possible. It helps to have Fatuma with me. She sees the humor in everything. For being a Tanzanian who was raised in the villages, she has more of the mentality of a mzungu than a local. And while she's more forgiving at times than I am, she finds many of these experiences to be as crazy as I do, too. I don't know what I'd do without her.
Remember Memoria, the gigantic flea market in my neighborhood I told you about earlier? It is only open on Tuesdays and Fridays and, yes, we were back again yesterday. On the hunt for shower curtain rings - which we didn't find last time - and some containers to store rice, sugar, flower and ugali in. The containers we found right away. 8 large containers and 8 smaller containers. They were brand new and the total was less that $15 US. Perfect. On our search for shower curtains I discovered what must be the biggest "Bridesmaid Dress Graveyard" in the world. Tara, you should get on a plane and get right over here. Many of the dresses looked like they were right up your alley!! On Friday I may return again just to take pictures so that you can all see these beauties. You may even spot one you were forced to wear!
Anyway, I finally found a few shower curtain rings that were attached to a curtain. Unfortunately, my stubbornness got in my way. The girl would not let me purchase just the curtain rings. She wanted me to buy the used curtain, as well. Usually when you say no and begin to walk away here, the vendor will track you down and change their mind. They see a mzungu (white person) and try to get all they can from us. Well, this time it didn't work - and I am still showering behind a moldy door. Fatuma laughed at me and away we went.
To be honest, yesterday was not my day. Every daladala was full or just sped right past us, so Fatuma and I ended up walking the 7km into town to buy medicine for little Abu, who we had visited earlier yesterday morning. When we got to the pharmacy I was cut off several times by other customers who kept pushing in front of me, over me or around me at the counter. Then we went to the post office so that I could mail some postcards and register a PO Box for JustUsFriends. The woman in the office said my postage was 100 Tsh short, but she didn't have 100 Tsh stamps so I needed to buy 300 Tsh stamps. When I purchased the stamps the guy at the postage counter outside said I had what I needed. I went back outside to him and found out the woman was just trying to charge me extra postage. And the PO Box? Well, they're all taken and we'll have to wait until next month to see if there are more. Oh, and the guy who manages the PO Boxes is on leave so no one can tell me how much they will cost.
After the 7k walk, the pharmacy and the post office, Fatuma and I decided to grab a quick lunch. An hour later our food arrived and her order was wrong. Fast forward another thirty minutes and we were finally on our way to the market. By this time it was about 3pm and we were pretty much exhausted. So exhausted that when the spice guy handed me the bucket of pili pili to look at I didn't think twice and took a big whiff - of spicy red peppers. Pretty sure I burned my smelling sensors and sneezed about ten times (with no Kleenex or toilet paper to be found anywhere). I broke the Golden Rule: Don't ever leave the house without toilet paper.
After the market we went to the paint store where I was interrupted several times, again, and purchased more paint for the house. I'm overseeing the interior painting of our house in Moshi while Jasen is gone and it is quite the task. After one coat, the walls are nearly as dirty as they were before. No one speaks English and trying to explain the the paint belongs on the walls and not the ceiling, floor, baseboards, beds, suitcases, shoes, shower grout, light switches and windows is a bit difficult. You get the picture.
As frustrating as the day could have been yesterday, I've learned to take things in stride and laugh at as much as possible. It helps to have Fatuma with me. She sees the humor in everything. For being a Tanzanian who was raised in the villages, she has more of the mentality of a mzungu than a local. And while she's more forgiving at times than I am, she finds many of these experiences to be as crazy as I do, too. I don't know what I'd do without her.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
A Lazy Sunday Afternoon
After a week in Arusha, I am back “home” in Moshi. We arrived late Wednesday afternoon and pretty much crashed. Now that I have gotten some much needed rest, I am so happy to be back here and to see Fatuma and Sumaya again. While I can’t say that I miss the gigantic hot tub, western toilet or firm mattress from the hotel, my tiny little room here at the home base is a welcome site. And seven days without Fatuma’s chai and chipati was about all that I could handle.
