The library is coming along well. We started building at the end of April as soon as the funding was deposited in my account. The builders immediately began by making cement bricks to build improved walls. The rusted tin roof was taken off and replaced with new tin sheets and a cement floor was laid. Fundi Makua, the main craftsman, was incredibly fast at his work. He painted inside and outside of the library in only two days. The carpenters, on the other hand, are wazee (older men) and they work very slowly. The library committee has had to push the older carpenters to do their work faster. Many times the wazee take a day off to go to a funeral (a social function here because free food is served) or visit a long distance relative or friend. Currently the library building is finished. All that’s left now is the old carpenters’ work in making the benches, tables, and book shelves.
Finding books has been another big project. I worked closely with Norbert Frank, the ward education officer, to see if district officials could help us get donated books. Frank and I went to Newala frequently in order to meet with primary and secondary district education officers. Because we were so persistent, the secondary officer finally gave in to our request for books and donated a full box containing American literature, geography, and mathematics textbooks. The primary officer was much more difficult to work with. He was always out of his office and he didn’t follow up on his promises when we did meet. It got pretty frustrating, so we eventually gave up on his help. Frank said a lot of educational officers think they can benefit if they help me with this library project by getting paid for their assistance. They think Frank is making money by working with me…but he’s not getting a single shilling. He’s just working for the same cause I am, to better the school and community. I got an unexpected surprise when an American volunteer couple moved back to America and left me a box full of English children story books. The 4th grade class from York, NE raised money to send English dictionaries and story books. My mom has sent six English/Swahili translation dictionaries from church donation funds. Frank and I bought a lot Swahili story books. I'll buy solar lamps using extra funding donated after my grant money total was met.
Our goal is to have the library completed by the end of June so we can spend the beginning of July arranging books and training local villagers and students as librarians. I’ve been very impressed with how efficient the library committee has managed the project and kept the process moving. That’s a pretty big accomplishment because everything moves so slowly here. The library committee consists of Ward Executive Officer, Agnes Mnipilika, Ward Education Coordinator, Norbert Frank, Namiyonga B Head Teacher Sophia Kumbemba, and Namiyonga B teacher Mr. Nannenje. Nannenje has been a huge asset as a former carpenter in planning library budget and overseeing the construction of library. Nannenje and Kumbemba were in charge of buying and transporting building materials, which is not an easy task. There are no set prices in local stores, so everything is bartered. Nannenje did a great job bartering prices down. If I were to go alone to make purchases, the prices would surely double for me since store owners see I’m white and therefore they assume I have money. Finding a vehicle to transport was also a challenge. There are few lorries, and an agreement had to be made for a fair price to transport building materials the 8km to Namiyonga. Then men needed to load the lorrie with heavy cargo such as cement and iron sheets also had to be paid. Once we arrived in Namiyonga, the primary students helped unload building material into classroom. Theft is common so all building material was kept in a locked classroom.
I expected this library project to be stressful and a lot of work, but actually it’s fun and I do very little. I organize receipts and update library budget on excel sheet, but other than that the library committee handles everything else. I’ve been impressed by how the committee has come together to work on this project. This gives me confidence that the library will be a sustainable project due to the community’s pride and hard work that’s been put into making this library. I’m grateful to have a committee who I can trust to handle money responsibly and make good decisions to benefit their village, not just themselves.
It’s been a lot of fun watching the library develop. The secondary and primary students look forward to be able to use the library once it’s finished. It’s been exciting for them watching the construction progress. I’ve had students tell me already that they’re going to study every evening at library. They’re really eager for solar light since most use an open kerosene lamp that produces more smoke than light. The teachers and village officials are proud to have the very first library in their ward. The village is extremely grateful for America’s support. It’s hard for them to fathom how people from so far away have so much compassion to help make their dream a reality. They’ll never forget your kindness.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Letters to Home
Hey. It's been awhile since I last blogged. I switched to just posting pictures on facebook since pics seem to explain TZ much better than words can. However, my mom insisted I keep up blog. So she typed up several letters that I sent to family.
January 8, 2011
Happy New Year! Now that it’s 2011, reality is starting to sink in that my time here in TZ is almost over. I couldn’t even imagine being where I am now just a year and a half ago. Now that I have Swahili down, I can go and do just about anything without much trouble. Early in my service, it was a chore to communicate with people. The more I get comfortable, the closer my time to leave will come. I think Peace Corps knows this, and it’s why they choose to have volunteers serve for 2 years. It’s just enough to adjust to language and culture, adapt and absorb a new environment, develop close connections with the natives, and get projects going as well.
I organized a HIV/AIDS testing day in my village in December. About 140 people tested, and 5 of them were positive. They were all women, so their husbands are likely infected as well. I think my villagers like to pretend that AIDS doesn’t exist, although each year people die in the village from “some long sickness”. I have a community theatre group made up of Mkuchika secondary students. They put on some fun HIV educational skits for testing day and for neighboring primary schools. So far everything I’ve done has been educating, although I’d like to get at least one project going, maybe with my site mate, Ben, who lives only an 8 minute bike ride away in a nearby village. The educational volunteers here in TZ work with the secondary schools teaching math and science, so their experience is much different than ours (health and environment volunteers). Although it would be nice to have a more structured schedule like the ed volunteers, I’m glad I’m environmental, because I have more time to mingle with the villagers. It has also forced me to integrate into the village more in order to find work to do. Village life is what I love most, and spending time with the villagers.
