Tanzania – Wiki Kumi na Mbili

"Downtown" Buswelu.

We were stranded at home for a couple hours on Tuesday morning (the 23^rd) with a raging thunderstorm outside, so Doug and I took the opportunity to get our safari experience on paper so that we wouldn’t forget anything. Mr. Tito (the Batiki art man) stopped by our place to sell us some of his cards and artwork. After he left, we took a cab (arranged through Kivulini) up to the primary school in Buswelu to meet with the headmaster. We had a number of letters and pictures from students at Tecumseh Primary School in London, Ontario, to pass on to their African ‘pen-pals’. We spoke with the headmaster and arranged to return in November to pick up the replies from the students so that we can deliver them upon our return to Canada. We grabbed a quick lunch at Kuleana Pizzeria and spent a bit of time online at the internet café before sending Doug back to the apartment and continuing on to our Swahili lesson. We met Claire (absent from class due to microfinance training) at the International School to swim a few laps, then walked back to Mlango Mmoja together to cook dinner at our apartment. Ruben convinced us to join him in his favourite card game, Cow Trade (or Koe-handel, as the Dutch label reads)… no one but him really understands the appeal of the game, but it was a nice evening anyways.

On Wednesday morning (the 24^th), I woke up and prepared the English lesson for the afternoon while we waited for our friend Lawreen (a Mary-Knoll lay-volunteer) to show up so that we could escort her to our tailor in town. The tailor is in high demand as we approach Mwanza’s annual Charity Ball in mid-November and we all realize that we did not think to pack for a semi-formal event. From the tailor, we stopped by a souvenir shop that sells carvings, as well as the Maasai market so that Doug could pick up some gifts for home. Alison and I had passport photos taken for our visa renewal (“If you actually look like your passport photo, you aren’t well enough to travel.” – Sir Vivian Fuchs), and then for lunch at the MDBI Eating Point, the cheap & traditional restaurant that Alison and I love. We felt energetic enough afterwards to take Doug to the city market to negotiate for the purchase of a few traditional Maasai blankets. We finally returned home in time to do some work on our laptops before walking to Mabatini to teach the day’s English lesson. I carried up several more pairs of reading glasses to the delight of the mamas… they are thrilled with them and wanted me to pass their appreciation on to my mother.

Sabina, myself, Paskwalina, and Alison modelling new reading glasses (tags still attached).

We came home from Mabatini after a couple hours and ran into some commotion in Mlango Mmoja – the police were arresting someone and there was a rowdy crowd watching the action. The police fired a few warning shots from an air gun into the sky… no real danger but still a bit of a surprise to see on the way home. Around the corner, we ran into a street performance from the same theatre group that we had watched with the faculty. They recognized us, and Alison took the full brunt of their excitement as one of the traditional dancers performed his wild dance at her feet. From home, we took a cab to the Tanzania Breweries for a very quick repeat tour – we were trying to ensure that Doug saw as much as possible during his time here! After our tour, we were invited to the company pub with Lucas (a head brewer and one of our industry contacts), where each employee gets a free beer or
two after their shift. From the brewery, we decided to walk to Tunza Lodge for dinner to introduce Doug to some of our friends. Ruben joined us by taking a motorcycle taxi from home – something that Alison and I have not been brave enough to attempt yet. We had a long talk over dinner about being swindled by locals who associate mzungus with money and will not hesitate to triple their prices for you. Jan’s (Tunza’s owner) theory is a good one – don’t put up with dishonesty and be consistent if you want to be respected in the long run. I received a text from Beatrice in Dar during dinner, informing me that the Hon. Salome Mbatia (the Deputy Minister who visited our project in August) had been killed in a road accident when a timber truck hit her vehicle head on. After having been in contact with her office just last week to arrange a meeting with the Danone consultant, it was very hard to see how life can change in an instant. We were very sad to hear the news… she was truly a wonderful woman who worked extremely hard for the betterment of her country.

Sikitu and her grandmother on Bugando Hill.

I spent an early couple of hours on Thursday morning (the 25^th) drafting emails to friends and family to save to my USB disk and send out at the internet café later in the day. Later, Alison and I worked for a while on the marketing package that we will distribute to hotels and restaurants in Mwanza to promote the mamas’ product. We waited for Pendo (our housekeeper) to arrive and take us up Bugando Hill (the unplanned slum near our house) to find the home of a girl named Sikitu. Sikitu was orphaned by HIV/AIDS and contracted the disease while caring for her mother. She and her grandmother (who has lost 3 children to the disease) live together in a house that Kivulini helped them construct. Dallas Curow, a former WHE intern, fundraised at home to support Sikitu’s family and asked that a gift be passed on to them. It was wonderful to be a part of something so life-changing for a struggling family in Mwanza. From Bugando Hill, Alison, Doug and I went to most of the internet cafés in town before finding one that (kind of) worked. Afterwards, we sent Doug home and walked to our Swahili class. On the way, we saw a woman who was half dressed, crying and holding her head as she walked down the street. There were quite a number of people on the street at the time, but she didn’t seem to see any of them. Alison and I felt very torn, as we wanted to help but knew that with our limited grasp of Swahili, we wouldn’t be completely effective. We arrived at class feeling very shaken up and useless… not one of our finer moments in Mwanza. After class, we went to Tunza for yoga, dinner, and a relaxing campfire on the beach.

Sharing a laugh with Gracie at Forever Angels.

On Friday morning (the 26^th), I woke up early to write the day’s English test before we were expected at Sekou Toure hospital (where Ruben is conducting his study) for a tour of the facility by the matron. I had expected the hospital to be a bit more “Race Against Time”-esque, with 3 people to a bed and others on the floor, but that wasn’t the case. We were taken through admissions, the dental and eye clinics, the CTC centre (treatment for those with HIV/AIDS), the pediatric ward, and the operating theatre. Nothing was really functioning as the power was out in the city and the hospital does not have back-up generators (but they do own and use ventilators… not a good investment, if you ask me). It was very interesting to see the reality and challenges of an urban hospital in Africa. Doug, Alison and I stopped at home to do some work before heading to Mabatini, and onwards to the orphanage in Bwiru. On Friday evening, we hosted a couple friends for dinner (finally, a successful attempt at ugali!) before going out to the Tilapia Hotel for an early Halloween party.

Alison, Claire and I in our pirate costumes!