Fatuma said it was too quiet while we were away. She missed the laughter in the house. We do tend to laugh quite a bit! Margaret has left for her next adventure, Marianne is in Zanzibar
Yesterday, Fatuma and I went on the hunt for a couple of shower curtains to replace the mold-covered doors on the bathroom and shower stalls. We went down to Memoria, a large - and by large, I mean gigantic - outdoor flea market of sorts in our neighborhood. We went from stall to stall asking for a shower curtain. Often we just got blank stares. One woman even pretended to know what it was, but said she didn’t have one. She got called out by the woman in the stall behind her who started teasing her, saying “You’re from the village. You don’t even know what a shower curtain is! Why would you say you do?!” After what felt like a couple of hours or searching, we nearly gave up. Thankfully, Fatuma finally found a woman who knew what a shower curtain was. Not only did she know what a shower curtain was, she knew where to find one for us! Now if we can just figure out a way to hang them…
It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon here in Moshi. After getting up at 6am and spending nearly 5 hours doing the laundry, Fatuma is laying down to take a nap. Jasen went into town and I am sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Jason Mraz, and working on the new website for JustGoodSafaris. I may be jinxing myself, but we’ve had power since last night and I even have a fan on in here to keep cool. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a pretty good afternoon.
While I'm keeping busy with the work for Jasen, I am also faced with so many people who need so little on a daily basis. On Wednesday, Mama Jane shared with me that she and her husband James had purchased 4 acres of land on the side of Mt. Meru in Arusha. They are praying that God will provide them with the money they need to build a new orphanage and school on the land. They are currently renting and can only permanently house 11 children onsite. The rest go off to distant relatives during the week and Jane invites them in on the weekends to make sure they are being fed and looked after. With a new school, Jane could provide a Christian education to many children who otherwise would never have the chance to even attend school. Thursday, it was a young boy on the street selling bracelets he had made for just over a dollar. He was kind and remembered me from my last trip here in January. He told me he hadn't sold one bracelet that day and it was already 4pm. Friday, I met a 6 year old boy with a high fever and severe stomach cramping named Abu, who has been sick for 3 years. He needs a CT scan and a GI scope at KCMC, the large hospital here in Moshi, but his parents can't afford the 120,000 Tsh (about $80 USD) for the tests. I met Margaret, Abu's school teacher, after learning about her from a 3 or 4 little girl walking home from school. Fatuma and I went to visit her classroom and I watched her pray over little Abu. Although his family is Muslim, he told his mother he was in so much pain he wanted to visit Teacher Margaret so that she could pray to her God for him, too. Margaret rents the land her corregated metal school room is built on. The local authorities are threatening to shut her down because the 60 students who attend classes with her barely fit inside the room she and some volunteers built. She is praying for the $3500 she needs to buy a small plot of land in the neighborhood and another $5000 to build a proper school room. Yesterday, Fatuma shared with my how sick her husband's mother is. She has had gout for years, but they can't afford any medication. Rajabu (Fatuma's husband) is barely making $3 a day, sometimes working 12-16 hours a day, driving a taxi in town. Fatuma told me if I went to see where his family lives in the village I would not be able to stop crying. She helps support them as much as she can and often brings food out for them to feed the family. I can tell by the pain in her voice that she wishes she could do more. So do I.
Tomorrow morning Jasen goes back to Arusha to start working with the kids at Good Hope, Ally’s orphanage. I wish I had the time to go with, but I will stay back here in Moshi with Fatuma and continue working on the website, fliers and business plan. There is a lot to get done and not enough time to do everything. We have painters coming in tomorrow to repaint the inside of the house. In the morning I am going with Fatuma to a Margaret's small school here in Soweto
Wishing all of you a fun and safe 4th of July weekend! Jasen suggested we try to find some fireworks to have our own celebration here in Moshi - I told him I didn't want to be within 100 yards of any fireworks made in Africa! Set some off for me back home...
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
It's been a busy week...