Speaking of work, lately I’ve been working in my garden. I planted a lot of American seeds, mainly because the villagers get a kick out of trying new things. One thing I’ll miss about TZ is the willingness of kids to help out. Usually I’m only in my garden for 10 minutes before kids come to watch/help me. If they come to watch me, I put them to work! Everything is done by hand and hoe. Watering is a big chore. I look forward to being able to use a hose in America. My back is a bit sore from carrying buckets of goat manure and water. I carry it by hand because my garden is only a short distance from my house. I made some manure tea (it’s a full bucket of goat manure diluted with water). I stir it once every day for 21 days, then I dilute it 1 part liquid to 20 parts water. The same book I got this idea out of suggests using human urine as a nitrogen source. I didn’t use any chemical in my garden or buy fertilizer because I wanted to farm like the villagers and find cheaper alternatives for them to fertilize their fields.
This is my last free weekend before the primary school opens again. I’d like to get some reading and journaling done before the clanging of the tire “bell” and shrills of many children fill my every day.
I’m going to go pick some mangos and enjoy this cloudy day. Maybe a rain is coming!
I gave my mama a handful of M&M’s to taste. After one, she refused to eat another because she thought the M&M’s looked too much like lizard eggs!
January 10, 2011
It was nice having my family here to celebrate the holidays with. It made this year a lot easier knowing I wouldn’t have to be so far from family during Christmas.
Reality hit this month that my time here is running out. I’m really excited to go back to the USA, but I’m going to miss a lot of things about TZ. The many fruits that surround my house will definitely be missed. It’s really a neat experience to live in a tropical environment. I’ll miss Tanzanians, especially my villagers. They’re so friendly and always willing to help out. I will miss sitting on a woven mat in the shade of a mango tree, eating whatever fruit is in season, and chatting with the locals. It’s been fun and rewarding learning Swahili and the village tribal language Kimakonde. It’s sad that I’ll have to leave that all behind and I’ll eventually forget the languages. I might even miss all the noisy chickens and goats that roam the village and wake me up at 5:30 AM. I’ll miss hearing the muslim call to prayer, and just the excitement of being somewhere foreign. There’s so much to learn! I’ve gotten so used to being here that I don’t even miss electricity and running water, because I forget what it was like, and I have my routine down.
As I’m writing this letter, I’m waiting for my bike to be fixed. I plan on going to Newala, a 40 minute bike ride, to use internet and get groceries. I’m wearing a dress with leggings underneath. It’s a bit scandalous to wear pants, so I try to avoid wearing American clothing that will stand out. I’ll be glad to be back in America and be able to wear shorts and tank tops!
I’m including a thank-you letter from my “younger sister” Esther because I paid $21 of her school fees (from money donated by a Christian Women’s group from NE). Esther and her parents were very grateful and told me over and over how thankful they were. I’m waiting for another reason to give the rest of the money to a student or villager that could really use the assistance. I planned on checking out how much it would cost to help a girl with club foot, but during cashew season she and her mom and siblings went to her home village to help harvest cashews. If she comes back, maybe we’ll still go to see the nearest doctor. Otherwise, the money will go towards students’ school fees, or the school library if that ends up working out. I just heard that my library proposal finally got okayed by the Peace Corps Country Director of Tanzania, so now I just need to wait for the Washington DC Peace Corps office to review my proposal.
I had another volunteer, Liz, come and hang out at my village for a few days. It was a lot of fun to cook American food and speak American English. We watched movies on my laptop sitting outside at night on my woven mat. Last night we heard drumming which is normal here, and lasted until morning. Apparently it was held to get the bad spirits out of someone. Drumming always does the trick!
I’m about to mail this letter. I’m in Newala at an American couple’s house, using their electricity to charge my computer. The wife is busy preparing wild hog that her husband shot in a wildlife reserve near here. Hopefully, I’ll get a taste.
Here is the thank you letter from Esther:
My name is Esta. I am a Form 1 student at George Mkuchika Secondary School. I’m very grateful for the 30,000 shillings that you gave sister Kristina to give to a student like me. I’m very happy to get assistance to pay for school fees. I will never forget your kindness for my entire life. This money will go toward my school fees and school materials, such as notebooks and pens. Also, for a battery for my flashlight which I use to study every night for there is no electricity in my village. Again, I’m very grateful for Kristina who brought the money to my parents. My parents are also very thankful for your financial contribution. I wish you all a long and healthy life, and I hope to continue to be fortunate enough to receive school fees. THANK YOU!
I also paid $25 (35,000) shillings for Sharifu, one of my best students at Mkuchika. I have no doubt he will put this money to good use. He’s extremely dedicated and eager to learn. I hope he gets the opportunity to study at college level. The only thing that might hold him back is financial problems. Here is his thank you letter:
My Name is Sharifu. I’m a form 2 student at George Mkuchika secondary school. I prefer to use this chance to give my sincere thanks. Thank you very much, I’m grateful for your help. My parents had not enough money to pay the school fees. Now I’m grateful for your help. I had hoped there would be people like you who can help me. I will use your money to pay for my Form 2 school fees and other school materials. I will continue with studies in Form 2, 3, and 4. My goals are to pass Form 2 and Form 4 examinations, and to continue up to Forms 5 and 6. I hope to do well enough to be able to go to college. I ask God to bless me and you. The purpose of this letter is to express my gratitude. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
January 28, 2011
The weather is comfortable here except when I’m in the sun. The sun is so intense! It heats up my tin roof and then my whole house is toasting! But if I stay in the shade, there’s usually a nice breeze. Thank goodness I moved from Masasi; it was crazy hot there! Volunteers before me slept on the floor because it was too hot to sleep on a mattress. And the weather near the ocean is so humid and hot, you feel sticky and gross every day. One good thing about this tropical weather is all the fruit. I’ve been eating mangos and pineapple here like crazy. Back home I’ll only get apples and oranges, so I try to eat as much fruit as I can here. Today I noticed some ladies were selling custard apples. They’re really weird-looking fruit with lots of seeds. You eat the white flesh inside. It’s good stuff.