On Saturday morning, Doug, Alison and I met one of Pendo’s daughters and followed her to their family home. We met Pendo’s eight children and sat for a while in their living room/bedroom, reading English workbooks and looking at pictures, while Alison accompanied some of Pendo’s sons to the market to pick up food for lunch. We set off together with the family to the dala-dala station at the market in town to travel to Nyasaka, where Pendo’s mother lives. Doug had a very intense first dala-dala experience as I counted 26 people and 4 chickens squished into a vehicle the size of a VW van. After the 25 minute ride through the area, we got out and walked another 15 minutes – such an abundance of sights and sounds (i.e. almost getting run over by a herd of goats running very fast downhill, boys playing at makeshift pool table using marbles and pencils as cues, and being led through the pathways by Pendo’s daughter who couldn’t be more than 10 years old, toting a massive bag of charcoal on her head). When we arrived, we were greeted by Pendo’s mother (Maimuna), a beautiful woman in black with lots of jewellery on (including a hoop in her nose). We all helped to prepare the meal, were taught how to weave straw to make decorative mats, and enjoyed the rowdy family atmosphere of the house. After we ate, the children helped to clean up both the dinner and the house itself as Pendo had her hair braided by her mother. We set out running for the dala-dala through a rainstorm, with the children stopping along the way to dance to loud music on a basketball court elevated above the grasses… I felt like I was in a movie! It was such a nice experience to be so welcomed into their family – we felt very lucky.

Pendo's family in Nyasaka.

On Saturday evening, we drove out to Igombe to spend a relaxing night camping by the lake. We met a friend of Major’s, Boni, who returned to Mwanza from his studies in the Netherlands for the funeral of his half-brother, who passed away at the age of 31 due to complications from HIV/AIDS. We had a great evening chatting with everyone around the fire with a full moon shining down on us.

On Sunday morning (the 28^th), we packed up camp and drove back to town to drop Doug off at the airport for his flight to Dar es Salaam (and onwards to Zanzibar). We spent a relaxing day at Tunza, learning to wakeboard (so far Alison and I have been unsuccessful in getting up on the board but both feel like we’re just at the cusp of figuring it out!) and enjoying the warm African sun.

This coming week will be a busy one as we reorganize our project efforts before travelling to Zanzibar on Thursday morning (returning next Monday afternoon). Alison and I have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time and can’t wait to share our experience with everyone upon our return.

Tunza's vibrant flora.

Tanzania – Wiki Kumi na Moja

A dancer from the Upendo performance group.

I was woken up early on Tuesday (the 16th – 2 months pre-departure!) by first a call and then a visit from the car rental company who didn’t really ‘get’ our communication about picking Ivan up at Tilapia and delivering him to the airport, but we managed to get everything straightened out. After a very hectic weekend hosting Ivan, Alison and I took some much-needed time to reorganize ourselves at home in preparation for a busy week ahead. I was able to pass on lots of contact information to Ivan before his flight, including for the Deputy Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children, a representative from Heifer International, and some sources in Dar that would be able to provide some pertinent research studies of relevance to Ivan’s survey of Tanzania. Alison and I later made a second attempt to get answers out of the officers at Immigration regarding our visas but didn’t have much success (again!). We then split up – Alison to the travel agency to try and arrange details of her trips with her mom in December, and me to the bank and to the safari company to finish paying for my trip. After two attempts to find a working internet connection, we finally had success and were able to get some work done online before our Swahili lesson. We have had a new student join our class – a new friend of ours, Manuela, from Germany. We think it’s a bit unfair that her degree is in African Studies and she has 2 years of Swahili behind her… but hopefully that will just force us to study a bit harder. After class, we grocery shopped, decided against a swim due to a poorly timed rain shower, and enjoyed a home-cooked dinner at Claire’s place.

On Wednesday (the 17th), Alison and I prepared a quick English lesson and took a round-about route to Mabatini due to some massive road-work being done in the area… the road is completely un-passable in spots by vehicle, and even motorcycles must be re-routed into and along storefronts. The kitchen was bustling with cooking and customers, so we just left the worksheets with the mamas and got to work helping to prepare the yogurt. In the early afternoon, we drove to the airport to pick up the faculty – Dr. Gregor Reid (my supervisor, a microbiologist), his daughter Jennifer, Dr. Isaac Luginaah (a health geography prof), his Ph.D. student Mary-Anne (also a Kenyan nun), and Mr. Douglas Keddy (who works for both the VP Research and the VP Communication at UWO). We dropped them off at the Hotel Tilapia before heading out with Gregor and Jennifer to Forever Angels to spend some time with the children. After swinging by our apartment to show off our humble home, we returned to Tilapia for dinner with Chairman Batenga of the Mwanza Chamber of Commerce. The dinner had been rearranged due to Maimuna’s travel plans, as the faculty was originally supposed to meet with her to discuss Kivulini’s involvement with the project. Mr. Batenga has continued to show support and interest in the project, and managed to arrange a meeting for us with the under-Secretary to the Regional Commissioner (RC) for the following morning. After dinner, we sat around with the faculty drafting a letter of support to provide to the RC’s office in the morning. One of the most exciting details of the faculty’s arrival was that they brought gifts and supplies from home – from Missy, Jackie and my mom… very exciting to get a little taste of home!

Dr. Reid sharing a smile with Tuliza at Forever Angels.

On Thursday morning (the 18th), I left with the driver to tell the women in Mabatini the day’s itinerary, while Alison printed and photocopied some documents for the day. We then travelled together to Tilapia and played rock-paper-scissors to see who would join the faculty for the visit at the RC’s office (in an attempt to keep the numbers low so that the meeting would be more productive). I lost, and capitalized on the hour I had at Tilapia to make the most of their (relatively) high-speed internet to get some emails out! The faculty returned without Alison, who remained at the office to help compose a letter for the RC’s office to pass on to Ivan with further information about the Mwanza Region. I escorted all of the visitors to Mabatini for a visit to the kitchen and a meeting with the mamas. The faculty were able to pass on details to the mamas about a new UWO/World Bank initiative in Kenya, about new options for packaging (which has been a major challenge at the kitchen over the years), and our hopes to eventually move the mamas to a bigger location. They also focused on the details that need to be straightened out to ensure that the mamas obtain a financially sustainable project on their own… definitely something that has been the main focus of my trip since I arrived! It was great to hear fresh ideas and promises of continued support from the faculty, but I found myself hoping that all parties wouldn’t get too caught up in the excitement of the moment because a lot of the ideas will take a while to implement… all positive steps forward for the project, however, whenever they come to fruition. From Mabatini, we walked to the Orange Tree Hotel nearby to watch a drama group affiliated with the organization “Upendo” (love) perform an awareness-raising production about HIV/AIDS. The recurring themes were infidelity, violence against women, and dishonesty. It was informative but sad to see that these are such major issues in Tanzanian society. From the play, we returned to Tilapia where we had a quick working lunch before Gregor and Ruben were due at NIMR for a meeting regarding Ruben’s study, while Doug and I went into town to finalize all the details of our safari. When we got back to the hotel, Alison had finally returned from the RC’s office after completing the letter and getting the appropriate signatures on it – poor girl, what a bad game of rock-paper-scissors to win! We watched a rainbow grow over the lake before having dinner with Simon and Dr. Joseph Mwanga from NIMR. Alison and I started night one of bunking together in my bed in to prepare for hosting our (temporary) fourth roommate – Doug!