As you know, I arrived in Arusha last Wednesday with Marianne, Jasen and Margaret. We are still here. I'm going to apologize up front - this post may be brief. We are all pretty tired. Every day we seem to find more and more kids that need medical check-ups. Jane's Orphan Center was the first location we went to. Since that day we've seen around 250 children. About 20% of the children have some sort of sinus infection, ear infection, or respiratory infection. After we complete the check-ups we head to the duka la dawa (pharmacy), buy the necessary prescriptions and head back to the hotel for a much needed night of rest. We label all of the prescriptions in English and basic Swahili so that the children are sure to get the proper dose at the correct times.
One woman, Bibi (grandma) Maria is 95 years old. She is an absolute joy. I can't imagine how hard her life has been. And to still be alive and kickin' at 95?! That's incredible. She has pretty severe rheumatoid arthritis. Yesterday we gave her some medication for R.A. and today we got to see her again. She was all smiles. We can't understand much of what she says as she speaks more of her tribal language than Swahili, but we do know she had the best night of sleep she has had in a long time. It is so great to see the immediate impact we are making here.
Changing gears a bit:
I got electrocuted this morning - and for those of you who have encountered me before 10am you know that early morning electrocution will likely not make me a happy camper. The hotel room has an electrical outlet that is hanging out of the wall and when I went to plug in my laptop this morning I got a pretty solid zap. Marianne heard the "bzzzzz" and "pop" in the bathroom. I felt it up my arm all morning long - and my finger tip got burned. Annoying. I was also pretty sick the past few days - nausea, dizziness, stomach pain, overheating. For a while I thought I had gotten malaria, but thankfully I woke up feeling much better this morning. I truly appreciate all of your prayers - they are obviously working!
I've been a bit spoiled in Arusha over the past week: hot showers, warm beds with real mattresses, western toilets. But even with all of the perks of hotel life, I miss my tiny room in Moshi and dinners with Fatuma and Sumaya. They are a part of my home away from home and I am looking forward to returning to them tomorrow.
New pictures are up on the pics page. Check them out when you have a moment. The kids here are so precious!!
One woman, Bibi (grandma) Maria is 95 years old. She is an absolute joy. I can't imagine how hard her life has been. And to still be alive and kickin' at 95?! That's incredible. She has pretty severe rheumatoid arthritis. Yesterday we gave her some medication for R.A. and today we got to see her again. She was all smiles. We can't understand much of what she says as she speaks more of her tribal language than Swahili, but we do know she had the best night of sleep she has had in a long time. It is so great to see the immediate impact we are making here.
Changing gears a bit:
I got electrocuted this morning - and for those of you who have encountered me before 10am you know that early morning electrocution will likely not make me a happy camper. The hotel room has an electrical outlet that is hanging out of the wall and when I went to plug in my laptop this morning I got a pretty solid zap. Marianne heard the "bzzzzz" and "pop" in the bathroom. I felt it up my arm all morning long - and my finger tip got burned. Annoying. I was also pretty sick the past few days - nausea, dizziness, stomach pain, overheating. For a while I thought I had gotten malaria, but thankfully I woke up feeling much better this morning. I truly appreciate all of your prayers - they are obviously working!
I've been a bit spoiled in Arusha over the past week: hot showers, warm beds with real mattresses, western toilets. But even with all of the perks of hotel life, I miss my tiny room in Moshi and dinners with Fatuma and Sumaya. They are a part of my home away from home and I am looking forward to returning to them tomorrow.
New pictures are up on the pics page. Check them out when you have a moment. The kids here are so precious!!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Mama Jane
Yesterday, Ally, Marianne, Margaret, Jasen and I left for Arusha. It is about a 2 hour bus ride to the west of Moshi. Thankfully, Ally was able to drive us. Thanks to his speedy - and terrifying - navigation around Fanta trucks and cattle, we were able to make the trip in just under an hour and a half. After running a few errands, Jasen decided to book a couple of hotel rooms for us for the night. Marianne, Margaret and I are staying in room 405. Jasen is in room 305. He could hear us down in his room screaming with delight when we discovered that our bathroom had not only a western toilet, but a jacuzzi tub in it, as well!! I woke up a few times during the night last night and forgot I was even in Africa.