I just came back from a memorial service for a Muslim man who died 41 days ago. Today was the last day of the funeral process. When a person first dies, all the close family stays overnight at the deceased person’s home for 3 nights. The men sleep outside in front, and the women sleep inside. Sometimes the women stay and help out the entire 40 days if the wife/mother of the deceased needs help. Then after 40 days everyone gets together to chat and snack. The snacks are usually cooked beans and tea, or boiled ground nuts. Today at least 200 people came. All the women were decked out in khangas and kitangas (cloth wraps) with their heads covered. I also covered my head and wore the wraps on my top and lower half. It’s so hot, yet women don’t seem to be bothered by wearing so many layers. The men wore kanzus (muslim robes) and muslim hats. The men sat in the front and under the mango tree near the house. The women always sit separately, usually in the back where they do all the cooking. It was pretty chaotic trying to feed so many people, but since they do this all the time, they’ve got the proportions down. There were at least 10 fires going. They can cook anywhere; all they need for stoves are 3 stones and firewood. Two goats were slaughtered for the occasion. The son of the deceased is a wealthy man, so we all ate well. Six to ten people sit around a platter and eat with their right hand. The son of the dead man came over to me with a bowl full of goat meat and sauce. Because I’m the only white person, I really stand out and usually get special treatment. I can always feel people watching me, wondering what the “foreigner” is going to do and how she’ll react.
Feb 16, 2011
I was a little surprised that my villagers celebrated Valentine’s Day, or at least they recognized it at church. Some people wore red, but that was about it….no chalky candy hearts. Valentine’s Day must be a worldwide holiday.
Yesterday I finished translating all the pen pal letters I’m sending to students in NE. It’s really a time consuming project because each individual TZ student writes to a NE student, but it’s very enjoyable for the kids. The questions they ask each other are great. I do get pretty frustrated with some of the students in 7th grade who crowd all the words into one long sentence, or even make up words. Parents often can’t read or write, so they don’t encourage the kids to study or and they don’t read to them when they’re young. I’ve read some American story books to my kids. They were amazed with the pictures and the way I changed my voice for different characters.
I’m boiling chai chai (lemon grass tea) for breakfast. It must be ready now since my whole house smells like fruit loops cereal. I wonder if I can grow lemon grass in NE. I guess it probably couldn’t handle the cold winters. I’ll be experiencing those cold winters soon. Time is really going fast.
March 23, 2011
The teachers at my primary school are pretty excited about the money raised so far for the library project. I talked to Newala primary education officials and it looks like we’ll be able to get free books from Dar. We just have to pay for shipping. With the money we have so far, we can fix up a smaller room in the library and at least put cement on the floor and new iron sheets on the roof. I’d like to have Namiyonga and Mkuchika students and teachers personally thank the donors, but it’s probably not possible because many donors are anonymous. The teachers talk about honoring me by putting pictures of me in the library and naming it after me. I don’t want that because it’s not just me, it’s all those who donated.
Last night I went over to Agnes’ to visit. There’s always a group of neighbors chatting and drinking there in the evening. The usual topic whenever I come by is my cat Issa. They think it’s so funny that I treat him like a human being…giving him a name and giving him his own bowls for food and water. I throw in random comments about what Issa’s been up to (because they ask “Issa hajambo?” “how is Issa”) and I say “Oh, he’s busy washing clothes” or “he’s out in the garden weeding”!! This never gets old for them!
This time at Agnes’, the main topic was about my going away party. They’re already starting to collect money for my sherehe (party). Apparently, it’s going to be big, or so they say! The kids will dance and sing choir songs, we’ll eat meat and rice (high class food), and they’ll be some drumming dances going on. Then the young kids will go home, and the young adults and older adults will have disco! That’s my one request….a dance party. Hopefully, I’ll get to plan with a hired DJ to play a mix of my music and TZ music. Oh, and I guess all those who can afford it will wear matching khanga/kitange oufits. A group of village women and I will go to Newala to pick out fabric, and then we’ll have gowns sewn by a local fundi (tailor). And I’ll get lots of gifts like cashews, peanuts, and khangas. Not sure what I’ll do with all the nuts because I won’t be able to carry it all home. I’m really looking forward to this party even though it is months away. It’s going to be really sad for me as well, especially since these people will only be a memory to me after I leave. I’m glad other volunteers will be around to take pictures and join in the party.
It’s going to be sad to leave Issa. My plan is to give him to Mrs. Ajabu. At least he will eat well. All the other villagers can only afford cassava ugali which is like glue, it’s so sticky.
I’m at Mkuchika Secondary School waiting for the rain to stop. A few other students are waiting too since they have to walk back (their families can’t afford bikes). It’s a good excuse though to write a letter. I can’t get much reading and writing done at my house because of the many interruptions from children.
Today I gave my Form 1 students prizes for those who did well on their exams. Those who got 100’s got soda; 95-98% got crackers, and 90-94% got pepe (candy). The grade system does not exist in TZ, or at least not in the south. In America, kids care about their grades because they want good enough grades to be eligible to play sports, and they don’t want to flunk and repeat the same grade again. The students here have no consequences if they do badly. There are not enough teachers to grade exams all the time. Honor rolls don’t exist to encourage kids to perform well. The parents are uneducated, so they don’t push their kids to do well in school. The teachers here rely on corporal punishment, which doesn’t work. So, the best I can do is at least reward those who try and do well.