Ruben, Doug, Isaac, Jennifer, Gregor and Mama Joyce sampling yogurt in Mabatini.

We met the faculty in Mabatini on Friday morning (the 19th) to continue our discussion with the mamas – this time we covered the management of bank accounts, the separation of yogurt preparation from other baking in the kitchen (i.e. mandizi buns and chapati). I was also able to give the mamas a gift from my mom – lots and lots of reading glasses to help them with their English lessons. It was wonderful to see their faces light up when they could see clearly – it makes me understand how fulfilled Bre will be as an optometrist, giving the gift of sight! I have many pairs to deliver still, so pictures will follow. From Mabatini, we had the faculty check out of Tilapia and drove onwards to the airport to see off Gregor, Jennifer and Mary-Anne (Isaac couldn’t get a flight out pre-weekend, unfortunately). It was sad to see them go – it had been really nice to host so many Canadians and to receive such great support from WHE’s home front. Alison stopped by the RC office quickly to finish up the previous day’s work before we travelled to Forever Angels to deliver their weekly ration of yogurt and to introduce Doug to the kids. On Friday evening, we ate with Dr. Mwanga from NIMR again at Tilapia, this time with Isaac’s friend Nico who is a Roman Catholic priest in Mwanza now. The two went to boarding school together in Ghana… what a small world! I came home to the apartment with Doug, packed and tucked myself into bed to prepare for an early up and a great adventure.

Twigas in the Serengeti

On Saturday morning (the 20th), Doug and I woke up early and joined our driver (Francis, a friend of Danny’s) and cook (Isaac) to drive to the Serengeti. It was nice to see Doug’s reaction to the surroundings as we left the city behind and ventured into the more rural areas… I have definitely started to take the sights and sounds of Africa for granted! We arrived at the gate to the park at the same time as Claire and some of the staff from CRS… great timing, allowing us to wish each other “safari njema” (have a good trip). As soon as we drove through the gates, the animals started to appear… the ‘usual’ assortment of baboons, Vervet monkeys, zebra, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impala and wildebeest, and then my first twiga (giraffe)!! I’ve been so looking forward to seeing a twiga since my arrival in Tanzania. From there, we were treated to amazing sights one after the other – a herd of 20+ elephants crossing in front of us, a massive herd of zebra and wildebeest surrounding a lone hippopotamus on land, crocodiles peeking out at us from the Grumeti River, lions laying in wait for their meals not 2 feet from the vehicle, etc. Around a particularly lush area of the Grumeti, Francis told us that the area was quite good for spotting predators, and he was absolutely right. We found an ever-elusive leopard resting in a tree and were patient enough to wait for him to get up, crawl down the tree, and wander off through the grass. After seeing a herd of hundreds and hundreds of Thompson’s gazelle feeding in the grassland, we came across a cheetah with a freshly caught gazelle. We watched her eat the whole animal, all the while fending off vultures who wanted a piece of her kill. Moving on, we found a lioness relaxing by a water hole. To our amazement, we watched a gazelle stumble (literally, I think he must have been sick) across the road and down to the water hole to drink. The lioness got down on her haunches and waited quietly before pouncing and killing the gazelle before our eyes. A male lion and a few other females came to join in the meal, not before a tense standoff between a group of giant water buffalo and the male lion, both trying to stake their claim to the area.

A cheetah scaring away a pack of vultures, who were trying to move in on her kill.

We drove through the Serengeti on to Ngorongoro Crater through breathtaking Maasailand. We watched the arid landscape develop into misty mountains, speckled with Maasai kraals (homesteads) and groups of cattle with their Maasai herders, draped in their traditional brilliant red and blue blankets… the whole landscape was more beautiful than I could ever hope to describe accurately. We arrived at our campsite on the crater’s rim and had to bundle up – it’s “Canada” cold up there, and I have realized how much my body has acclimatized to Sub-Saharan Africa… I was really shivering! The view was amazing… nestled right in what is considered to be the cradle of civilization.

A leopard climbing down from its tree perch in the Serengeti.

On Sunday morning (the 21st) we woke up very early to start on our half-day game drive through the crater. There will be no way for me to describe the beauty of the crater in the morning light – blue/purple hills frame the golden grassland surrounding a blue alkaline lake, and misty clouds seem to pour in over the crater’s edge. The crater’s wildlife is abundant – we came across zebra, gazelle, flamingo, and hippos grazing together right away. We saw hippos mating in hippo pool, home to more than 60 of the massive creatures. Two lion couples sat together nearby, majestically surveying their domain. A lone bull elephant strolled through the area, embodying grace, wisdom and power at once. We completed the “Big Five” safari animals when we came across the very-endangered black rhino feeding a distance away from the car. Our experience in the crater was truly an unforgettable one… a real feast for the senses. We lunched at the campsite and then drove back into the Serengeti, running into herds of giraffe, mating lions, 5 lion cubs napping on their own, and a few herds of elephant. We settled in at our new campsite and watched as the sunset saturated the African sky with colour. I am blown away by this continent every day.

On Monday morning, I forced Doug to get up with me at 5.45am to watch a spectacular sunrise over the plains. We embarked on our final day of game drives, taking lots of pictures of the more “typical” animals that we hadn’t paid enough attention to on the first couple of days. After watching a pair of lionesses and their cubs stalk a herd of zebra, we educated ourselves about the ecology of the area at the visitor’s centre before driving out the Serengeti’s Western Corridor. Francis was determined to get me a good shot of a crocodile, so we drove alongside the Grumeti River for a while, crossing a rope bridge just as a massive croc swam by underneath. Before stopping for lunch, we saw many herds of elephant trekking towards the river, and were amazed to see them advancing towards our picnic area a little while later. We positioned ourselves in the car (with no one else around, thankfully) and watched as over 150 elephant (including some very special babies!) slowly walked past us en route to the river. This was by far the highlight of the trip for me, and was nothing short of magical. After driving down to the river to watch them feed, we set off for home. On our way out of the park, we found a family of giraffe a lot like the Horgans – two parents and three babies who all took off at a gallop when we arrived. Beautiful!