The medical clinic JustUsFriends is building won't be ready for another 3 or 4 weeks, but we have plenty to do in the meantime. There are a handful of orphanages in the area who requested medical checkups for their kids so we decided to get a head-start on the work. Today we went to Jane Olivolis' Orphan Center. I met a woman named Jane who shared with me the story of why she started Jane's Center:
"I started the center because my husband and I found out we could not have children. I cried out to my God and He said, 'Look around you. There are children everywhere who need you.' So I took one of them in. And then another. Soon we had several children under our care. But we were struggling to feed them and provide for them. So I cried out to my God again, saying I could not care for all of these children. He responded - and gave me more children to care for! But he also provided for them. I met a woman who committed to supporting the center and we were able to care for the children. After some time, we began to struggle and I cried to my God again, 'God I am struggling. We do not have the means to feed and clothe these children.' When I opened my eyes, God brought more children to my doorstep! But He has provided. I am also listening to my sister - she told me not to cry out to God anymore saying that we can't do it!!"
Sometimes it is easy to focus on what is not getting done here. Or who isn't doing what they said they would. Or what isn't going the way I had planned. And then I meet people like Jane. She reminds me to focus on what is being done! Jane has over 200 kids in her care now...in only 6 short years. She and her husband could not have biological children of their own. But instead, they are directly changing the lives of more people than many of us could ever hope to positively impact. I wish you could all meet Mama Jane and her children so that you could see for yourselves what I am finding difficult to convey to you in words.
Tonight, before dinner, Marianne decided to use her shower gel in the jacuzzi tub. It made quite a few bubbles...sound familiar, Naomi? About 20 minutes later she was sitting in the tub, in her bathing suit, listening to her ipod, drinking a Redd's malted cider and singing away. It is one of those moments where someone else's joy becomes your own; a great end to an even greater day.
The medical clinic JustUsFriends is building won't be ready for another 3 or 4 weeks, but we have plenty to do in the meantime. There are a handful of orphanages in the area who requested medical checkups for their kids so we decided to get a head-start on the work. Today we went to Jane Olivolis' Orphan Center. I met a woman named Jane who shared with me the story of why she started Jane's Center:
"I started the center because my husband and I found out we could not have children. I cried out to my God and He said, 'Look around you. There are children everywhere who need you.' So I took one of them in. And then another. Soon we had several children under our care. But we were struggling to feed them and provide for them. So I cried out to my God again, saying I could not care for all of these children. He responded - and gave me more children to care for! But he also provided for them. I met a woman who committed to supporting the center and we were able to care for the children. After some time, we began to struggle and I cried to my God again, 'God I am struggling. We do not have the means to feed and clothe these children.' When I opened my eyes, God brought more children to my doorstep! But He has provided. I am also listening to my sister - she told me not to cry out to God anymore saying that we can't do it!!"
Sometimes it is easy to focus on what is not getting done here. Or who isn't doing what they said they would. Or what isn't going the way I had planned. And then I meet people like Jane. She reminds me to focus on what is being done! Jane has over 200 kids in her care now...in only 6 short years. She and her husband could not have biological children of their own. But instead, they are directly changing the lives of more people than many of us could ever hope to positively impact. I wish you could all meet Mama Jane and her children so that you could see for yourselves what I am finding difficult to convey to you in words.
Tonight, before dinner, Marianne decided to use her shower gel in the jacuzzi tub. It made quite a few bubbles...sound familiar, Naomi? About 20 minutes later she was sitting in the tub, in her bathing suit, listening to her ipod, drinking a Redd's malted cider and singing away. It is one of those moments where someone else's joy becomes your own; a great end to an even greater day.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Hot Chocolate and Beef Jerky
Today while I was in the shower I couldn't stop thinking about how much I would love some hot chocolate and beef jerky. I guess now that I have hot water and don't have to race to shower as quickly as I can in what feels like a bucket of ice, I have a few extra seconds to let my mind wander before the water runs out. Funny how, no matter how far from the western world I travel, there are just some things I can't seem to live without.