Tomorrow and Friday, Mkuchika students will be playing sports in Newala. I’ve been coaching volleyball every evening, but I’m not sure how many schools actually have a volleyball team. The boys love it and really caught on fast. The girls are always timid, and lack self-confidence to be aggressive and move quickly. But they’re slowly catching on. Mr. Mkambala was the one who really encouraged me to have volleyball practice every evening to keep them busy and out of trouble…mainly to avoid teenage pregnancies.
Well, the rain has stopped and I can now hear the croaking of frogs sittings on the window bars of the classroom.
April 4, 2011
It will be so sad for me to say goodbye to my village families, knowing I’ll never see them again. But, I’m ready for America and a new course in life. I’m so glad I experienced this though. For the rest of my life I’ll have this experience to influence my perspective on things. I hope to do another safari and see Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. And I want to go to Tanga and see my host family one last time. Hope I have enough time to do all this. And I hope the library project gets finished in time.
I gave Mama and Baba Esther a copy of the Nance County Journal article about my family visiting. They were pretty excited to have something to remember it by. Baba can understand enough English to read and comprehend the story.
April 5, 2011
I’m waiting to eat chicken at my fundi’s (carpenter’s) house. He told me they’d butcher a chicken for my b-day, but then the chicken ran away. Apparently the chicken made an unfortunate decision to come back because I now see they’re cleaning the bird. Makua wanted to throw a “party” for my birthday by drinking beer and soda. But, he can hardly afford rice to feed his family. So instead, his 10-year-old nephew butchered a chicken, and Ben and I will eat rice with it. The rest of the family will eat chicken and ugali. Most likely, Ben and I will eat on plates and indoors while the rest of the family eats outside, sharing one plate. It’s how they honor guests.
There was a hot topic going around yesterday. The son of my neighbors left a note saying he wanted to kill himself by drinking poison or hanging himself. His dad found the letter and yelled at him, then took him to jail where he spent one night. The parents both drink a lot, so that leaves the housework to the kids. The boy is the oldest left at home, so that leaves him with lots of responsibilities. However, he’s pretty lazy and doesn’t do a whole lot. He said he wanted to kill himself because his parents hate him and make him do all the work. The whole village probably knows now and blames his mom because she drinks and doesn’t do everything for the family like many mothers do. The father doesn’t get any blame because men aren’t expected to do any household chores.
April 6, 2011
I’m wearing my fleece jacket, and both Issa and I are huddled around the kerosene lamp. My reason for being near lamp is for light (it is 6:30 p.m. and dark), but Issa is freezing. My thermometer says its 72 degrees outside. I’m going to have a hard time adjusting back to NE winters because I think this is cold!
As much as I hated cold NE weather, I loved the cozy feeling of being inside, baking all day, and watching movies. (I haven’t had a real chocolate chip cookie for almost 2 years! ) My cold snowy days are replaced by cool windy, rainy days. I love when it rains here. It drowns out the sound of everything outside and I finally get privacy to read a book, watch movies on my laptop, or catch up on my writing. I’m almost finished reading the Bible. It took almost two years to finish.
It’s been raining a lot lately. The rainy season started late, and apparently, it’s going to end late. Not having to worry about maji (water) is nice, but I’m also looking forward to the dry season. Then, I don’t have to worry about keeping the grass short (so it’s snake free), and I don’t have to weed the garden. I’ll miss the “hurricane” effect though…the pounding of rain on my tin roof. I remember thinking when I was home in June and sleeping in the basement, that I could only tell if it was raining if I looked outside. I couldn’t hear the rain hitting the house like I do here.
Today I walked over to my neighbor’s house to get a bag of 6 oranges all for less than 50 cents (500 tsh). Nasla, my favorite standard 7 student, climbed up to get the biggest oranges on the top. I love having fruit trees so easily accessible. I also grabbed a few limes off of the tree on my way back from Mkuchika.
I’m eating sautéed zucchini with ramen noodles now. I’ve learned quite a bit about cooking with fresh ingredients here. I love fresh garlic and ginger. I also use lime, curry, and cumin a lot…things I never used back home. Eating meat regularly once I get back to America will be such a change, especially the portion sizes. The most meat I get in one week is maybe a chicken leg, 3 pieces of goat meat on a stick the size of dice, or a small salty dry fish. I’ve never eaten so much fish as I have here, and it’s mostly dry. I noticed after a few months of being here that I started smelling like a Tanzanian! Not sure what it is, maybe heavy starches and fishy smell.
I’ve been teaching English every day to Form 1 students. I like having the routine of getting house chores done in the morning and going to teach around 11:00. I don’t have an particular schedule because there are so few teachers there; they just told me to come over at whatever time of day I like. Peace Corps just dropped me off in a village and expected me to start some projects-doesn’t matter what type. At first this was frustrating because I wanted some guidance. I wanted more structure, that’s why I wanted to teach. I wish I could weed out the obnoxious kids. There’s really nothing to motivate these kids to do well because the grade system doesn’t exist, parents aren’t involved, and teachers are scarce. There are some students who just really want to learn, so I’m hoping the library will be a boost for them to learn more and continue their education. Maybe someday they’ll see what’s outside their village, even see the ocean!