A mama tembo leading her baby to water.

I know that my paltry words have not done my safari justice, but can promise everyone at home that I have more than enough pictures to share! We were extremely lucky to have seen everything that we did… Doug and I both agree that the trip far surpassed our expectations. I came across a quote by Bernhard Grzimek (one of the early champions for conservation in Tanzania) at the visitor’s centre that I thought was very suitable to sum up my safari experience: “But when, fifty years from now, a lion walks into the red dawn and roars resoundingly, it will quicken their hearts whether they are Africans or Europeans, or whether they speak English, German, Russian or Swahili. They will stand in quiet awe as, for the first time in their lives, they watch twenty thousand zebras wander across the endless plains.”

A lion cub napping near the plains.

Tanzania - Wiki Kumi

Finding beauty everywhere in Tanzania.

Alison and I spent Monday morning (the 8^th) working on our laptops at home – me on the Tukwamuane business analysis, and Alison on an application for a grant from the upcoming Mwanza Charity Ball. We ran errands in town in the early afternoon – to the tailor to pick up our dresses and leave them again for alterations, to officially book my safari (!!), and to the internet to send project emails home and do some research online. We found out that the consultant would arrive in Mwanza on Saturday, which was later than originally planned and gave us a few extra days to get work done before our hosting duties started. Over a quick lunch at home, we heard about Ruben’s weekend in the villages surrounding Bunda. His experiences resonated of the classic AIDS-crisis stories – families headed by children or an elderly grandmother, children playing on their parents’ graves, and unimaginable hunger and poverty. After a thunderstorm passed through the area, Ruben and his friend returned to the small home of a woman who didn’t have proper shelter to see how she was faring. They committed to provide her with a new sheet metal roof and commissioned a local man to build it. Ruben found the whole experience to be very overwhelming but eye-opening, giving him a better appreciation of the struggles that so many people in this country have to deal with every day. On Monday afternoon, Alison and I went to Mabatini to teach English and to start organizing the mamas for the upcoming visitors to the kitchen. After yoga, we came home for a quick dinner and worked on reports until bedtime.

I started Tuesday morning (the 9^th) with a hearty breakfast of eggs… eggs in Tanzania often come still covered in feathers from the chicken, as well as unidentified muck, which makes it necessary to really scrub the shells before the egg is cracked. For some reason, the taste is a bit off from Canadian eggs, and the yolk is a much paler yellow… looking forward to being reunited with ‘normal’ eggs when I get back home. I worked on my report for while before going to the internet with Alison to try and send off the charity ball application. We had planned to be there for 15 min and were still trying to send it off an hour later… we decided to move on and try it again another day. After a handful of errands, we stopped for a “Swahili” lunch so that we could finish our homework. The Tanzanian staff at Kuleana Pizzeria got a real kick out of watching us complete our lessons, a handful of them came up with endless excuses to hover around our table to see the wazungu learn Swahili. We walked to the bank being trailed by several street boys yelling “Jackie! Jackie!” after us (I suppose all of us lanky Canadian brunettes look the same, since Jackie has been at home for almost 2 months). Travelled to Swahili lessons via the Maasai market (where they sell beads and handmade jewellery from little stalls) and the internet café (where we were unsuccessful in sending in the Charity Ball application yet again). Ran into a man on the street who found out that we work alongside Kivulini and told us his story: he used to be a street boy and was provided shelter at the Kuleana facility (where funds are directed from the pizzeria), where Maimuna (Kivulini’s Executive Director) was his teacher. He sees her as his mentor and was very proud to tell us that he now works as a painter and lives on his own. We swam laps at the International School pool after class and went back to Claire’s with Ruben for another culinary adventure – this time chili con carne with chocolate chip cookies.

Claire, Alison and Ruben sampling some sugar cane on the way home from the pool.

I woke up early on Wednesday morning (the 10^th) to finish the business analysis report before Alison and I left to town for the day. We walked to NIMR via a new scenic back route, and were able to help a local guy push his huge wheelbarrow of millet flour out of an irrigation ditch, completing our good deed for the day (just joking!). We met with Simon at NIMR (the microbiologist who maintains the probiotic cultures for the yogurt) to discuss glitches that are making the lab work challenging – not having someone present in the lab at all times who is responsible for the probiotics, and minor problems with pick up and delivery. We spent time again at the internet, where I managed to send off the business analysis file but Alison was still unsuccessful with the Charity Ball application. We received advice on how to alter the file to make it more “sendable” for the next attempt. After teaching English in Mabatini in the afternoon, we joined Claire at her boss’ house – Yemane, the director of Catholic Relief Services in Mwanza. Yemane was just back from Dar, where he picked up ingredients for a traditional Ethiopian meal of shiro – a sauce and meat dish that you eat by dipping/rolling with a very foamy sourdough flat bread. The views of Lake Victoria and the city centre from Yemane’s house in Capri Point (the very swanky area of Mwanza) were breathtaking… not a bad place to go home to every night.

We started Thursday (the 11^th) off with a trip to immigration – our volunteer visas are due to expire very soon and so we need to figure out how to renew as soon as possible. As we should have expected, the staff was unhelpful – after giving me about five different answers and five different quotes for the renewal, we decided to follow up with some of our contacts in town to see if there is an easier way of going about renewing. We finally had success in submitting the Charity Ball application – the third time’s the charm! After picking up a pile of supplies for a dinner party we planned to host on the weekend, we were very happy when a Kivulini vehicle spotted us and gave us a lift back to the apartment. Later in the afternoon, we walked to Swahili with 3L yogurt in hand for our customers (from CRS, Amani Girls’ Home, and Maryknoll) who pick up their order at Tunza during our yoga class. From yoga, we went for dinner with Henk, Janine, Claire, Major and Aaron to say goodbye to Aaron who is travelling for a month or so and exhibiting his photography.

Taking a break from chasing after his tire (a favourite past-time in Africa!).