The shower, by the way, is my next project. It is in a small room no bigger than 3' x 4' and has an old wooden door that has pretty much swelled up and rotted so much that it won't shut. Most of the back of the door is dusted over with a light coat of mold. Needless to say, this is my next project. We've decided to remove the door completely, hang a shower rod and curtain and put in a couple of hooks for a towel and clothes. Locating a shower curtain here may prove to be as difficult as finding a bag of beef jerky in the supermarket - wish me luck! I'm not sure how much longer us girls can take hanging our towels on the back of a moldy door.
As comical as much of this may be, I am reminded daily of how much we take for granted back home. I know we say it all the time, but have you ever really stopped to think about it? If we want beef jerky, we buy it. If a door gets old, we replace it. Sometimes we may need to wait until payday, but it still gets taken care of. And even if it doesn't, things are never really as bad as they are here. Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely not standing on any soapbox here. When I was home this last semester I lived my life just like almost everyone else that I know. However, recognizing that we take things for granted doesn't necessarily mean we should refrain from dinners out or stop going to the movies. More importantly, I think it's a reminder that we should simply recognize how fortunate we are and remember to be truly thankful - even when life is tough and things are tight. God's provisions for us in the past are a reminder that He will be faithful in the future.
This week Jasen, Marianne, Margaret and I will be going to Arusha to stay at the orphanage for a few days. I can't wait! Many of you may recall that my visit to Good Hope was one of the highlights of my trip in January. Since then, the new orphanage has been completed and the medical clinic is nearly built. There are 128 kids in the school and I can't wait to sit in on classes while Jasen, Marianne and Margaret give each of the children a medical checkup. I'm also secretly hoping that while I am in Arusha I can find a shower curtain and a few candles to bring back to the house. As you may have seen in some of the pictures on the photo page, Fatuma absolutely loved the candle I brought - she had never seen one before. Hopefully I can surprise her with a few more!
A few other things: the weather here this time of year is perfect. It has only rained twice - both times after dark - and it hasn't been over 80 degrees. The power outages seem to occur more often than they did in January and last for longer periods of time. As a result we always keep a flashlight (torch in TZ) or a lantern nearby in the evenings. I'm riding the daladalas again and find that I actually sort of missed them in a weird, squooshed, circus car sort of way. Sumaya and Fatuma watched Beauty and the Beast tonight on my laptop during the power outage and they absolutely loved it. I think Jungle Book is still Sumaya's favorite though. We'll have to see if Aladdin can take over the #1 spot on our next movie night.
Thanks for your prayers, emails, FB messages, and comments - they don't make home feel so far away. I'll update you and be sure to add more pictures when I am in Arusha this week.
The shower, by the way, is my next project. It is in a small room no bigger than 3' x 4' and has an old wooden door that has pretty much swelled up and rotted so much that it won't shut. Most of the back of the door is dusted over with a light coat of mold. Needless to say, this is my next project. We've decided to remove the door completely, hang a shower rod and curtain and put in a couple of hooks for a towel and clothes. Locating a shower curtain here may prove to be as difficult as finding a bag of beef jerky in the supermarket - wish me luck! I'm not sure how much longer us girls can take hanging our towels on the back of a moldy door.
As comical as much of this may be, I am reminded daily of how much we take for granted back home. I know we say it all the time, but have you ever really stopped to think about it? If we want beef jerky, we buy it. If a door gets old, we replace it. Sometimes we may need to wait until payday, but it still gets taken care of. And even if it doesn't, things are never really as bad as they are here. Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely not standing on any soapbox here. When I was home this last semester I lived my life just like almost everyone else that I know. However, recognizing that we take things for granted doesn't necessarily mean we should refrain from dinners out or stop going to the movies. More importantly, I think it's a reminder that we should simply recognize how fortunate we are and remember to be truly thankful - even when life is tough and things are tight. God's provisions for us in the past are a reminder that He will be faithful in the future.