April 9, 2011
Happy Birthday! (Grandpa). You would get a lot of “Shikamoo’s” if you came to my village. People say this to their elders and it means “I respect you”, or the literal translation: “I will wash your feet”.
Gardening is a lot of work, but luckily the kids are easily bribed with candy to do all the weeding. I try to save my extra time to clean my house, wash dishes, and wash clothes. There are 10 girls on my porch right now who came to “lima” (weed my garden and around my house). But they insisted on one game of Old Maid first, which has turned into at least five games!
The Tanzanians liked the zucchini and they’ve saved seeds to plant next year. There were very few who liked the radishes!
There aren’t a lot of heavy women in my village because they do more manual labor and don’t eat as well as wealthier women. But the starchy diet of rice, ugali, cassava, beans, and corn is fattening. There are plenty of heavy women in TZ. The women on advertisements and videos are large with beefy arms and double chins, and that’s appealing around here! Men like big women because that means they’re healthy to bear their children, do household and farm work, and they don’t have HIV (or at least they appear to be healthy).
Apparently Issa got tired of his ugali and dagaa (small dried fish) today. He surprised me by dragging a baby chick in his mouth into the house. Normally he just harasses the chickens by chasing them around a little. He hasn’t killed a chick since he was a kitten. I smacked him and quickly flushed the chick down the choo. If neighbors find out Issa is killing their chicks, they’ll kill Issa. So, I won’t tell the neighbors; they’ll just assume a hawk took the chick.
In America, we’re all about honesty and telling the truth even when it hurts. In Tanzania, it’s the norm to lie, mostly because Tanzanians say what they think you want to hear. This is extremely frustrating with transportation, like waiting for a bus to be repaired which “will only take 5 minutes” when it actually takes 3 hours because the part needed is hours away. I find myself lying a lot more now, especially when bartering prices. I lie about how much I think the item is worth and how much I have to spend. It’s kinda like a game. I used to hate bartering, but now I kind of like it. When I went home in June, I caught myself wanting to barter for headbands in Claires. I never thought I would actually miss bartering!
January 8, 2011
Happy New Year! Now that it’s 2011, reality is starting to sink in that my time here in TZ is almost over. I couldn’t even imagine being where I am now just a year and a half ago. Now that I have Swahili down, I can go and do just about anything without much trouble. Early in my service, it was a chore to communicate with people. The more I get comfortable, the closer my time to leave will come. I think Peace Corps knows this, and it’s why they choose to have volunteers serve for 2 years. It’s just enough to adjust to language and culture, adapt and absorb a new environment, develop close connections with the natives, and get projects going as well.
I organized a HIV/AIDS testing day in my village in December. About 140 people tested, and 5 of them were positive. They were all women, so their husbands are likely infected as well. I think my villagers like to pretend that AIDS doesn’t exist, although each year people die in the village from “some long sickness”. I have a community theatre group made up of Mkuchika secondary students. They put on some fun HIV educational skits for testing day and for neighboring primary schools. So far everything I’ve done has been educating, although I’d like to get at least one project going, maybe with my site mate, Ben, who lives only an 8 minute bike ride away in a nearby village. The educational volunteers here in TZ work with the secondary schools teaching math and science, so their experience is much different than ours (health and environment volunteers). Although it would be nice to have a more structured schedule like the ed volunteers, I’m glad I’m environmental, because I have more time to mingle with the villagers. It has also forced me to integrate into the village more in order to find work to do. Village life is what I love most, and spending time with the villagers.
Speaking of work, lately I’ve been working in my garden. I planted a lot of American seeds, mainly because the villagers get a kick out of trying new things. One thing I’ll miss about TZ is the willingness of kids to help out. Usually I’m only in my garden for 10 minutes before kids come to watch/help me. If they come to watch me, I put them to work! Everything is done by hand and hoe. Watering is a big chore. I look forward to being able to use a hose in America. My back is a bit sore from carrying buckets of goat manure and water. I carry it by hand because my garden is only a short distance from my house. I made some manure tea (it’s a full bucket of goat manure diluted with water). I stir it once every day for 21 days, then I dilute it 1 part liquid to 20 parts water. The same book I got this idea out of suggests using human urine as a nitrogen source. I didn’t use any chemical in my garden or buy fertilizer because I wanted to farm like the villagers and find cheaper alternatives for them to fertilize their fields.
This is my last free weekend before the primary school opens again. I’d like to get some reading and journaling done before the clanging of the tire “bell” and shrills of many children fill my every day.
I’m going to go pick some mangos and enjoy this cloudy day. Maybe a rain is coming!
I gave my mama a handful of M&M’s to taste. After one, she refused to eat another because she thought the M&M’s looked too much like lizard eggs!
January 10, 2011
It was nice having my family here to celebrate the holidays with. It made this year a lot easier knowing I wouldn’t have to be so far from family during Christmas.
Reality hit this month that my time here is running out. I’m really excited to go back to the USA, but I’m going to miss a lot of things about TZ. The many fruits that surround my house will definitely be missed. It’s really a neat experience to live in a tropical environment. I’ll miss Tanzanians, especially my villagers. They’re so friendly and always willing to help out. I will miss sitting on a woven mat in the shade of a mango tree, eating whatever fruit is in season, and chatting with the locals. It’s been fun and rewarding learning Swahili and the village tribal language Kimakonde. It’s sad that I’ll have to leave that all behind and I’ll eventually forget the languages. I might even miss all the noisy chickens and goats that roam the village and wake me up at 5:30 AM. I’ll miss hearing the muslim call to prayer, and just the excitement of being somewhere foreign. There’s so much to learn! I’ve gotten so used to being here that I don’t even miss electricity and running water, because I forget what it was like, and I have my routine down.