On Friday morning (the 12^th) we prepared and delivered the English test to the mamas, and stayed for chai masala and chapati. We met Mama Paskwalina and walked to Mlango Mmoja to meet with the man who delivers the milk to the kitchen from the Bwiru supplier. As usual, I toted the 6L of yogurt for the orphanage on my head and was pleased to hear Mama Paskwalina shushing surprised Tanzanians by explaining that it’s not a big deal because I’m an African mama and live here. Asante sana, Mama Paskwalina. We took a cab to Illemela first; where we met a woman named Edina who closed her shop down and took us on to Bwiru in her pickup truck to see her cows (Alison and I were initially very confused about where we were headed and who everyone was). We arranged to return to see the cows be milked on Monday morning with the consultant, and walked on to Forever Angels to spend a hot afternoon outside with the children. On Friday evening, we spent a few busy hours in the kitchen preparing for our guests… we hosted some of our friends for a late Thanksgiving celebration, with a Mexican menu of fajitas. It was nice to host for once instead of always being the guests!

Finally meeting the real stars of Western Heads East/Tukwamuane.

Saturday (the 13^th) was a slow day that allowed me to orchestrate some last-minute details for the consultant’s arrival before taking a short trip into town with Claire and Alison to the city market. In the afternoon, Alison and I went to Mabatini to leave final instructions with the mamas before taking the driver to the airport to pick up Ivan le Mintier, a French man who works as a consultant for Nestle, Yoplait, and Danone. Ivan was recently involved in the launch of the first of Danone’s high-social impact communities in Bangladesh. Danone partnered with Grameen Bank (a microcredit initiative founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed Yunus) to start a micro-factory that provides jobs for the community and produces a low-cost, highly-fortified yogurt product that is targeted to children to improve their nutritional status. The Bangladesh project continues to grow (to learn more about it, Google “Danone Communities” or “Danone, Grameen Bank”), and Ivan has been sent to Africa to find an appropriate site for project #2. As such, Alison and I found ourselves in a unique position with an opportunity to help sell Mwanza as a site for investment and development. Special thanks must go out first to Ellena Andoniou, a former WHE intern who put in countless hours in Canada to orchestrate both Ivan and the faculty’s visit. After picking Ivan up, we dropped him off at the Hotel Tilapia, and stayed for a conversation over tea and onwards to dinner with Maimuna. We stayed after dinner to keep Ivan company for the England/France rugby (World Cup) semi-final… unfortunately for Ivan, the English prevailed.

Alison, Ivan and I on the steps of the community kitchen with some of the yogurt mamas.

On Sunday morning (the 14^th), we picked Ivan up and took him to Mabatini to accompany the mamas to church. Unfortunately, he was having some problems with his vision and so I set off with him on a bit of a wild goose chase to attempt to find a clinic open on the Sunday morning of a holiday weekend (Eid – to celebrate the end of Ramadan). Luckily, we had some success and later returned to Mabatini to catch the end of the mass and have a long conversation with the Mamas in the kitchen, translated by Jimmy from Kivulini. From Mabatini, we stopped in town for a brief meeting over lunch, and drove onwards to the Kimkumaka Agricultural Training Facility. This project was established by an Australian, on land owned by the White Fathers Missionary group. Kimkumaka provides a place for local farmers to learn skills and network with each other. We received a brief tour from a student and then drove on to an abandoned dairy factory at Nyegezi. Both Jimmy and the driver thought they knew the way there, but we were turned around several times because of bad road conditions. We ended up picking up a boy from the side of the road and asked him to direct us. The Land Cruiser barely made it through the roads strewn with boulders and tree trunks… we were happy to find out that this was the back-road and that there was more clear access directly from town. The factory was running for a year and a half in 2003, but closed down without reason or warning, leaving the workers high and dry. One of the workers still lives on the land with his family, cultivating a very small plot of land, receiving a paltry guard’s salary, patiently waiting for the factory’s owner to return with work for him. It was very sad to see what a difficult turn the family’s life had taken because of the irresponsibility of the business owner. After looking at a few grocery stores in town (to check out pricing, merchandising etc) we dropped Ivan off at his hotel for a dinner meeting with a former manager of the Tanzanian Breweries.

Hanging out in the pig-pen at Kimkumaka.

Early on Monday morning (the 15^th), we left with a full car (Jimmy, Ruben, Alison, Ivan and I) to Bwiru to see the cows be milked. Ivan was very interested to know about the availability of milk in the area, the agricultural environment, and the challenges of distribution. From Bwiru, we went to Mabatini to receive a detailed description of the yogurt-making process from the Mamas working in the kitchen. We were then expected at Mwanza Textiles (Mwatex), where we received a full tour of the factory… it was very interesting and educational to see the detailed production of the colourful kangas and kitenges from a pile of raw cotton! Next, we went to SIDO in Nyakato to meet with the Regional Manager. Ivan was able to hear about the extensive success of small entrepreneurs in the area and about SIDO’s strong support of Tukwamuane women. We briefly stopped by Kivulini on our way back into town to pick up some reports from Maimuna before driving on to Tanzania Breweries by the lake. Again, we received a full tour of the plant from the director. Alison and I were remarking at how lucky we felt to have experienced so much in such a short period of time. We were happy to stop at home for a rest before heading back to Tilapia to review Tukwamuane’s business analysis with Ivan, and to receive advice about how to move forward with the project. We dropped him off at Isamilo Lodge for a dinner meeting with Chairman Batenga of the Mwanza Chamber of Commerce, and then went for a relaxing drink with Claire to talk about all the excitement we’d had over the last three days.

Checking out the first stages of beer-making at Tanzania Breweries.

Week 10 was certainly a very exciting one, and it gave us a great opportunity to learn more about what it takes to implement development projects. As Julius Nyerere (the first president of Tanzania) said, “You can’t address poverty without addressing the poor”. There are many considerations that must be made when undertaking a project in a developing country, but it is important to remember that it is often the simplest solutions that can have the biggest impact.

This coming week, we host faculty, staff and students from the University of Western Ontario. We look forward to discussing the project’s progress with them and hope to come to a better understanding of what needs to be done to improve the women’s business. I’m very excited to report that I will be leaving Mwanza on Saturday morning with one of the UWO staff, Mr. Douglas Keddy, to embark on a 3-day camping safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. I will return on Monday evening (the 22^nd) and look forward to sharing my adventure with everyone at home. Tutaonana (talk to you later)!