This week Jasen, Marianne, Margaret and I will be going to Arusha to stay at the orphanage for a few days. I can't wait! Many of you may recall that my visit to Good Hope was one of the highlights of my trip in January. Since then, the new orphanage has been completed and the medical clinic is nearly built. There are 128 kids in the school and I can't wait to sit in on classes while Jasen, Marianne and Margaret give each of the children a medical checkup. I'm also secretly hoping that while I am in Arusha I can find a shower curtain and a few candles to bring back to the house. As you may have seen in some of the pictures on the photo page, Fatuma absolutely loved the candle I brought - she had never seen one before. Hopefully I can surprise her with a few more!
A few other things: the weather here this time of year is perfect. It has only rained twice - both times after dark - and it hasn't been over 80 degrees. The power outages seem to occur more often than they did in January and last for longer periods of time. As a result we always keep a flashlight (torch in TZ) or a lantern nearby in the evenings. I'm riding the daladalas again and find that I actually sort of missed them in a weird, squooshed, circus car sort of way. Sumaya and Fatuma watched Beauty and the Beast tonight on my laptop during the power outage and they absolutely loved it. I think Jungle Book is still Sumaya's favorite though. We'll have to see if Aladdin can take over the #1 spot on our next movie night.
Thanks for your prayers, emails, FB messages, and comments - they don't make home feel so far away. I'll update you and be sure to add more pictures when I am in Arusha this week.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
It's the end of the world as we know it - or is it?
For those of you on Facebook you've probably already seen my latest FB update. For those of you who haven't, let me fill you in. Last night we lost power - again - around 6pm. Nights without power are actually some of my favorite here in TZ. We light lanterns and just enjoy each other's company. No bright lights, no tv, no computers, no radio. Just stories, laughter and chai. Around 9:30pm everyone had gone to bed. I went to my room to read and write in my journal for a while. Strangely, around 5 minutes to 11pm I heard the prayers from the mosque - they are sung over a megaphone of sorts that broadcasts them across the city and surrounding villages. The prayers also start precisely at the top of the hour so the early start was a bit odd. Plus, I was sure the last prayers were around 8pm.
The trees and fields were lit by the full moon above. Shortly after the prayers began, I heard people yelling in the distance. Usually the neighborhood is quiet after dark, but last night there was a lot of commotion. I didn't think much more about it and went to sleep around 11:30pm. This morning, Fatuma began to tell what had happened - or what she thought had happened. She was very worried last night. She couldn't sleep. The sky was lit with orange lights and people were running to the mosques, crying for help. There was commotion everywhere. I could see she was still frightened. I tried to ask more questions using her broken English and my broken Swahili. She thought maybe it was missile fire above. After some frantic conversation, I decided to Google it (thank goodness for Google) and we discovered that it was a lunar eclipse. And not just any lunar eclipse, but the biggest one in 11 years. And, oh yeah, - I missed it! I was in one of the best viewing spots in the world for the eclipse and I never saw it. Of course.
Before I forget, I've added a photos page to the blog. You can click on the "photos" link to the right to see pictures. I will add more weekly. You will notice that there are no pictures of the lunar eclipse.
Over the past few hours I've thought a lot about the commotion of last night. The fear the villagers must have felt is indescribable, and ironically enough, unfounded and avoidable. Unfortunately, this is often the case in Tanzania - all over the third world for that matter. People fear what they do not know. It is exactly for instances such as last night that education is so important. Children in classrooms often share one single science book. Many times it is 20 years old. Doctors make guesses to the best of their ability on how to treat illnesses they have never seen before. Traditional healers are murdering albinos in Tanzania because of an age-old taboo.