As I’m writing this letter, I’m waiting for my bike to be fixed. I plan on going to Newala, a 40 minute bike ride, to use internet and get groceries. I’m wearing a dress with leggings underneath. It’s a bit scandalous to wear pants, so I try to avoid wearing American clothing that will stand out. I’ll be glad to be back in America and be able to wear shorts and tank tops!
I’m including a thank-you letter from my “younger sister” Esther because I paid $21 of her school fees (from money donated by a Christian Women’s group from NE). Esther and her parents were very grateful and told me over and over how thankful they were. I’m waiting for another reason to give the rest of the money to a student or villager that could really use the assistance. I planned on checking out how much it would cost to help a girl with club foot, but during cashew season she and her mom and siblings went to her home village to help harvest cashews. If she comes back, maybe we’ll still go to see the nearest doctor. Otherwise, the money will go towards students’ school fees, or the school library if that ends up working out. I just heard that my library proposal finally got okayed by the Peace Corps Country Director of Tanzania, so now I just need to wait for the Washington DC Peace Corps office to review my proposal.
I had another volunteer, Liz, come and hang out at my village for a few days. It was a lot of fun to cook American food and speak American English. We watched movies on my laptop sitting outside at night on my woven mat. Last night we heard drumming which is normal here, and lasted until morning. Apparently it was held to get the bad spirits out of someone. Drumming always does the trick!
I’m about to mail this letter. I’m in Newala at an American couple’s house, using their electricity to charge my computer. The wife is busy preparing wild hog that her husband shot in a wildlife reserve near here. Hopefully, I’ll get a taste.
Here is the thank you letter from Esther:
My name is Esta. I am a Form 1 student at George Mkuchika Secondary School. I’m very grateful for the 30,000 shillings that you gave sister Kristina to give to a student like me. I’m very happy to get assistance to pay for school fees. I will never forget your kindness for my entire life. This money will go toward my school fees and school materials, such as notebooks and pens. Also, for a battery for my flashlight which I use to study every night for there is no electricity in my village. Again, I’m very grateful for Kristina who brought the money to my parents. My parents are also very thankful for your financial contribution. I wish you all a long and healthy life, and I hope to continue to be fortunate enough to receive school fees. THANK YOU!
I also paid $25 (35,000) shillings for Sharifu, one of my best students at Mkuchika. I have no doubt he will put this money to good use. He’s extremely dedicated and eager to learn. I hope he gets the opportunity to study at college level. The only thing that might hold him back is financial problems. Here is his thank you letter:
My Name is Sharifu. I’m a form 2 student at George Mkuchika secondary school. I prefer to use this chance to give my sincere thanks. Thank you very much, I’m grateful for your help. My parents had not enough money to pay the school fees. Now I’m grateful for your help. I had hoped there would be people like you who can help me. I will use your money to pay for my Form 2 school fees and other school materials. I will continue with studies in Form 2, 3, and 4. My goals are to pass Form 2 and Form 4 examinations, and to continue up to Forms 5 and 6. I hope to do well enough to be able to go to college. I ask God to bless me and you. The purpose of this letter is to express my gratitude. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
January 28, 2011
The weather is comfortable here except when I’m in the sun. The sun is so intense! It heats up my tin roof and then my whole house is toasting! But if I stay in the shade, there’s usually a nice breeze. Thank goodness I moved from Masasi; it was crazy hot there! Volunteers before me slept on the floor because it was too hot to sleep on a mattress. And the weather near the ocean is so humid and hot, you feel sticky and gross every day. One good thing about this tropical weather is all the fruit. I’ve been eating mangos and pineapple here like crazy. Back home I’ll only get apples and oranges, so I try to eat as much fruit as I can here. Today I noticed some ladies were selling custard apples. They’re really weird-looking fruit with lots of seeds. You eat the white flesh inside. It’s good stuff.
I just came back from a memorial service for a Muslim man who died 41 days ago. Today was the last day of the funeral process. When a person first dies, all the close family stays overnight at the deceased person’s home for 3 nights. The men sleep outside in front, and the women sleep inside. Sometimes the women stay and help out the entire 40 days if the wife/mother of the deceased needs help. Then after 40 days everyone gets together to chat and snack. The snacks are usually cooked beans and tea, or boiled ground nuts. Today at least 200 people came. All the women were decked out in khangas and kitangas (cloth wraps) with their heads covered. I also covered my head and wore the wraps on my top and lower half. It’s so hot, yet women don’t seem to be bothered by wearing so many layers. The men wore kanzus (muslim robes) and muslim hats. The men sat in the front and under the mango tree near the house. The women always sit separately, usually in the back where they do all the cooking. It was pretty chaotic trying to feed so many people, but since they do this all the time, they’ve got the proportions down. There were at least 10 fires going. They can cook anywhere; all they need for stoves are 3 stones and firewood. Two goats were slaughtered for the occasion. The son of the deceased is a wealthy man, so we all ate well. Six to ten people sit around a platter and eat with their right hand. The son of the dead man came over to me with a bowl full of goat meat and sauce. Because I’m the only white person, I really stand out and usually get special treatment. I can always feel people watching me, wondering what the “foreigner” is going to do and how she’ll react.
Feb 16, 2011
I was a little surprised that my villagers celebrated Valentine’s Day, or at least they recognized it at church. Some people wore red, but that was about it….no chalky candy hearts. Valentine’s Day must be a worldwide holiday.