Tanzania - Wiki Tisa

Week nine already… the time is flying here in Tanzania! On Monday (the 1st), Alison and I were very busy running little errands in town for the project after preparing the day’s English lesson and producing a large quantity of pamphlets about probiotics to supplement the supply at the trade fair. We stopped by a travel agency at noon with the intention of booking our flights to Zanzibar, but couldn’t as the agency’s system was down. We aimed to send a pile of project emails home at the internet café, but found that the café’s connection was also down, so we retraced our steps through town to a slower café where we were able to get a bit of work done. We’re learning to get very good at rolling with the punches in Mwanza… definitely one of the most important survival skills here. We spent the afternoon in Mabatini teaching and chatting with the mamas… we were there long enough to be invited to stay for a meal, and then joined the mamas at the schoolyard for a community meeting led by a Mabatini street leader. We were escorted home by members of the Tuelimishane youth group, who always take it upon themselves to teach us more Swahili as we walk (we’re thankful for any extra help we can get!). We had a visit on Monday evening from Mr. Tito the Batiki art man, who wanted to showcase some of his work for us. He arranged the meeting with us as he rode by on his bicycle earlier in the day… typical of TZ business deals. Now that I think of it, I still owe a shopkeeper some change from last week… he knows we’ll be walking by several times during the next week and knows I’m good for it!

A sneaky picture I took of a carrot lady on the street… I didn’t get away with it. A shopkeeper saw me and made a scene to warn the woman, who ran away. Very embarrassing for the tourist-y mzungu…

Early on Tuesday morning (the 2nd) we had a visit from Beatrice, who brought us a gift – sandals decorated with beads and seashells that her mother had purchased for us in Nairobi. I am blown away time and again by the generosity of the people in this country. We have found ourselves a dear friend in Beatrice and are very grateful for her kindness to us. After Beatrice left, Alison and I walked to Mabatini to purchase yogurt for the orphanage as we were unable to deliver last Friday due to project obligations in town. We stayed for a little while and had a very interesting conversation with a local woman named Natalie who works as a clinical pastoral counsellor in Mabatini’s parish. She first studied at the convent to be a nun, was later trained as a nurse, and then travelled to Kingston, Jamaica, and Manhattan for coursework to develop her skills in pastoral counselling. She expressed her desire to return to school to study sociology, but worries that she’s too old now (she’s only in her 40s). I found it very interesting to see such a positive example of a woman who has changed the path of her life several times to remain fulfilled in the work that she does… certainly something that has become more common in today’s society. We set off for Bwiru after a very long wait for a ride (45 minutes), dropped off the yogurt at the orphanage and continued on to the Saba Saba fairgrounds to check in on the mamas working at the trade fair. Afterwards, we took the dala-dala back into town for lunch, groceries and our Swahili class. Post-dinner, Alison and I spent some time excitedly perusing our travel books, planning out the travelling we hope to do before coming home to Canada.

The Tukwamuane women manning their booth at the trade fair.

Wednesday (the 3rd) was a classic example of how difficult it can be to be productive in this city. Alison and I got up early with intentions of beating the line at the ATM in town (no such thing as “fast cash” in Mwanza). A raging thunderstorm forced us to reschedule, so we did some work from home and hosted the usual handful of visitors before setting out to town. We walked to NBC where we usually bank and waited in line for the ATM, only to find that neither of our transactions was going through. Attempts to solicit help from the bank tellers were unsuccessful, so we walked back north to Stanbic Bank, where Ruben and Claire bank. We waited there for another 30 min or so before that ATM broke completely. We walked back into town in search of another bank, and while Alison was making some changes to her cell phone plan, I bumped into our travel agent who informed me that everything was down in the city because of the storm and wouldn’t be back online for at least an hour. Alison and I decided that we would save more time by waiting out the effects of the storm in town, so we sat down for an hour over tea and conversation with some locals at the pizzeria. It’s kind of nice to be forced into these kinds of connections with local culture, as it can be easy to miss when we’re busy and on the go. We ventured back to NBC after a while and waited in what had become a typically long afternoon line, with great hopes that we’d be able to complete our transactions – no such luck! Unfortunately, we had no success at Stanbic when we returned again.

After spending more than half a day attempting to take out money, we moved on to the internet, prepared our English lesson and walked to Mabatini to teach. We stayed after the lesson to work through the monthly bills with the mamas. We tried to advise them about reinvesting some of their profit into the business in various ways, and though they seemed receptive, it’s hard to know what changes will be implemented. The language barrier can be really frustrating when it obstructs us from executing the necessary changes to move the project forward. Though everything will eventually be accomplished, it’s often hard to be patient! On Wednesday night, Alison and I planned to go out for dinner with Beatrice to say goodbye to her as she heads back to Dar es Salaam for school. We headed out 2 ½ hours past the time we had agreed to meet (Beatrice had some last minute errands to run). After an obligatory hour and a half of waiting for food, we received our dinners at 11pm sharp. It was difficult to say goodbye to Beatrice who has been so wonderful to us during our time here, but I’m sure we’ll maintain contact over the months and years to come.

Mamas Joyce and Elisabeth working on their English lessons.

On Thursday (the 4th), we worked from home in the morning before setting out to do a second day of battle with the city’s ATMs. Our first attempt at Stanbic didn’t work out, and we waited (extremely nervously) in line at NBC for our turn. Thankfully, it worked this time - I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to hear the whirring of cash being dispensed! We stopped at the travel agency and officially booked our flights to Zanzibar for early November. I finalized plans at a different agency for my upcoming safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater after the faculty visits in mid-October. Lots of exciting things to look forward to! In the afternoon, we spent time updating our finances, working on some WHE reports, and then walked to Isamilo for our Swahili lesson. We’ve progressed to general conversation (about topics as varied as the problem of street children in Mwanza, the pros and cons of consuming carbohydrates, and the roles of men and women in Tanzanian culture), and although our grammar is progressing relatively slowly (2-4 concepts a week), we’re able to keep up in conversation with our teacher, which is very exciting! From class, we went to Tunza for our weekly yoga class and archery lesson with the Maasai.

We had a busy morning on Friday (the 5th) as we tried to fit all our work into a half day to accommodate for our Thanksgiving weekend plans. We prepared the mamas’ English test (Alison’s artistic side is becoming very useful as we have started to give the mamas pictures from which to practice their sentence composition) and delivered it to the kitchen. We took our weekly yogurt delivery to the orphanage in Bwiru and spent a couple hours with the children. These kids really are one of the highlights of my week… I love spending time with them. I can’t say enough positive things about how wonderful the environment of the orphanage is for their development and health.