Thankfully, many organizations and individuals here in Tanzania are leading efforts to combat these injustices. Schools like Good Hope in Arusha are teaching children math, science and English. I met a volunteer this weekend who runs a computer lab high up in the mountains for the rural villages. Access to the internet equals access to knowledge. A couple of the girls I met from Denmark are working with a locally-based micro-finance organization that provides loans to small farmers to buy seeds, chickens and livestock. The farmers are taught how to rotate their crops and increase egg yields from their chickens. The organization is now looking into a program to help these farmers develop a savings plan to send their children to school. There is another volunteer here who is working independently with a dairy co-op in a rural village. He has constructed a plan to help increase dairy yields and decrease transportation costs leading to an additional 25% in income for the farmers in the co-op.
What I have found most inspiring is that every one of these volunteers is here on their own. They aren't working for UNICEF or Amnesty International or the Red Cross, but they are still changing lives. They each came to Tanzania for a short visit, saw a need and decided to return to address the need. It doesn't take much more than a willing spirit to make a difference here.
I haven't quite figured out what my focus will be while studying here over the next year. And for those of you who know me, well, you know this is driving me crazy. I'm ready to start making things happen! Nevertheless, I am encouraged by what I have seen in only 6 short days. Whatever it is I decide to do, I know this is where I've been led. And as I was reminded in Proverbs 4:11 last night I have been guided in the way of wisdom and will be led on the right path.
The trees and fields were lit by the full moon above. Shortly after the prayers began, I heard people yelling in the distance. Usually the neighborhood is quiet after dark, but last night there was a lot of commotion. I didn't think much more about it and went to sleep around 11:30pm. This morning, Fatuma began to tell what had happened - or what she thought had happened. She was very worried last night. She couldn't sleep. The sky was lit with orange lights and people were running to the mosques, crying for help. There was commotion everywhere. I could see she was still frightened. I tried to ask more questions using her broken English and my broken Swahili. She thought maybe it was missile fire above. After some frantic conversation, I decided to Google it (thank goodness for Google) and we discovered that it was a lunar eclipse. And not just any lunar eclipse, but the biggest one in 11 years. And, oh yeah, - I missed it! I was in one of the best viewing spots in the world for the eclipse and I never saw it. Of course.
Before I forget, I've added a photos page to the blog. You can click on the "photos" link to the right to see pictures. I will add more weekly. You will notice that there are no pictures of the lunar eclipse.
Over the past few hours I've thought a lot about the commotion of last night. The fear the villagers must have felt is indescribable, and ironically enough, unfounded and avoidable. Unfortunately, this is often the case in Tanzania - all over the third world for that matter. People fear what they do not know. It is exactly for instances such as last night that education is so important. Children in classrooms often share one single science book. Many times it is 20 years old. Doctors make guesses to the best of their ability on how to treat illnesses they have never seen before. Traditional healers are murdering albinos in Tanzania because of an age-old taboo.
Thankfully, many organizations and individuals here in Tanzania are leading efforts to combat these injustices. Schools like Good Hope in Arusha are teaching children math, science and English. I met a volunteer this weekend who runs a computer lab high up in the mountains for the rural villages. Access to the internet equals access to knowledge. A couple of the girls I met from Denmark are working with a locally-based micro-finance organization that provides loans to small farmers to buy seeds, chickens and livestock. The farmers are taught how to rotate their crops and increase egg yields from their chickens. The organization is now looking into a program to help these farmers develop a savings plan to send their children to school. There is another volunteer here who is working independently with a dairy co-op in a rural village. He has constructed a plan to help increase dairy yields and decrease transportation costs leading to an additional 25% in income for the farmers in the co-op.
What I have found most inspiring is that every one of these volunteers is here on their own. They aren't working for UNICEF or Amnesty International or the Red Cross, but they are still changing lives. They each came to Tanzania for a short visit, saw a need and decided to return to address the need. It doesn't take much more than a willing spirit to make a difference here.
I haven't quite figured out what my focus will be while studying here over the next year. And for those of you who know me, well, you know this is driving me crazy. I'm ready to start making things happen! Nevertheless, I am encouraged by what I have seen in only 6 short days. Whatever it is I decide to do, I know this is where I've been led. And as I was reminded in Proverbs 4:11 last night I have been guided in the way of wisdom and will be led on the right path.
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