Yesterday I finished translating all the pen pal letters I’m sending to students in NE. It’s really a time consuming project because each individual TZ student writes to a NE student, but it’s very enjoyable for the kids. The questions they ask each other are great. I do get pretty frustrated with some of the students in 7th grade who crowd all the words into one long sentence, or even make up words. Parents often can’t read or write, so they don’t encourage the kids to study or and they don’t read to them when they’re young. I’ve read some American story books to my kids. They were amazed with the pictures and the way I changed my voice for different characters.
I’m boiling chai chai (lemon grass tea) for breakfast. It must be ready now since my whole house smells like fruit loops cereal. I wonder if I can grow lemon grass in NE. I guess it probably couldn’t handle the cold winters. I’ll be experiencing those cold winters soon. Time is really going fast.
March 23, 2011
The teachers at my primary school are pretty excited about the money raised so far for the library project. I talked to Newala primary education officials and it looks like we’ll be able to get free books from Dar. We just have to pay for shipping. With the money we have so far, we can fix up a smaller room in the library and at least put cement on the floor and new iron sheets on the roof. I’d like to have Namiyonga and Mkuchika students and teachers personally thank the donors, but it’s probably not possible because many donors are anonymous. The teachers talk about honoring me by putting pictures of me in the library and naming it after me. I don’t want that because it’s not just me, it’s all those who donated.
Last night I went over to Agnes’ to visit. There’s always a group of neighbors chatting and drinking there in the evening. The usual topic whenever I come by is my cat Issa. They think it’s so funny that I treat him like a human being…giving him a name and giving him his own bowls for food and water. I throw in random comments about what Issa’s been up to (because they ask “Issa hajambo?” “how is Issa”) and I say “Oh, he’s busy washing clothes” or “he’s out in the garden weeding”!! This never gets old for them!
This time at Agnes’, the main topic was about my going away party. They’re already starting to collect money for my sherehe (party). Apparently, it’s going to be big, or so they say! The kids will dance and sing choir songs, we’ll eat meat and rice (high class food), and they’ll be some drumming dances going on. Then the young kids will go home, and the young adults and older adults will have disco! That’s my one request….a dance party. Hopefully, I’ll get to plan with a hired DJ to play a mix of my music and TZ music. Oh, and I guess all those who can afford it will wear matching khanga/kitange oufits. A group of village women and I will go to Newala to pick out fabric, and then we’ll have gowns sewn by a local fundi (tailor). And I’ll get lots of gifts like cashews, peanuts, and khangas. Not sure what I’ll do with all the nuts because I won’t be able to carry it all home. I’m really looking forward to this party even though it is months away. It’s going to be really sad for me as well, especially since these people will only be a memory to me after I leave. I’m glad other volunteers will be around to take pictures and join in the party.
It’s going to be sad to leave Issa. My plan is to give him to Mrs. Ajabu. At least he will eat well. All the other villagers can only afford cassava ugali which is like glue, it’s so sticky.
I’m at Mkuchika Secondary School waiting for the rain to stop. A few other students are waiting too since they have to walk back (their families can’t afford bikes). It’s a good excuse though to write a letter. I can’t get much reading and writing done at my house because of the many interruptions from children.
Today I gave my Form 1 students prizes for those who did well on their exams. Those who got 100’s got soda; 95-98% got crackers, and 90-94% got pepe (candy). The grade system does not exist in TZ, or at least not in the south. In America, kids care about their grades because they want good enough grades to be eligible to play sports, and they don’t want to flunk and repeat the same grade again. The students here have no consequences if they do badly. There are not enough teachers to grade exams all the time. Honor rolls don’t exist to encourage kids to perform well. The parents are uneducated, so they don’t push their kids to do well in school. The teachers here rely on corporal punishment, which doesn’t work. So, the best I can do is at least reward those who try and do well.
Tomorrow and Friday, Mkuchika students will be playing sports in Newala. I’ve been coaching volleyball every evening, but I’m not sure how many schools actually have a volleyball team. The boys love it and really caught on fast. The girls are always timid, and lack self-confidence to be aggressive and move quickly. But they’re slowly catching on. Mr. Mkambala was the one who really encouraged me to have volleyball practice every evening to keep them busy and out of trouble…mainly to avoid teenage pregnancies.
Well, the rain has stopped and I can now hear the croaking of frogs sittings on the window bars of the classroom.
April 4, 2011
It will be so sad for me to say goodbye to my village families, knowing I’ll never see them again. But, I’m ready for America and a new course in life. I’m so glad I experienced this though. For the rest of my life I’ll have this experience to influence my perspective on things. I hope to do another safari and see Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. And I want to go to Tanga and see my host family one last time. Hope I have enough time to do all this. And I hope the library project gets finished in time.
I gave Mama and Baba Esther a copy of the Nance County Journal article about my family visiting. They were pretty excited to have something to remember it by. Baba can understand enough English to read and comprehend the story.
April 5, 2011
I’m waiting to eat chicken at my fundi’s (carpenter’s) house. He told me they’d butcher a chicken for my b-day, but then the chicken ran away. Apparently the chicken made an unfortunate decision to come back because I now see they’re cleaning the bird. Makua wanted to throw a “party” for my birthday by drinking beer and soda. But, he can hardly afford rice to feed his family. So instead, his 10-year-old nephew butchered a chicken, and Ben and I will eat rice with it. The rest of the family will eat chicken and ugali. Most likely, Ben and I will eat on plates and indoors while the rest of the family eats outside, sharing one plate. It’s how they honor guests.