A swinging Bahati (which translates to “luck” in Swahili).

We came home in the early afternoon and I received a call from Ellena, a former WHE intern who is currently orchestrating the faculty’s visit from UWO. During our conversation, I inquired about the ‘consultant’ who she kept referring to, and found out that the project is hosting an international consultant next week to review the project and survey the area for development. This came as a big surprise to Alison, Ruben and I, but I’m confident that we’ll be able to pull ourselves together in time to be good hosts.

Alison and I packed for the weekend and set off to town to meet Janine, Henk and Claire, who we travelled with to Buhimba, a small town about 3 hours north of Mwanza. We had been invited there to stay at a gold mining camp with some South African miners (Boela aka “Tiny”, Hannes, Roy, Chris and Arthur) who we have befriended in town. As we drove north (past the familiar sign for Kijereshi tented camp), the landscape began to roll into hills and valleys, sparsely populated with mud hut villages. Eventually, we turned onto a road of rich red soil and passed through many small villages with a vibrant magenta sunset at our backs. We arrived at the heavily guarded camp (necessary to protect against occasional ambushes from illegal miners in the area) and were amazed to find a sprawling compound of houses surrounding a swimming pool and central lodge that looked like it belonged in the Swiss Alps. We were set up in one of the empty houses (complete with a full kitchen, hot water and potable cold water straight from the tap!) and joined the miners in the main lodge for dinner.

A farmer driving his herd outside of the Serengeti.

Over the weekend, we learned a lot about the gold mining industry and were able to venture out for a tour of the mining pits and processing plant. The Buhimba mine is no longer in production (as such, the camp is empty aside from the SA men), but it was still very impressive to see the set up and get an idea of the scale of their work – every ton of ore that is processed yields only 3-5 grams of gold. The mining pits remain open as the Tanzanian government does not require them to be refilled after use, which would cost the company millions of dollars to complete. As we peered over the edge of the pit, we watched a massive herd of cattle and goats be driven towards the rain- and ground-water reservoir at the base of the quarry to drink… clearly the locals have found ways around the security and are still able to use the land as a resource. On a hill across the valley, you could clearly see a camp of illegal miners who process ore themselves, working tirelessly for about 2000 TSH a day (about $1.50 CDN). The government knows about these miners but doesn’t do anything about them for one reason or another. We ventured up to the top of the area where waste minerals are dumped and were treated to a magnificent view of the valley below, where we could see a thunderstorm rolling in across the horizon. Thanks to our generous hosts, Alison and I certainly felt like we ate more than enough to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. We felt very lucky to be able to spend time with such kind-hearted people while we were missing our family and friends at home!

Looking out on the rolling hills of Africa from Buhimba.

On Sunday morning (the 7th), we joined the men for “church” in the mess hall where Roy read Biblical passages to the group, and a ‘family’ lunch before we hit the road to come back to Mwanza. We arrived in the late afternoon and spent our evening getting ourselves together for the week ahead. Ruben will return home tomorrow from a weekend away from the city, visiting small villages near Bunda with a friend. We look forward to the busy weeks ahead, full of visits from consultants and faculty, before we commence our big travels within Tanzania.

A conundrum in the sky as a storm rolls in to Buhimba.

Tanzania - Wiki Nane

Urban wildlife on the streets of Mwanza.

On Monday morning (the 24^th), our primary objective was to find a functioning internet connection so that we could get some project work done online. We prepared our files at home, loaded our USB keys and set off for town. At the internet café an hour and a half later, I reminded myself how thankful I will be for high-speed connections when I return to Canada. We decided that we were satisfied with what we had accomplished and stocked up on groceries at U-Turn (unfortunately, something that has to be done a lot more frequently now that we’re living with a boy). We returned home, put the final touches on the day’s English lesson and walked up to Mabatini to teach at the kitchen. We discussed the mamas’ participation in the rapidly upcoming SIDO (Small Industries Development Organization) Trade Fair in Mwanza and surveyed the new price changes that they chose to implement. They opted for the price scheme that increased the price the least – I suppose that says something about their interaction with their community and the financial ability of members to purchase the yogurt. Perhaps by the end of our time here we will be able to demonstrate to the mamas that they have a unique commodity that they would be justified in charging more for; however, these changes need to implemented slowly so as not to damage community relationships. We came home from the kitchen, I had a long chat with Jon (WHE’s Canadian project coordinator), and spent the night at home.

Teaching English lessons at the community kitchen.

I spent early Tuesday morning (the 25^th) editing two reports for Jodie (a Canadian Kivulini employee), and Alison and I brainstormed ideas for a marketing package that we intend to put together in order to promote Tukwamuane to hotels and restaurants in the area. On our way into the city, we stopped by a tailor that was recommended to us for her fair prices (the equivalent of about $6.00 CDN to have a dress made) and skill. We then started our hunt for plastic cups of an appropriate size for the mamas to use for sales at the trade fair… we struck out several times before finding what we were looking for at the last store on our list. Along the way, we stopped by a couple travel agencies in town to get quotes for flights for the UWO faculty visit in October, and studied for our Swahili test over a light lunch. At lunch, we met an elderly American woman named Naomi who is living in Mwanza for 5 years working on a literacy project. Previously, she spent 33 years living in Surinam working on translating a Bible into a local dialect. She has invited us (and previously invited Claire) to her house to play board games… we may take her up on it once the rainy season starts! The rest of the afternoon included a brief stop by the internet café, our Swahili lesson, swimming laps at the International School pool, and dinner at Claire’s – fajitas! We have been enjoying our communal culinary adventures and have almost exhausted the list of things that we were determined to cook in Africa… so now we need to get more creative.

Our threesome - Alison, Claire and I.

On Wednesday morning (the 26^th), I finished editing Jodie’s reports and worked through some numbers for the cost/benefit report that I hope to send the first draft of home before the faculty flies out. After writing the day’s English lesson, Alison and I spent a long time preparing ‘lids’ for the trade fair containers – squares of tin foil… very professional. We ran some quick project errands in town (including lunch, as we were out of food at home) before going to the grocery store again to stock up… our apartment is quickly becoming a black hole for food and household supplies. We traveled up to the kitchen with bags full of trade fair supplies, taught our English lesson, stocked up on our personal supply of yogurt (we can’t get enough of it at the apartment… again, likely due to Ruben’s appetite). On our way home, we bought some plain fabric in Mabatini to use for a trade fair banner. I quickly went to the Mlango Mmoja internet café to download some files for the Tuelimishane Youth Group (aka the popcorn boys) and came home in time to cook dinner with Beatrice. We settled down for a very quiet night in without power. The availability of resources such as electricity and water often dictates the speed of work and household activities, and gives us no choice but to slow down. I don’t sense that my personality has slowed down since I’ve been here, but maybe there are changes happening that I haven’t been able to notice on my own.