There was a hot topic going around yesterday. The son of my neighbors left a note saying he wanted to kill himself by drinking poison or hanging himself. His dad found the letter and yelled at him, then took him to jail where he spent one night. The parents both drink a lot, so that leaves the housework to the kids. The boy is the oldest left at home, so that leaves him with lots of responsibilities. However, he’s pretty lazy and doesn’t do a whole lot. He said he wanted to kill himself because his parents hate him and make him do all the work. The whole village probably knows now and blames his mom because she drinks and doesn’t do everything for the family like many mothers do. The father doesn’t get any blame because men aren’t expected to do any household chores.
April 6, 2011
I’m wearing my fleece jacket, and both Issa and I are huddled around the kerosene lamp. My reason for being near lamp is for light (it is 6:30 p.m. and dark), but Issa is freezing. My thermometer says its 72 degrees outside. I’m going to have a hard time adjusting back to NE winters because I think this is cold!
As much as I hated cold NE weather, I loved the cozy feeling of being inside, baking all day, and watching movies. (I haven’t had a real chocolate chip cookie for almost 2 years! ) My cold snowy days are replaced by cool windy, rainy days. I love when it rains here. It drowns out the sound of everything outside and I finally get privacy to read a book, watch movies on my laptop, or catch up on my writing. I’m almost finished reading the Bible. It took almost two years to finish.
It’s been raining a lot lately. The rainy season started late, and apparently, it’s going to end late. Not having to worry about maji (water) is nice, but I’m also looking forward to the dry season. Then, I don’t have to worry about keeping the grass short (so it’s snake free), and I don’t have to weed the garden. I’ll miss the “hurricane” effect though…the pounding of rain on my tin roof. I remember thinking when I was home in June and sleeping in the basement, that I could only tell if it was raining if I looked outside. I couldn’t hear the rain hitting the house like I do here.
Today I walked over to my neighbor’s house to get a bag of 6 oranges all for less than 50 cents (500 tsh). Nasla, my favorite standard 7 student, climbed up to get the biggest oranges on the top. I love having fruit trees so easily accessible. I also grabbed a few limes off of the tree on my way back from Mkuchika.
I’m eating sautéed zucchini with ramen noodles now. I’ve learned quite a bit about cooking with fresh ingredients here. I love fresh garlic and ginger. I also use lime, curry, and cumin a lot…things I never used back home. Eating meat regularly once I get back to America will be such a change, especially the portion sizes. The most meat I get in one week is maybe a chicken leg, 3 pieces of goat meat on a stick the size of dice, or a small salty dry fish. I’ve never eaten so much fish as I have here, and it’s mostly dry. I noticed after a few months of being here that I started smelling like a Tanzanian! Not sure what it is, maybe heavy starches and fishy smell.
I’ve been teaching English every day to Form 1 students. I like having the routine of getting house chores done in the morning and going to teach around 11:00. I don’t have an particular schedule because there are so few teachers there; they just told me to come over at whatever time of day I like. Peace Corps just dropped me off in a village and expected me to start some projects-doesn’t matter what type. At first this was frustrating because I wanted some guidance. I wanted more structure, that’s why I wanted to teach. I wish I could weed out the obnoxious kids. There’s really nothing to motivate these kids to do well because the grade system doesn’t exist, parents aren’t involved, and teachers are scarce. There are some students who just really want to learn, so I’m hoping the library will be a boost for them to learn more and continue their education. Maybe someday they’ll see what’s outside their village, even see the ocean!
April 9, 2011
Happy Birthday! (Grandpa). You would get a lot of “Shikamoo’s” if you came to my village. People say this to their elders and it means “I respect you”, or the literal translation: “I will wash your feet”.
Gardening is a lot of work, but luckily the kids are easily bribed with candy to do all the weeding. I try to save my extra time to clean my house, wash dishes, and wash clothes. There are 10 girls on my porch right now who came to “lima” (weed my garden and around my house). But they insisted on one game of Old Maid first, which has turned into at least five games!
The Tanzanians liked the zucchini and they’ve saved seeds to plant next year. There were very few who liked the radishes!
There aren’t a lot of heavy women in my village because they do more manual labor and don’t eat as well as wealthier women. But the starchy diet of rice, ugali, cassava, beans, and corn is fattening. There are plenty of heavy women in TZ. The women on advertisements and videos are large with beefy arms and double chins, and that’s appealing around here! Men like big women because that means they’re healthy to bear their children, do household and farm work, and they don’t have HIV (or at least they appear to be healthy).
Apparently Issa got tired of his ugali and dagaa (small dried fish) today. He surprised me by dragging a baby chick in his mouth into the house. Normally he just harasses the chickens by chasing them around a little. He hasn’t killed a chick since he was a kitten. I smacked him and quickly flushed the chick down the choo. If neighbors find out Issa is killing their chicks, they’ll kill Issa. So, I won’t tell the neighbors; they’ll just assume a hawk took the chick.
In America, we’re all about honesty and telling the truth even when it hurts. In Tanzania, it’s the norm to lie, mostly because Tanzanians say what they think you want to hear. This is extremely frustrating with transportation, like waiting for a bus to be repaired which “will only take 5 minutes” when it actually takes 3 hours because the part needed is hours away. I find myself lying a lot more now, especially when bartering prices. I lie about how much I think the item is worth and how much I have to spend. It’s kinda like a game. I used to hate bartering, but now I kind of like it. When I went home in June, I caught myself wanting to barter for headbands in Claires. I never thought I would actually miss bartering!
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