We had a very exciting morning on Thursday (the 27^th). The mamas invited us to Mabatini for the ceremonial opening of a new secondary school… we met them at the kitchen and walked together to the festivities, where the mamas (and the mzungus) were given seats of honour with other community VIPs (mostly elders) next to the stage. The celebrations resembled the event that we organized for the Minister… lots of drumming, dancing, and singing from local entertainment troupes and the secondary students themselves. The performances and cheering reached a peak when the guest of honour arrived – none other than the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Edward Lowasa. There was lots of ‘vigele vigele’ and singing of “Baba, baba oh-yo, baba, baba oh-yo” before the speeches commenced. There was a long list of political figures who spoke – ministers of education from various levels of government, community leaders and the like. Finally it was time for the PM to speak… first, he took questions from members of the community who were seeking advice about personal problems. It took us a long time to figure out exactly what was going on, as this is not really a common practice for North American politicians. The crowd really started to get into the discussion – lots of shouting and booing directed at the Mayor of Mwanza. The whole event was very exciting, but both Alison and I wished that we could have followed along with the Swahili – we would have gotten a lot more out of the day! After the speeches, we were very happy to leave our seats in the sun to the shade of the school where the PM officially cut the ribbon.

Myself, the Prime Minister (white hair) and Alison taking pictures in the background!

After the ceremony, we stopped at the kitchen to talk with the mamas and walked back into town for our afternoon Swahili lesson. From class, we went to Tunza for yoga, dinner, and to borrow some supplies for the trade fair banner. We came home and stayed up late painting.

Banner painting in the living room!

On Friday (the 28^th), we met early in the morning with Kivulini staff and members of Tukwamuane to discuss project issues and ran project errands in town until the early afternoon. Later, we provided the mamas with their weekly English test. Alison and I were both feeling quite run down and were happy to spend a quiet afternoon out of the sun (I think I had a mild case of sunstroke after the PM ceremony in Mabatini!) working on our computers at home. We cooked dinner with Ruben, I had a great phone call with Dr. Smeltzer (a UWO professor who has provided me a lot of support over the last year), and then we met friends in town to enjoy some live music.

On Saturday morning (the 29^th), Alison and I dropped off our fabric at the tailor and had measurements done for the clothing that we’re having made. We met Claire outside our apartment and ventured into the Mlango Mmoja (which means one door – you enter and exit from the same point) used clothing market across the street from our house. We scrounged through the clothes for costume supplies for a birthday party we had been invited to attend at the teachers’ flats (a bunch of Brits who work at the International Secondary School in Isamilo) that evening. The party was “J” themed in honour of James’ birthday… all guests were instructed to come in ‘fancy dress’ (how British) as something that started with a “J”. We spent the afternoon crafting our costumes and met our friends at the party in the evening. The night featured Jack Johnson, a few James Deans, June Carter, I Dream of Jeannie, Jennifer Lopez, a handful of junkies, Jackie O, ‘the jungle’, a bag of jellybeans, Jehovah’s witnesses, a journalist, Julius Caesar, a jilted bride, and more.

Lauren the janitor, me as Jane of the jungle, Claire the jellyfish, and Alison as Lil Jon.

On Sunday morning (the 30^th), we walked to the kitchen and met Mama Paskwalina who had invited us to join her at church in Mabatini. The church was fairly crowded when we arrived and was packed by the time the service started. The ambiance was quite nice with a breeze blowing through the screened windows, through which you could watch goats grazing on the hills and watch the smoke from cooking fires at nearby homes. We had been told that the music at the service was amazing, so we were a bit disappointed initially when the percussion demo from an old-school electric keyboard filled the room. Luckily, once the service started, we realized that there were four pews full of choir members who played real percussion and harmonized beautifully. The service was all in Swahili, but I was able to follow along better than I had expected to. There were some confusing parts, such as the multiple collections where first the women went up to donate, then the men – at the end of mass, they tallied up the totals and we cheered for the ‘winners’ who gave the most. I went up to receive Communion and couldn’t understand why people were pushing to get out of the pews without any sense of order, until they ran out of hosts when I was 3 people away from the priest, with half of the church still in line behind me. As our friend Henk taught us – ‘A.W.A.’, Africa Wins Again… the original phrase used before ‘T.I.A.’ was popularized by Blood Diamond.

After mass, we had chai (tea) with the mamas before leaving for the Saba Saba fairgrounds with Mama Paskwalina to meet the other Tukwamuane mamas who were at the trade fair manning the yogurt booth. The trade fair was very impressive. The fair hosted artisans, food processors and other trades-people from the all over Tanzania and the Lake Region in particular. We couldn’t have been more proud of our mamas who were doing a great job promoting their product and were selling a lot of yogurt. This fair will be a great opportunity for them to generate additional income, network with other small businesses, and publicize the project. In the afternoon, we shopped for produce with Mamas Elisabeth and Cesilia, cooked lunch for all the mamas with Mama Joyce who is making extra money by selling food to the vendors for the duration of the fair. Alison and I walked to Tunza Lodge from the trade fair to meet Claire, and went back to her place to cook dinner (not only do we not have much food, but we ran out of gas in the apartment so cooking at home was not an option!). We spent the night organizing ourselves for the busy weeks ahead as we prepare for the faculty’s visit in mid-October.

I have spent a lot of time over the last few weeks volunteering to edit proposals and documents for Kivulini employees that outline the prevalence of domestic violence, adolescent trafficking for the purpose of prostitution and domestic work, female genital mutilation, and the interrelationships between these issues and HIV/AIDS. We are lucky to be working with a project that provides positive support in the form of food products to HIV+ patients in the community, but I have realized that I am mostly blind to the more gruesome damage that the virus can inflict. I’m sure that this is mostly due to the nature of the destruction and heavy veil of stigma that hides these crimes from public view. Being exposed to the statistics and case studies that Kivulini’s documents present has made me aware of how common these tragedies are in the area and has increased my desire to become involved in empowering the vulnerable members of this society to help them escape from the overwhelming grip of poverty, disease, discrimination, and abuse.

A rugged dhow sailboat on Lake Victoria.